Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-03-27
HOMEWARD BOUND.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Writes a Letter
Descriptive of His Trip.
His Journeyings in Palestine and Some of
the Hardships Encountered A
Stormy Night on Mount Her.
mona Corner Stone for
the Brooklyn Taber-
nacle.

now, on my way home, / write this let
ter of sa~lutation, which will probably
reach you about the Monday that will
find me on the Atlantic Ocean, from
which / can not reach you with the
usual ermon / have completed the
journey of inspection for which l came.
Others may write a life of Christ with
out seeing the Holy Land. did not
feel competent for such a work until /
had seen with my own eyes the sacred
places, and so | left home and church
and native country for a most arduous
undertaking. L have visited all tho
scenery connected with our Lords his
tory. The whole journey has been to
me a surprise, an amazement, q grand
rapture, or a deep solemnity. have
already sent to America my Holy Land
observations for my Life of Christ"
and they we're written on horseback, on
%muleback, on ~camelback, on ships deck,
by dim candle in tent, in mud hovel Of
Arab village, amid the ruins of old
cities, on Mount Of Beatitudes. on beach
of Genesaret, but it viii take twenty
years of sermons to tell what ! have
seen and felt on this journey through
Palestine and Syria.
All things have combined to make our
tour instructive and advantageous. The
Atlantic and Mediterrean and Adriatic
and Egean and Dardanelles and Mar
mora seas have treated us well. Since
we left New York we have had but a
half day and one night of storm, and
that while crossing Mount Hermon. But
let only those in robust health attempt
to go the length of Palestine and Syria
on horseback. / do not think it is be-
cause of the unhealth of the climate in
Holy Land that so many have sickened
and died here or afterward as a result Of
visiting these lands, but because OF the
fatigues of travel. The number ofmiles
gives no indication Of the exhaustions of
the way. A hundred and fifty miles in
Palestine and Syria on horseback de-
mand as much physical strength as four
hundred miles on horseback in regions
of easy journey. Because of the near W
months of bright sunlight by day, and
bright moonlight or starlight by night,
the half day of storm was to us the more
memorable. 1t was about loon On De-
cember IS that the tempest struck us
and drenched the mountains. One of
the horses falls and we halt amid a
binding rain. 1t is freezing cold. Fin
gers and feet like ice. Two hours and
three-quartors before encampment. We
ride on in silence longing for the ter
minous of to-day's pilgrimage. 1t is
through the awful inclemency of the
weather, the only dangerous day Of tho
journey. Slip and slide and tumble and
climb and descend we must, sometimes
on the horse and sometimes off, until
a. 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. Ny room is
covered with a roof of goats hair. A
feeble fire mid-foor, but no chimney.
1t is the best house of the village.
Arabs, young and old, stand around in
wondermeRt as to why we come. There
is no window in the room, but two
little openings, one over the door and
Lhe other in the wall, through which
latter opening l occasionally find an
Arab face thrust to see how / am pro-
crossing. But the door is open, so l
have some light. This Is an afternoon
and night never to be forgotten for its
exposure and acquaintance with the
hardships Of what an Arab considers
luxurious apartment. / sat that night
by a fire, the smoke of which, indingno
appropriate place of exit, took Judgment
in my nostrils and eyes. For the first
time in my life | realized that chimneys
were a luxury but not a necessity. The
only adornments in this room we're rep
reservations Of two tree branches In
the mud Of the wall. a circle supposed
to mean a star, a bottle hung from the
ceiling, and about twelve intentions
made In the wall to be used as mantels
for any thing that may be placed there.
This storm was not a surprise. Through
pessimistic prophets we had expected at
this season we should have rain and
snow and hail throughout our journey.
For the most part it las been sunshine
and tonic atmosphere, and not a mo-
ment has our journey been hindered.
Gratitude to God is with us the DOM
inant 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
u feelings as we came in sight of Da-
mascus, and on the very road where Saul
was endorsed at the fash of the supernal
light. We did not want, 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 prepar-
alton for usefulness. Our long horseback
ride was ended, for a carriage met us
some miles out and took US to the city.
The impression n receives as he
rides along the walled gardens of the
place are different from those produced
by any other city. But we can not de-
scribe our feelings as we entered the
city about which we have heard and
read so much, tae oldest city under the
sun, and founded by the son OF Noah;
nor our emotions as we pass through the
ctroa4 oalIaI Ct~asrbt along which . nod /