Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-01-19


a park of gentlemen's residences Tho
long, white dwelling houses are bounded
with this shrub, and all other styles Of
growth congre3ated there make boz
tanical garden. Doves called cinnamon
doves hop among the branches, and
crows, moro POLITICALLY styled ravens,
which never could sing, but think they
can, 81 across the road giving full test
of their yacables. Birds whicir learned
their chanting under the very caves of
heaven oyerpower all with Their grand
march OF tho tropics. The hibiscus dap
pies the scene with its scarlet cluster.
AL shades of brown and emerald aui
saffron and briiliance; melons, lines,
maglosteems. custard apples, guavas
pineapples, jasmine so laden with aro-
ma they Lave TO hold fast to the wall
and besonias. gloriosas on fire and
orchids so delicate other lands must
keep them under conservatory, but here
defiant Of all weather, and flowers more
OF less akin to a2aleas and honeysuckies
and foxes and fuchsias and chrysanthe-
NUNS and rhododondrons and foxgloves
and pansies which dye tho plains AMI
mountains Of Ceylon with heaven
Wonderful Trees OF ccylon.
The evening hour burns incense of all
styles Of aroaiatics. The oonvolvulus,
blue as if the sky had fallen, and bat
torflies spangling the air, and arms Of
trees sleeyod with blossoms, and rocks
upholstered of moss, commingling sounds
81. 4
and nostril vie with each other as to
which seEse shall open the door to the
most enchantmcnt. a struggle between
music and perfume and iridoscence. Ole
andcrs Keeling in intoxicatioa of color.
Great banyan trees that have been chang
ing their r.ind for centuries, each cen
fury carrying out u new plan Of growth,
attracted our attention and saw us pass
in the year Of 1894 as they saw pass the
generations Of 1904 and 1894. Colon
DO is so thoroughly uncovered in foil
age that if you 80 into one Of its tcwers
and look down upon the city of $50, coo
people you cannot sec house. Oh, the
trees OF Ceylonl May you live to Le-
hold tho morning climbing down
through their branches or the cvellin.;
tipping their leaves with amber ami
goldl | forgive the Buddhist for tho
worship CT trees until they know CT the
God who made the trees | wonder not
that there are some trees i'll Ceylon call
ed sacred To rae all trees are sacred.
wonder not that before one Of them
they burn camphor flowers and hang
lamps around its branches and 100, 600
people each year make pilgrimage to
that tree. Worship something man
must, and, until be hear of the only
Being worthy CT worship, what so
olevating as a treel What glory en-
throned amid its foliagel What
majestic doxology spreads ont in
its hranchesi What voice when
the tempcsts pass through i'll How it
looks down upon the cradle and the
grave of centurieal As the fruit Of one
tree unlawfully eaten struck the race
with woo and the uplifting of another
tree brings peace to the soul, let the
woedman spare the tree and all nations
honor it, if, through higher teaching,
we do not like the Ceylonese, worship
it! How consolatory that when we no
moro walk under the tree branches on
earth we may see tho tree Of life which
bears - manner of fruit and yields her
fruit every month, and tho leaves of the
tree are for the healing of the nations!"
a Strange Procession.
Two professions | saw in Ceylon
within one hour, the first led by Hin
doc priest, a huge pot of flowers on his
head, his face disflgured with holy LAGER
ations and his unwashed followers beat
ing as many discords from what are SUP
posed to be musical instruments as at
one time can be induced to enter the
human ear. The procession halted at the
door Of the huts. Tho occupants came
ont and made obeisance and presented
small contributions In return there
for the priest srrinkled ashes upon the
children who came forward, this evil
IDENTIFY form of bencdiction. Then the
procession, led on by tho priest, started
again, More noise, more ashes, more
genu1ection. However keen ones sense
of the ludicrous, ho could find nothing
to excite even smile in the movements
Of such a procession. Meaningless, OPP
pressivc, sGualid, filthy, sad.
Returning to our carriage. we rode
on for a few moments, and Uu carlo on
another procession, a kindly lady lead
ing groups of native children, all clean,
bright, happy, laughing They were a
Christian school out for exercise. There
seemed as much intelligence, refinement
and happiness in that regiment Of young
Cingalesc as you would find in the ranks
of any young ladies seminary being
chaperonod on their afternoon walk
through Central park, New York, or
Hyde park. London. The Hindoo pro-
cession illustrated ON small scale some
thing CT what Hindooism can do for the
world The Christian procession illus-
trates on a small scale something of
what Christianity can do for the world !
But those two professions were only |
fragments of two great professions ever
marching across our world, the process |
sion blasted of superstition and the pro-
cession blessed Of gospel light | saw
them in one afternoon in Ceylon. They |
are to be seen in all nations.
Nothing is of rioro thrilling interest
than the Christian achievements in this |
islaad. The Episcopal church was here
the national church, but disestablish- !
ment has taken place, and since Mr.. |
Gladstone's accomplishment of that fact |
in 1880 all denominations are Oh equal |
platform, and all are are doing mighty |
work. America is second to 10 other |
nation III what has been done for Coy- |
Ion. Since 1916 she has had her religious |
agents i'll the Jaffna peninsula Of Cey-
Ion. The Spauldings, the Howlands, the
Drs. Poor, the Saunders and others Just |
as good and strong have been fighting
back monsters of superstition and cruel
ty greater than any that ever swung the
tusk or roared in the jungles.
Christ or Buddha.
The American missionaries i'll Ceylon
have given special attention to medical /
instruction and are doing wonders in