Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-02-10
DIR. TALMAGE'S TRIP.
HE SUMS UP WHAT HE HAS SEEN
IN THE HOLY LAND.

The Journey in Palestine and Syria and ON
Waters Surrounded with Biblical Asso-
acknowledgements of the Trip-Ready
for His Life of Christ.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, January, 1S9O.--On leav-
ing America ] addressed some words of fare
well to my sermonic readers, and now, on my
way home, write this letter of salutation
which will probably reach you about the
Monday that will find me on the Atlantic
ocean, from which cannot reach you with
the usual sermon. / have completed tho
journey of inspection for which / came.
Others may write a life of Christ without
seeing the Holy Land. l did not feel compe-
tent for such n work until l had seen with
my own eyes the sacred places, and 50 / left
home and church and native country for
most arduOus undertaking. | have visited
all the scenery connected with our Lords
history. The whole journey has been TO me
a surprise, an amazement, grand rapture
OF a deep soemnity l have already sent TO
America my Holy Land observations for my
Life Of Christ, and they were written on
horseback, on mulebacll, on Comeback, on
ships deck, by dim candle in tent, IN mud
howell of Arab village, amid the ruins Of old
cities, on Mount of Beatitudes, on beach of
Genesareth, but it will take twenty years Of
sermons to tell what | have seen and felt on
this journey through Palestine and Syria.
All things have combined 70 make our tour
instructive and advantageous The Atlantic,
and Mediterranean, and Adriatic, and Alge-
an, and Dardanelles, and Marmora seas have
treated us well. Since we left New York we
have had but half day and one night of
storm, and that while crossing Mount Her
mon But let only those in robust health at
tempt to 90 the length of Palestine and Syria
on horseback. l do not think it is because
of the unhealth of the climate in the
Holy Land that many have sickened and
died here or afterward as a result of visiting
these lands, but because of the fatigues of
travel. The number Of miles gives no indi-
cation of the exhaustions of the way. A
hundred and fifty miles in Palestine and
Syria on horseback demand as much physical
strength as four hundred miles on horseback
in regions of easy journey.
Because Of the near two months Of bright
sunlight by day and bright moonlight or
starlight by night the half day of storm was
to US the more memorable. II was about
noon of Dec. IS that the tempest struck
us and drenched the mountains. One
of the horses falls and we halt amid
binding rain. 1t is freezing cold.
Fingers and feet like ice. Two hours and
three-quarters before encampment We ride
on in silence, longing for the terminus Of to-
days pilgrimage. 1t is, through the awful in
clemency of the weather, the only dangerous
day of the journey. Slip and slide and
stumble and climb and descend we must
sometimes on the horse and sometimes or,
until at last we halt in the howell Of a village,
and instead of entering camp for the night
we are glad to find this retreat from the
storm 1t is a house of one story, built out of
mud. My room is covered with roof of
goats hair A feeble fire mid-noor, but no
chimney. 1t is the best house of the village.
Arabs, young and old, stand around in Won
derment rs to why we come. There is no win
dow in the room, but two little openings, one
over the door, the other in the wall, through
which latter opening | occasionally find
an Arab face thrust TO see how am pro
crossing. But the door is open, so | have
some light. This is am afternoon and night
never to be forgotten for its exposures and
acquaintance with the hardships of what an
Arab considers luxurious apartment | sat
that night by n fiTe'the smoke of which find
ing no appropriate place of exit took lodg-
ment in my nostrils and eyes. For the first
time in my life | realized that chimneys were
n luxury, but not a necessity The only
adornments in this room were representa-
tions of two tree branches in the mud of the
wall, a circle supposed to mean star,
bottle hung from the ceiling, and about
twelve indentations in the wall to be used as
mantels for anything that may be placed
there. This storm was not surprise. Through
pessimistic prophets we had expected that at
this season we should have rain and snow and |
hail throughout our journey. For the most
part it has been sunshine and tonic atmos-
phere, and not a moment has our journey
been hindered Gratitude to God is with US
the dominant emotion.
Having visited the scenery connected with /
Christ's life was glad to close my journey /
by passing through the apostolic lands and /
seas You can hardly imagine our feelings /
as we came in sight of Damascus, and on the \
very road where Saul was endorsed at the 4
flash of the supernal light. We did not want, 4
like him, to be flung to the earth, but we did |
hope for some great spiritual blessing, brighter \
than any monday sun, and "a new prepare
ton for usefulness. Our long horseback ride /
was ended, for carriage met us some miles
out and took us to the city. The impression
one receives as he rides along the walled gar
dens of the place are different from those pro-
duced by any other city. But we cannot de-
scribe our feelings as we entered the city
about which we have heard and read 50
much, the oldest city under the sun, and
founded by the grandson Of Noah; nor our
emotions as we pass through the street called
Straight, along which good Ananias went TO
meet Saul; and by the site Of the palace of
Naaman, the eper, and saw the river ALBANIA,
us yesterday we saw Pharpar, the rivers Of
Damascus that Neaman preferred TO wash in
rather than the Jordan. Strange and unique
Damascus 1t is worth while to cross tho At
Iantic and Europe to see it. Though il has
been the place of battle and massacre, and Of
ancient affiuence and spendor as well as il is
Of present prosperity, TO me its chief attrac-
ton arises from the fact that here the scales
fell from Paul's eyes, and that chief of apos-
ties mere began that mission which will not
end until heaven is peopled with ransomed
spirits So also 1 saw day before yesterday
Patmos, where John heard the tFumpets and
,he waves Of the sea dashed TO his feet, re-
ninding him Of the songs Of heaven, 'lke
The voice of many waters"
But this letter can only give a hint Of the
,hings we mean to tell you about when wo
get home, where we expect 70 be before this