The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-09-24


finite wavings of the hands in time to a
slow, tireless chant.
Although there were dances for every
occasion In Syria, none Of them was
Syrian dances at the worlds fair, and
which provoked so much comment and
censure, are never danced In Syria. Ac-
cording to one author they were de-
signed to draw crowds, and had not the
slightest resemblance to native dances.
The dance in the theater In Beyroot was
followed by song in which the maiden
praised the charms of her lover. Some
Of the SMILES and metaphors were strik-
ingly similar to those in the Song Of
Solomon, so little have Eastern people
changed since the days Of the poet King.
1t Is probable, says Mr.. Terhune, that
Solomon's song was droned in the same
minor key by some swaying of head and
arms. A few lines Of the song show the
likeness In sentiment and expression:
I called to my beloved but he heard
me not.
Thine eyes are like the eyes of deer;
thine eyebrows are as sword; thy hair
is like fine silk, and thy mouth scarlet
band. Thou art tall and stately, like
the palm tree.
Search my heart, and thou wilt find in
1t naught but love for thee.
From Beyroot the journey was made
to Damascus, the Oldest and perhaps
the most Oriental city extant. Each
street in the bazaar quarter is devoted
to some particular industry. One is
known as Saddler's street, another as
Silversmiths' street, another Bootmak-
ers' street, etc. The trades among the
Christians in Damascus usually pass on
from father to son. Christians, fearing
to invest in houses or lands, choose to
make their living by trade or profess
sion which cannot be taken from them
Our traveller, being physician was
was most interested in the Naaman
house Of lepers at Damascus. He passed
down the street that is called Straight"
out of the eastern gate and along a
filthy ditch to the collection Of houses or
squalid huts, where lepers are main
tanned, and their wretched lives made
easy as possible. The leprosy of to-day
Is said 10 be unlike that mentioned in
the old Testament. The ancient form is
now found only among dumb animals.
The present form is not thought con-
tagious, unless one is brought into close
and constant association with lepers. 1t
Is hereditary, however, although 1t fire.
quently skips generations and then ap-
pears in some unexpected quarter. It
Is dying out in Syria, and is not seen in
as violent forms as in Japan and China.
Plans have been made for a carriage
road from Damascus to Jerusalem, but
at present the way is paved only with
good intentions" On this route Is ollie
of stones which marks the traditional
burial place of Nimrod, the mighty hun
ter. Beyond this spot Is the little village
kalana, where Paul is said to have seen
the great light. II Is the last town be-
tween jerusalem and Damascus, and Is
on the old Roman route between the two
} cities. Proceeding until night the party
encamped near the mountains, and
where the bowling of wolves and the
wailing of jackals and hyenas could be
easily heard
The journey onward was dull and tie.
dious. Dry weeds, loose stones, took the
place Of green grass. Our author calls
the place the abomination of desolat ior
the skeleton of great land of the
past, which can have no future" AID
preaching Caesarea Philippi the scene
changes, for the hills are green, the div,
trees are rich and fresh, and natura
hedges of myrtle offer a grateful sight
In spring the whole plain is mass O
wild flowers. From this plain is seer
the traditional Mount Of Transfgura
l ton. We read that our Lord went VI
. into mountain from Caesarae Phillip
1 pi This is the nearest and highes
l mountain.
At the side Of the Mount Transfigura
ton is hill with aruined castle, one g
> the largest in the East, and one of tn
> most interesting to explore. This Is, O
:, course, relic Of the days of chivalry
when a useless effort was made to hol
= Palestine for Christianity Comment
ing on the failure Of the effort, Mr.. Ter
. hume says: Though, with our nine
= teenth century common sense, we Sc
the folly Of such an attempt, think W
shall never become educated to so grea
a height as to forget its noble aims an
heroism. After all, the notion was Iii
: tie more chimerical and far more worth
: than the throwing away of hundreds c
lives in the search for a North pole"
The Bedouins east of the Jordan ar
: the true sons Of Ishmael, and are vi
terly unlike the hordes that go by tn
same name in other parts of Syria. I
fact, there is claimed to be the same dit
ference between the true son of Ishmat
u and the other Syrians as there is be
tween blooded racer and coach hors,
The Bedouin is a type by himself. H
. speaks the purest Arabic, his drawer
! is proverbial and his hospitality
1 boundless. Through his whole ext:
tence runs a poetical romantic veil
3 oddly out Of place nowadays" In som