The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-02-08
DIR. TALMAGE.
a Letter of Sanitation From the
Brooklyn Divine.
ms Trip to the Holy Lsnd-PIeasant and
Unpleasant Experiences-What He
WIN Tell When He Gets
HomO.

which Will be OF interest to all readers o
his sermons. 1t is dated Constantinople
On leaving America | addressed som,
words OF farewell to my sermonic read
ers' and now, on my way home, l writ,
tnis letter of salutation, which viii
PROBABLY reach you about the Monda,
tnat Will find me Oh the Atlantic ocean
from which car not reach you with
the usual | have completed
the Journey of inspection for which
came. Other may write a life o
Christ without seeing the Holy Land
l did not feel competent for such
WORK until l mad seen with my owl
eyes the sacred places; and so l lef
home and church and native country fol-
= most arduous undertaking. hav,
visited the scenery connected with oul
Lords history. The whole journey ha,
beer to me q surprise, an a~mazement, 8
grand rapture or a deep solemnity.
have already sent to America my Holy
Land observations for my Life o.
Christ" and they were written on horse
peck, on muleback, 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 Beati
tndes, on beach Of Genesareth, but Il
will take twenty years of sermons to tel
what have seen and felt on this jour.
nsy through Palestine and Syria. All
things have combined to- make our tour
n~structiv and advantageous. The At
lsnttc and Mediterranean and Adriatic
and Ggean and Dardanelles and Mar
mora seas have treated US we'll.
Since we left Now York we have had
but . half day and one night of storm,
and that while crossing Mount Hermon.
But let those only in robust health at
tsmpt 70 60 the length OF Palestine and
Syria on horseback. | do not think IL Is
because OF the unhealthy climate in the
Holy Land that so many have sickencd
and died thore or afterward as a result
Of visiting these lands, but because of
The faugues Of travel. The number Of
miles gives no Indication of tho exhaus-
ton OF the way. A hundred and fifty
miles In Palestine and Syria on horse
back demand as much physical strength
- 600 miles on horseback In regions of
easy journey.
Because OF the nearly two months Of
bright sunlight by day, and bright moon
light or starlight by night, the half day
OF storm was to us the most memorable.
IL was about o OF December Is that
IA tempest struck us and drenched the
mountains. One Of the horses falls and
ws halt amid q binding rain. It is
freezing cold. Fingers and feet like ice.
Two hours and three-quarters before en-
campmant. We ride on in silence,
long.Ag !or the terminus OF to-day's
pilgrimage. IL Is. through the awful
inclemency OF the weather, the only
dangerous day Of the journey. Slip and
slide and tumble and climb aud descend
We must, sometimes on the horse and
sometimes on, until ut last we halt In
the howell Of a village, and instead of
entering camp for the night we are glad
TO nnd this retreat from the storm. 1t
IL . house Of one story, built out of mud.
Ny room Is covered with a roof OF goats
hair. A feeble Ore mid floor. but no chin
ney. II Is the best house OF the village.
Arabs, young and old, stand around in
wonderment as 70 why we came. There
u no window In the room, but two lit
tie openings, n over the door and the
other in the wall, through which latter
ORoAAh. a oSoaoiOuaiiy uHu IN hTdD ldCe
thrust to see how | am progressing. But
the door is open so / have some light.
This 10 an afternoon and night never to
be forgotten for its exposures and ac-
quaintance with the hardships of what
an Arab considers luxurious apartment.
! sat that night by a fire, the smoke OF
which, finding no 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 . necessity. The only adorn-
ments In this DON were representations
of two tree branches in the mud of the
wall. . circle supposed to mean a star, a
bottle hung from the ceiling and about
twelve indentations in the wall to be
used as msntels for any thing that may
be placed there.
This storm was not surprise.
Through pesslmistic prophets we had
expected that at this season we should
have rain md snow and hail throughout
our journey. For the most part it has
been sunshine and tonic atmosphere,
and not o moment has u journey been
hindereda 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 whore
Saul was endorsed at the cash OF the
supernaf light. We did not want, like
him, to be flung to the earth, but we did
hops for some great spiritual bless.
ing brighter than any MONDAY
sun, and a new preparation for
usefulness. Our long horseback ride
Was ended, for q carriage met US some
miles out and took US TO the city. The
Impression one receives as he ridcs
along the walled gardens OF the plac,
are different from those produced by any
other city. But we can not describe OIL
feelings as we enter the city abou'
which we have heard and read so much
the Oldest city under the sun, ant
founded by the grandson of Noah; no.
our emotions as we pass through the
street called Straight, along which goot
Ananfas went to meet Saul; and by thu
site OF the palace OF Naaman h 1eper
and saw the river ALBANIA, as YESTERDAY
We saw Pharpar, the rivers of Damascu,
that Naaman preferred 10 wash In ratheI
than the Jordan. Strange n unique
Damasousi IL IL worth while 10 eros.
che Atlantic and Europe to soc IL
Though II has been the place Of battl,
and massacre. and OF ancient ~affluenc'
and splendor as we'll as IL is OF present
prosperity. to me its chief attraction
arises from the fact hat here the scales
fell from Paul's eyes, and that chief OF
apostles here began that mission which
will not end until Heaven Is peopled
with ransomed spirits. So also l saw
day before yesterday Patmos, where
John heard the trumpets and the waves
Of the sea dashed H. his feet, reminding
him Of the songs Of Heaven, like the
voice OF many waters"
But this letter can only give a hint o.
the things we mean TO tell you when WI
ret home, where we expect 70 be before
this month Is ended. ] baptized by Inn
msryion in the Jordan an American
whom we met. and who desired the
solemn ordinance administered TO him
In The sacred waters. rolled down
from Mount Calvary or "place Of q skull
q atone for the corner stone OF our new
RrookIvn tabernacle. We bathed In the
"Dead Sea- and in "Gideon's Fountain
where his three hundred men Tapped
the water from their. hands as they
passed. through; and we sailed on Lake
oalilee and stood on Mount Zion ant
Mount oriah and Mount Hermon' ant
I saw the place where the shepherds
heard the Christmas anthem the nigh