Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-02-13
DIR. TALMAGE.
A Letter OF Salutation From the
Brooklyn Divine.
His Trip to the Holy Land-Pleassnt and
Unpleasant Experiences-whatH He
VIII Tell When He Gets
Home.

out the following letter for publication,
which will be of interest to all readers of
his sermons. 1t is dated Constantinople:
On leaving America 1 addressed some
words Of farewell to my sermonic read
ers, and now, on nv way hcE2e, 7 |rite
this letter of salutation, which will
probably reach you about the Monday
that will find me on the Atlantic ocean,
from which L can not reach you with
the usual sermon. l have completed
the journey of inspection for which /
came. Others may write a life of
Christ without seeing the Holy Land.
did not feel competent for such q
work until had seen with my own
eyes the sacred places; and SO left
home and church and native country for
most arduous undertaking. l have
visited the scenery connected with our
Lords history. The whole journey has
been to me surprise, an amazement,
grand rapture or a deep solemnity. 1
have already sent to America my Holy
Land observations for my Life of
Christ" and they were written on horse
back, on muleback, on camelback, on
mud howell of Arab village, amid the
ruins of old cities, on Mount of Beati-
tudes, on beach of Genesareth, but it
will take twenty years of sermons to tell
what have seen and felt on this jour
ney through Palestine and Syria. All
things have combined to make our tour
instructive and advantageous. The At
lantic and Mediterranean and Adriatic
and Egean and Dardanelles and Mar
mora seas have treated us well.
Since we left New 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
tempt to go the length of Palestine and
| Syria on horseback. / do not think it is
| because of the unhealthy climate in the
Holy Land that so many have sickened
and died there or afterward as a result
of visiting these lands, but because of
|. the fatigues of travel. The number of
miles gives no indication of the exhaus-
ton of the way. A hundred and fifty
miles in Palestine and Syria on horse
back demand as much physical strength
as 400 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.
1t was about noon of December IS that
the tempest struck us and drenched the
mountains. One of the horses falls and
we halt amid binding rain. 1t is
freezing cold. Fingers and feet likeic
Two hours and three-quarters before en-
eampment. We ride on in silence,
longing for the terminus of to-day's
pilgrimage. 1t is, through the awful
inclemency of the weather, the only
dangerous day of the journey. Slip and
slide and tumble and climb and descend
we must, sometimes on the horse and
sometimes off, until at 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.
MY room is covered with roof of goats
hair. A feeble fire mid floor, but no Chin
ney. 1t is the best house of the village.
| Arabs, young and old, stand around in
| wonderment as to why we came. There
is no window in the room, but two lit
tie openings, one over the door and the
other in the wall. through which latter
opening occasionally ind an Arab face
thrust to see how 1 am progressing. But
the door is open so / have some light.
This is an afternoon and night never to
be forgotten for it's exposures and ac
quaintance with the hardships of what
an Arab considers luxurious apartment.
l sat that night by fire, the smoke of
which, finding no appropriate place of
exit, took Judgment in my ncstrils and
eyes. For the first time in my life l
realized that chimneys were luxury
but not a necessity. The only adOrn-
ments in this room were presentations
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 mantels for any thing that may
be placed there.
OThis storm was not a surprise
Through pessimistic prophets we had
expected that at this season we should
have rain and snow and hail throughout
been sunshine and tonic atmosphere,
and not moment has our journey been
hindered. Gratitude to God is with us
the dominant emotion.
Having visited the scenery connected
with Christs life 1 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 where
Saul was endorsed at the flash of the
supernal light. We did not want, like
him, to be flung to the earth, but we did
hope for some great spiritual bless
ing brighter than any MONDAY
sun, and a new preparation for
usefulness. Our long horseback ride
was ended, for a carriage met US some
miles out and took US to the city. The
impression one receives as he rides
along the walled gardens of the place
are different from those produced by any
other city. But we can not describe our
feelings as we enter the city about
which we have heard and read so much,
the oldest city under the sun, and
founded by the grandson of Noah; nor
our emotions as we pass through the
street called Straight, along which good
Ananias went TO meet Saul; and by the
site of the palace of Naaman the leper,
and saw the river ALBANIA, as yesterday
we saw Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus
that Naaman preferred to wash in rather
than the Jordan. Strange and unique
Damascus, 1t is worth while to cross
the Atlantic and Europe to see it.
Though it has been the place Of battle
and massacre, and of ancient afauence