Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-19

and some Of the more easily reached
places more distant.
Take on example OF Russian pill
grim; see her Tor him, for The sexes are
about equal as to numbers. as well as
In their devotions to stocks and stones).
Follow her as she bends her way
down David and Christian streets. See
her look back and forth from side to
side of the narrow way closely lined
with stores and shops and street deal
ers' piles, in which workship machinery
candles, beads, crosses, sacred hearts,
and many other necessaries- the
principle and exclusive stock In trade.
How naturally and irresistibly she
"crosses herself' at sight of this or that
article exposed for sale, and which
touches her religious chords; or upon
meetings priest, whose hand she kisses.
Now she turns down the little steep
stepped and vaulted way that leads to
the "Church Of the Holy Sepulchre," "
and crowds her way through the dense
mass of endless varied humanity, garb
and tongues that fill the large stone
paved square i'm front. On entering
the apartment that answers TO the ves-
tibule, see her halt in front of the
"Stone of Unction,n bow and cross her
self several times, kneel and kiss the
stone ard press her forehead hard down
upon it, then rise, repeat the bows and
crossings, and perhaps kneel and go
over the same exercises, but If not, she
backs off little way, continuing the
bows and crossings, and proceeds to the
platform in front of the Sepulchre
Chapel and repeats the exercises pre-
paratory to entering the chapel with
shoes removed. And so on, as she fol-
lows the rounds of the different shrines
throughout the various chapels, halls,
corridors, galleries and strange apart
ments of the vast buildings that con-
stitute the "church."
And who can imagine many hun
dreds, or even thousands of such, male
and female, urging their ways along
the much-traveled beats from shrine
to shrine, through the bewildering
labyrinths, many of them moving in
continuous swing, swing, swing of bows
and crossings till theplace is all worky,
worky, worky with them. 1t is won
derful to the free American mind how
they drink in the traditions as to the
"holy Places" the identy of nearly all
of which (even if they were "holy and
deserved Worship is very uncertain,
and not a few of them ridiculous in
the extreme. And yet, notwithstand-
ing their bewilderment in this priest
cultured, religious jungle of unauthor-
lied formalities and semi.idolatry, these
strange children of credulity exhibit
much of the Transforming power Of
Christianity.
But the elimination of these festivi-
tiles and excitements is to come off
this afternoon in the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre. 1t is the ceremony
of "Holy Fire." in which supernatur-
al flame is said to issue from the tomb
of Christ, upon the appearance ofwhich
the thousands that fill every part of the
buildings are thrown into the widest,
most ungovernable excitement. I am
duly warned against the danger, espec-
tally to stranger spectators, unless a
place can be secured in some of the up
per galleries. But what is danger" to
one who is out hunting the big shows
of the world to tell the people about? l
will go, and will tell you about it in my
next, entitled "Fire From the Holy
Weird and Fearful IL
lusiou;" that is if I don't get trampled
to death beneath the feet of the surging
crowds, as many have been upon form
er occasions. T. J. ALLEY.