The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-06-27

The movement ia rhythmic and exceed
ingly graceful and stately, In two
thousand years movement, music and
costume have not changed in tho least,
The dance finished visitors usually
enter the palace, In the centre IL Il
tiled court in which a fountain is play
ing to tho lett the reception room, in
tended, by reason OF its superior adorn'
meut, for men on the right a room OF
tho harem, Ahmed begins his address,
however, by explaining that the great
American woman knocked out this
arrangement in one round. The irst
feminine visitor decided that she pre-
ierred the mems apartment She took
possession OF 1t ut inc without apology
or hesitation; and now, says Ahmed,
Gentlemen will please find seats
wherever they can" The walla and
ceilings OF the two principal rooms are
OF wood work, carved by hand, inlaid
and painted; the floors are covered
with rugs. Tho walls and floor OF
the courtyard are finished in blue
mosaic tiling. Every Arab house ia
supposed to be built in such manner
that it can b. taken to pieces and re-
moved to another location On the short.
est notice. Thus these rooms OF the
old palace could be 80 accurately repro
duced in this far away land but the Sc
cret OF reproducing the tiling aud the
wood work themselves is lost, perhaps
forever. Tho coloring OF both is ~
brilliant Us 1t was six hundred years
ago. This is true even in the cNso OF
the mosaics OF tho fountain which for
all those years have been subjected to
the constant action OF water. From m
examination OF the tiles on sale just
outside it will DO seen that tho coloring
extends through tho pieces, from one
side to the other, in exactly such man
nor as appears on tho face oil each, How
this was accomplished nobody now
knows nor has known for at
least two hundred and fifty years,
About that time there appears to have
been u season OF financial stringenCy in
Syria, Members OF tho families in
whose solo possession were these
mechanical secrets wore obliged to seek
other means OF employment, and thus
tho secrets were lost to mankind. The
cushions and pillows Of the divans are
OF silk damask, probably as old as the
tiles. No more damask can DO made.
Ladies in these days aro fond OF
"changeable silk" in their attire. Here
is the original changeablo silk, so heavy
in texture that it ia practically indie
structible, OF 80 fast Colors that after
centuries OF hard usu0ge it has lost
mont OF tho ~brilliancy OF its hues. The
walls arc hung with curtains Of silk and
velvet heavily embossed in gold en-
~broideries and solid silver ornaments,
OTHER o S AIT
Ahmed shows another sample Of tho
lost arts in u disk OF onNmcIed brass;
and then n genuine Damascus blade,
no doubt such u CimCtar ~ that with
which Solidan 30 deity cut the veil
asunder before Richards astonished
eyes. The manufacture OF these weap.
ons, like those of Toledo, has long ago
ceased.
On tho right of the entrance to every
true Mussulman's dwelling hangs II
copy OF tho Koran, and on the left two
spoons, signiiying that religion and
hospitality should 60 hand in hand.
They are here; and hero too arc dining
tables, articles OF the toilet and Of gem
oral household use; pipes, embroider-
les and memontoes OF all kinds.
But, though tho palace and all its
appurtGnanCes arc strictly in accord
with Mahommodan principles, its pres
ent owners and exhibitors, native
Syrians though thOy DO, arc almost
without exception Christian in belief.
DR.. Naheel, for instance, who is now in
charge, representing the company, was
educated at the Presbyterian college at
Beirut. OF the others some are Pres.
byterian mud some were educated at
the Church Of England schools which
arc quite numerous throughout Syria.
Protestant propagandisln in that por-
ton OF ASH is Of comparatively recent
date, dating back only some forty.fve
or fifty years. Missionaries OF tho
Roman Catholic and Greek churches,
however, hud long before that invaded
Syria and adjacent countries, and it is
with these churches that a majority Of
tho Asian Christians are connected.
Ahmed is a dovoutfollowor Of the tenots
OF Mohammed, and no has II fGw follow
believers among the Bedouins. Both
they and the Christians are agreed that
conversions from Mohammedanism to
Christianity aro extremely rare. Syrian
Protestants are largely converts from
Roman Catholicism OF the Greek church,
and vice versa. Something like u tenth
OF the total population Of Syria is Chris
tian; but it is an inherited tendency,
not an acquired one, ave had Chris
tianity," says Ahmed, with n dopreca-
tory ahrug Of the shoulders, moro than
u thousand years before you had it. Its
earliest missionaries were sent among
us. Why should thoro not DO Christians
in our country2" Then no tushos of
to keep the wealt-nerved swordsmen
from doing each other bodily injury,