The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-09-19

Cne result. know that these men and
women are healed of their ills and lacking
the use of needed members are made
whoie again; but by what power they are
healed, immediate or intermediate,
know not at all, and am not, believe me.
even curious to know Enough for me
to know that fragment of the old time
Palestine is in Canada; that the sea OF
Galllee empties one OF It's ancient springs
into the st. Lawrence, and that there
is one spot on the American continent
where theologians are puzzled and scien-
lists are silenced."
Among the minor objects of interest
to the ordinary tourists and one of
great generation to the pilgrim, is the
beautiful chapel containing the Scala
Santa or Holy Stairs These are a
facsimile in wood of the Holy Stairs in
Rome brought there In 1876 by che Empress
St. Helena from Jerusalem, where they
were said to be the stair case leading to
the Pretorium and were thus sanctifed
by Our Lords footsteps and blood. AS
at Rome, so at St, Anne, these stairs
are held in most holy veneration. Each
step contains relic of the Holy Land,
and the faithful ascend them on their
knees, - the only way permitted them.
The day of our visit was an exceedingly
hot and uno omfortable one, and the
strange spectacle of scores of persons,
many of them old and inhrm, laboriously
making such an ascent, became almost
painful. When the summit is reached,
after a brief rest. they remain for hours
in prayer and meditation before the
image of the Christ. The chapel also
contains valuable paintings and groups
of life-size statuary.
Upon the hillside where this chapel is
placed are other and varied objects of in
terest,-one, an old building containing
pictures of great antiquity, nearly three
Numbered years old, and quaint groups of
statuary. This is used for a chapel also.
Nearby are smaller shrines built into
the hill sides, before which, the devout
Pilgrims were constantly in prayer.
The noon hour brought new features of
the scene, and it was with sense of re-
lief that we turned from mere 1nan1mate
things to living breathing beings, sintent
upon satisfying natures demand for
material food. In large numbers of long
one stor1ed open buildings, similar in
form to the almost obsolete horse shed OF
the primitive New England church, are
permanently placed large tables around
which scores and hundreds of people
were sitting. preparing and enjoying the
substantial dinners which, it seemed to
the observer, they hal surely earned in
their toilsome work Of the forenoon. Here
again we watched the familiar life of the
people, SO far as pol1teness would allow,
in their breaking OF bread together and
we were impressed with the belief that
they were singularly sincere in thought
and purpose with a love for their faith
that would endure while life endured.
And although we can not understand the
basis OF the belief and trust that call for
such forms of worship and sacrifice, we
respect and admire their loyalty TO truth
as seen by them.
AS we were discussing our Canadian
journey one day after our return home,
my companion OF the Ph1Iistine ten
denotes asked. care you glad we took
that pilgrimage to the Bonnie Ste.
Anne de Beaupre that bright Septembe
morningP'' GLAD, yes indeed. 1t Will
be one of the events of my life that never
will be forgotten nor the memory of it
grow DIM"
Portland, Sept. 14th, 1900.