The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-19
MIRACLE OF THE GREER F'Ss


/ Nal
NJ E1 Jerusalem, '''"a u
Mr.. Richard Watson Glider oo.,,
butes to the Century" an artlc, Y'l'
tltledf'The Miracle OF the Greel N.Y.. We
describing a ceremonial in the CHI.
of the Holy Sepulcher at Jerusalem ra'Oa
the Saturday before Easter SUM-. Va
The attention that is now dreotoS :.
wards the Greek Church by eyen,.
the East gives this special time1D.sg
Mr. Glider says: '''
Now the time Of the miracle q.
proaches. A flame from heaven IA wy
DO communicated to tine exnoc,..'
world AS a preliminary to this s'4
red manifestation there is new wn,
outburst OF cries and screams Va
told that II is the Jerusalem woreb,,
ers, who pound with their fists tboI.
fellow-Christians of Jaffa, and DRAG ana
jerk them away one by one from ,Ss
window where the celestial fire ie :.
appear.
The noise swells like TEMPEST
burst of sound-the changing of bor'
and stricken bars OF metal! e..s
at the Greek window. The fire b,s
come! One wild rush, one high-nnch.
ed, multitudinous scream, still the ev
cited changing, and out springs the llpb,
over the frantic human mass, leaning
from hand to hand as If each aamo
were lightning and music. Around ana
up and over and through, till flame /,
added to flame, spreading from caDdIo
to candle, and floor to gallery. Now
priest appears on the roof of the Semi.
cher itself, and the flame runs around
the top like crown of fire. Higbe,
it springs, drawn 5y a rope up 10 tbo
people at the base of the dome. II n.
Eliminates the most distant and DIM.
geon-like vaults, the chapels above and
below, every vintage ground where tn.
spectators have stood or crouched nm
the floor, or in temporary Judgments
in mid-air.
On and on sounds the clangor and
the shouting; men. women and children
are mad; they pass their hands over
the flame lis 1t not from heaven? how
can it do harm ?-and then draw their
hands over their faces, taking the celes.
tial touch in eestatic alteration. Over
a path made clear for the runners from
the window already the fire is on its
way to the ends of the earth.
The Armenian patriarch declared to
us later, and without hesitancy, that the
Greek patriarch simply had a lamp on
the tomb proper, which he blessed. This
kindly Old Armenian said to us that
it was not miraculous. 1t was rumored
that a prominent visitor was told by
the Greek patriarch that he told the
people 1t was only a symbol and no.
miracle. ! asked the visitor whether
this was true, and was answered. "Nol
How could he tell them chat? He would
be torn to pieces" Intelligent Greeks
assure you that 1t is a symbol, that
holy fire" is the same thing as holy
water" The Latins will have nothing
to do with this, one of the most vena-
able ceremonies and the most appalling
scandals of the Christian word.
At the height of the frensy, as the
fame leaped through the rotunda and
lighted the encircling chapels, making
more rich and glittering the affairs,
the gorgeous vestments, the whole &c.
clesiastical paraphernalia, the arms and
uniforms of the troops, and the many
colored costumes of the mad and mot
ley crowd. the thought flashed upon
me; Was there anything in all Chris
tendon so beautiful and so blasphem.
GUS?