The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-12-19

a
this fora, and fruit and why every
thing is so green. and the plain one
great emerald The river ALBANIA! And
not far of the river Pharpar, which our
horses waded through to-day! Thank
the rivers, or rather the God who made
the riversi Deserts to the north, deserts
to the south, deserts to the east deserts
TO the west, but here paradise. And.
as the rivers Gihon. and Pison, and HID
dekel and Euphrates made the other
paradise, ALBANIA and Pharpar made this
Damascus a paradise. That is what
made General Naaman of this city of
Damascus so mad when he was told for
the cure of his leprosy to 60 and wash
in the river Jordan. The river Jordan
Is much Of the year muddy stream, and
1T is never so clear as this river ALBANIA,
that hear rumbling under my window
tonight nor as the river Pharpar that
we crossed to-day. They are as
clear as though they had been sieved
through some special sieve of the
mountains General Namaan had great
and patriotic pride in these two rivers
OF his own country, aud when Elisha,
the prophet told him that if he wanted
to get rid of his leprosy he must go and
wash in the river Jordan. he felt as we
who live on the magnificent Hudson
would feel IL told that we must 60 and
wash in the muddy Thames or as if
those who live on the transparent Rhine
were told that they must go and wash
in the muddy Tiber. So General Naa-
man cried out with a voice as loud as
ever be had used in commanding his
troops, uttering those memorable words
which every minister of the Gospel
sooner or later takes for his text: Are
not ALBANIA and Pharpar, rivers of
Damascus, better than the waters of Is
rael? May not wash in them and be
clean?"
Only those who have travelled in the
deserts of Syria or Egypt, or have in
the Oriental cities heard the tinkling of
the bell of those who sell water can
realize what it is to have this beverage
in abundance
We were awakened in the morning in
Damascus by the song of those who
have different kinds of food to sell 1t
is not street cry, as in London or New
York, but a weird and long drawn out
solo, compared with which buzz-saw
is musical 1t makes you inopportunely
waken, and will not let you sleep again.
But to those who understand the exact
meaning of the song 1t becomes quite
tolerable, for they sing: ''God is the
buy my Bread" Sod is the
buy my milk" God is the
buy my fruit" As you look
out of the city you see the Mohamme-
dams, who are in large majority in the
city, at prayer. And If it were put to
vote who should be king of all the earth
Is, 900 in that city would say Christ but
$50, 600 would say Mohammed. Looking
from the window, you see the house
tops, and on the streets Moham-
medans at worship The muezzin
or the officers Of religion. who an
nounce the time of worship, appear
high on the different minarets or tall
towers, and walked around the mineret
enclosed by railing and cry in a
sad and mumbling way: God is great
1 bear witness that there is no God but
God j bear witness that Mohammed is
the apostle of God. Come to prayers!
Come to salvation! God is great There
is no other but God Prayers are better
than sleep" Five times day must the
engage in worship As
he begins he turns his face toward the
city of Mecca, and unrolls upon the
ground rug which he always carries
With his thumbs touching the lobes of
his ears, and holding his face between
his hands he cries: God is great"
Then folding his hands across his girdle
be looks down and says: Holiness to
Thee, o. God, and praise be to Thee.
Great is thy name. Great is thy great
ness There is no deity but Thee"
Then the worshiper sits upon his heels,
then he touches his nose to the rug and
then his forehead, these genufiections
accompanied with the cry: Great is
God" Then raising the forefnger OF
his right hand toward heaven he says:
II testify that there is no deity but God
and testify that Mohammed is the
servant of God and the messenger of
God"
There are two or three commendable
things about Mohammedanism. One is
that its disciples wash before every act
Of prayer, and that is five times day,
and there is gospel in cleanliness
commendable thing is, they
ion't care who is looking, and nothing
ian stop them in their prayer. Another
thing is that by the order of Mohammed,
aud an order obeyed for 1, 500 years, no
touches strong drink.
But the polygamy, the many-wifehood
Of Mohammedanism has made that re-
.igion the unutterable and everlasting |
curse of women, and when woman
sinks, the race sinks
The spirit of the horrible religion |
which pervades the city of Damascus, |
along whose streets we walk and out of |
whose bazars we make purchases and in |
whose mosques we study the wood cary |
ngs and bedizenments, was demon |
'trated as late as 1860, when in this |
,ity it put to death 6, 900 Christians in |
hours and put to the torch |
J. 900 Christian homes, and those streets |
We walk to-day were red with the car
lage, and the shrieks and groans of the |
lying and dishonored men and women |
made this place hell on earth. This |
vent on until a Mohammedan, better
han his religion, Abd-el-Kader by |
name, a great soldier who in one war |
lad with a5, 900 troops beat go, 600 of the |
enemy, now protested against this mas
acre and gathered the Christians of |
Damascus into castles and private |
louses and filed his own home |
With afrighted sufferers After
while the mob came to his door and de-
handed the Christian dogs" whom he