The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-12-12

is much of the year a muddy stream. and
it is never SO clear as this river ALBANIA.
that hear rum ling under my window
tonight, nor as the river Pharpaf that
we crossed to-day. They are IS
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 ii he wanted
to get rid of his 1eprosy 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 go 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
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 'tAre
not ALBANIA and Pharpar. rivers OF
| Damascus, better than tn 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 a 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 a lain
But to those who understand the exact
meaning of the song it becomes q1ite
tolerable, for they sing: God is the
nourisher, buy my bread;" God is the
nourisher, buy my milk" God is the
| nourisher, 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 DO king of all the earth
$4,000 in that city would say Christ but
1900 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 a railing and cry in a
sad and mumbling way: God is great
l bear witness that there is no God but
God. 1 bear witness that Mohammed is
the apostle of God. Come to prayersi
Come to salvationl God is great There
is no other but God Prayers are better
Mohammedan engage in worship. AS
he begins he turns his face toward the
city of Mecca, and unroils 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
he 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 1 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 a day,
and there is a gospel in cleanliness
Another commendable thing is. they
don't care who is looking, and nothing
can stop them in their prayer. Another
thing is that by the order of Mob ahmed,
and an order obeyed for l, 500 years, no
Mohammedan touches strong drink.
But the polygamy. the many wifehood
of Mohammedanism has made that re-
ligion the unutterablo and eVerlas ting
curse of women, and when woman
sinks, the race sinks
Tho sp rit of the horrible religion
which pervades the city of Damascus,
along whose streets we walk and out oil
whose bazars we make purchases and in
whose mosques we study the wood cary
ings and bedizenments. was demon
strated as late as 1850. when in this
=. ! - i n
fortY-eight hours and put to the torch
3. 600 Christian homes, and those streets
we walk to-day were red with the car
mage, and the shriek5 and groans of the
dying and dishonored men and women
made this place hell on earth. This
went until Mohammedan, better
than his religion. Abd-el-Kader by
name, q great soldier who in one wal
had with 25, 900 troops beat 60, 600 of the
enemy, now protested against this mas
sacre and gathered the Christians of
Damascus into castles and private
houses and filled his own home
with Rffrighted sufferers After
awhile the mob came to his door and de
manded the christian dogs whom he
was sheltering. And Abd-el-Kadel
mounted a horse and drew his sword
and with few of his old soldiers around
him charged on the mob and cried
''Wretc Is this the way you homo
the prOpnetT may MS curses De upOA
you! Shame on you'll Shamel You will
yet live to repent You think you may
do as you please with the Christians
J but the day of retr.bution will come
The Franks will yet turn your mosques
: into churches Not Christian will
give up They are my brothers STAND
> back or I will give my men the order Il
l fire" Then by the might of one grea
i soul under GOD the wave of assassina
: ton rolled hack
D Although now we Americans and for
i eigners pass through the streets of Ds
mascus unhindered, there is in many
! parts of the city the subdued kissing
of hatred for Christianity that il +
5 dared would put TO death every man,
| woman and child in Damascus who does
l not declare allegiance to Mohammed
t But am glad to say that wide. hard
, splendid turnpike road has within few
years been constructed from Beyrout OF
the shore OF the Mediterranean TO thi.
city of Damascus. and. if ever agaiE
, that Wholesale assassination is at