The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-02-14
THE FESTIVAL OFFENDING THETRUE
CROSS.

Early in the autumn, all over Syria
and the Eas', is ceIebra ed the finding
of the True Cross by the Empress Helena
You know the legend-how leaying
her palace in Constantinople the En-
press set sail for the Holy Land. All
along the coast huge watch fires were
built and relays of watchers appointed
AS soon as her search was rewarded the
| light on the nearest hilltop blazsd forth
with glad tidings, and as if lighted by
the magic torch of a switthying angel
one hill after the other caught up and
carried forward the news from one end
of Syria to the other, across Asia Minor,
and the Bosporus until the answering
shout of joy rang within the palace
walls at Constantlnople: "JOy, joy. The
cross is fOund!'
Now, hundreds of years later, when
the telegraph wires spread the news of
Joy faster than the old system of watch
fires, we here in the East yearly gather
around ruddy blaze to celebrate this
search and hold festival with songs.
Right below our Mt. Lebanon hume in
an open field was a long fl 1t rock especi-
ally dedicated to use at this festival
All the children of the village for days
beforehand would climb the high noun
tam slopes back of the village in everv
direction for celldn or the sun. dried
cracking thorns. On our rock we would
first build high tower of sticks, mostly
distracted by stealth from the wood
piles at home. Around this, and over
topping it., the bundles of thOrns were
piled-a cord at last being wound spir
ally around to keep all in place. Just
as soon as il was dark and how eagerly
we watched for the time to conceive
would all gather around, forming u Cir
Gle. and dance until our leader-chosen
as having contributed most toward the
b ntire-wUuld set fire to the pile. Fan
ned by the evening breeze it would al
m )st Immediately shoot up into huge
pyramid of flame scattering sparks in
all directions and given active en-
p oyment to the old ones in preventing
the venturesome little ones from max
ing martyrs of themselves in their ex.
element. As the thorns burned up we
replenished them from neighboring re-
serve piles.
When all but the largest logs at the
centre and base had been consumed we
would again form circle aud maddest;
lCpL lllllC "Oulu lhOh CueuCs blcdh
ing out into wild song we would incite
one another to brave the flames and
jump through, or over, the wide bed OF
i've Goals. The older ones leading, one
and another would break away from
our circle, leap across, rejoining at the
other side. With our bare feet and sim
pie blue dyed cotton garments this meant
severe burns and much. danger, for tt e
circle OF fire was a wide one, and the
not brands and ashes were spread about
in all directions; but he was indeed
coward who before the evenings close
had not attempted and accomplished the
feat-not one, but several times.
At the close of the evening we would
end our feast by partaking of little cakes
baked with oil and sweeteued with
honey. Then joining hands for the last
time around the dying embers we would
repeat an invocation to the clouds to
send us rain once more, and to the earth
to reopen her spring, to refresh the
thirsty soil. From April TO October we
rarely have a drop of rain about Mt.
Lebanon, and mothers always say their
mothers told them that the early autumn
rains waited for the Empress Helena to
accomplish her errand lest they should
endaDger the success of her watchfire
signals, and that year by year since the
rains wait for. this festival, lest they
should extlngutsh the memorial flames.
In later years we have often climbed
to the very top of the high mountain
near us to watch the neighboring vii
lagos. As many as thirty or forty bon
fires could be seen from this point, all
along the the sea coast, on neighboring
slopes, and up long valley which opens
toward the East. Every little hamlet
even the sheepfolds sometimes sent forth
light into the surf IoundIng darkness.
The whole dark expanse below as well
as the sky above would be blaze with
sparkling points of light and the effect
was not one to be easily forgotten.
So little of pleasure comes into the
life of child in our downtrodden and
unhappy land that anything that con
meets happiness and joy with the fe
and cross of Him who was once a child
in Nazareth is a great blessing,
-Fediuk Zdrdh, IN February Wide
AUdke.