The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-12-23
on sv or IMPROVEMENTS.
CHRISTMAS IN BETHLEHEM.

The birth OF Jesus iu Bethlehem
was the subject of Sunday school les
sons all over Christeudoil Yesterday.
and will be the theme of song and
sermon during this Christmas season
the anniversity OF Christ's birth.
Everywhere that the story of Christ
has gone and his gospel has been
preached, men have some form of OBJ.
servance of the anniversary Of this
great event, and it is interesting to
read how Christmas day is observed
now in the town of Bethlehem where
Jesus was born nineteen hundred
years ago. Bethlehem to-day is
city of 5000, with the same old dark
streets: too narrow for vehicles. Only
donkers, camels and foot passengers
traverse the narrow alleys. The
town is FIVE miles south of Jerusalem
and fine roads connected the two
places. While the city is little bet
terSsbsilt than in the time of Christ,
it otherwise has not changed essen
TALLY. The great Church of the Ma
tivity and some of the larger build
ings have been built since the days
OF Christ, but many of the buildings
stood at the time of his birth. In an
exchange we find this interesting &C
count Of Christmas day in the ancients
city:
At Christmas everyone visits the Field OF
the Shepherds, mile away from the
church, which is repnted to be the place
where the Shepherds tended their hocks.
Ut the big church procession of bishops,
priest and people form in the square be-
fore the edihce. each man dressed in his
most gorgeous robes. Turkish soldiers
line both sides Of the streets to clear the
way for the procession. The Latin putrl-
arch OF Jerusalem arrives, is met by the
procession carrying banners and immense
candles, and all go into the Latin chapel
through the main entrance. The entrance
is so small that but one man can enter at q
time and he mast stoop to do so. The
reason for this is that the Mohammelans at
one time did so much to annoy the Chris
tans, even riding into the church
on horseback, and the entrance was made
smaller to keep them out Inside the
structure i very ancient. Some OF Il dating
from the time of Constantine. In the Lat
in chape. of St Catherine services are held
all night, and at midnight the patriarch of
Jerusalem says mass. Tie chapel is filed
with people sitting on the floor. Then the
procession repairs to the Grotto Of the Ma
tivity, under the church. Originally this
was simply Il natural cave in limestone
rock-of course the original manager was
not preserved. Now marble slabs cover
the walls and floors. and the ten-foot ceiling
carries thirty-two brass lamps. Many re-
ligloas pictures of poor execution hang on
the walls, and in the east end of the cave is
o small recess, hung about with fifteen
lamps. On the floor Of the recess bright
silver star is setin, and it is almost worn
away from the constant kissing 1t receives.
Most of the worshipers remain in the
church all night.
There are no nerry-making, no big
dinners, no giving OF presents, but
there is something deeply significant
in the observance of the day.
Through the J ears has come the faith
which rejoices in the story of the
shining star which led the wise men
to the feet of the infant Christ, of the
appearance of the angels to the shep-
helds as they watched their hocks By
night and their singing of the glad
tidings of "peace on earth, good will
toward men" OF the infant Christ in
a manger, and of the birth of a new
dispensation which has changed the
whole current Of history and given
new radiance both to humanity and
divinity.
Christmas is a day that means
much to the world, and al occasion.
upon which men may rightly rejoice,
but we might we'll omit from Our
observance of it all bachanaliapfevel-
ry and unseemly boisterousGess, and
pro6tably engraft upon Our proper
home merry making anlexchange of
gifts something more of the religious
observance of the day, AUGUSTA.
Santa Clans Las opened an agency a
r. B Loryeas drug sSOre for the sale of