The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-13
A GRAPHIC PICTURE OF
JERUSALEM OF TODAY

Change cars for Jerusalem!' is no
longer an idle Joke. The ascent Of
5000 feet, and ride Of 90 miles, from
the coast to the Holy City is accom-
plished in four hours and a half. Inc
cars are comfortable, but most of the
region traversed is very gloomy.
The line leads first TO Ramleh,
through meadows aglow with the red
anemone, known in all parts of the
world as The Rose of Sharon At
the top of a steep grade is fine pan
Drama of the field of Ajalon, where
the sun stood still until the people
had avenged themselves upon their
enemies" Ascent then begins in earn
est and ends at the station outside
the Jaffa Gate. So general is the wish
of believers in the Christian faith to
enter the city, on foot, as did the Sa-
viour that most of the carriages await
the approaching throng Of travellers in
side the walls. We were driven to the
hotel through narrow, filthy streets,
f1agrantly malodorOus.
The best authorities declare that the
aspect of the Holy City within the
walls is unchanged, and that whatever
is new in Jerusalem has grown out
side.
Blake and I made a half-hearted at
tempt at a walk that night, but the
streets were unsuited for any such adj
venture, and we returned without be-
ing able to find even a place Of re-
freshment
Our first pilgrimage was to the
Mosque of Omar, on the site of Solo
mons Temple. The high wall sur
rounding this Arab church separates 1t
from the rest of the city. The enclo
sure equals a square quarter mile
the area of the old temple. Into this
dearest place on earth to the Jew, he
may not enter; but he has bought the
right to lean against the outside Of
the wall, and bewail the destruction Of
his city and temple. As it was Friday,
almost every foot of the narrow cul
de sac was occupied by native He
brews, busy with their lamentations.
The sight was painful, because the
mental agony of the despairing men
was genuine. For eighteen hundred
years II has continued
We walked and rode to the Mount Of
Olives, to see the sun set.
Where are the trees that give this
hill it's name?" asked Doris.
No one could answer.
THE ground is miserably poor and
stony; but the olive will grow in any
SOIL" said the dragoman THE surface
is cut by so many mud walls that the
localities identified with the life of
Christ can no longer be identified"
The Mount is beyond the Kedron,
and the climb was about as steep as
! the side of the Great Pyramid. We
| halted a short time at the Garden Of
Gethsemane, enclosed by a stone-wall
and guarded by the Latin and Greek
| churches. Reaching the summit of the
Mount, we looked southwark to- the
point that was over against the tenn
pie" 1t was a pitiful scene of desc
lation, The Mosque of Omar was in
full view, from base to dome. We
probably stood where the Saviour wept
over the city and predicted its destruc-
ton.
Climbing to the top of a minaret
nearby, we were able to look over
ridge into the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
To our amazement the Jordan was in
plain sight, and the broad blue ex-
panse of the Dead Sea 20 miles away,
with the mountains of Moab behind it.
The mosque wherein we stood is be-
HeVed to cover the place of the As
censbon, and is held in equal rever-
ence by Mohammedan and Christian.
The Arab believes in three dispensa-
lions: The first by Moses, the second
by Christ, and the third by Mahomet.
Christians generally do not understand
that the followers Of Islam accept
Christ as the second Of Gods repre-
sentatives on earth. The Mohamme-
the Trinity. He prOmulgates a code of
morals virtually the same as that Civ
en- to Moses on Sinai. His psalms close
ly resemble those of David; he admits
the miraculous birth and unique char
acter Of Jesus Christ, and. instead of
repentance and salvation by grace, he
contents himself with sublime conf
dence in Gods mercy His conscience
is put at ease after any namable sin
by prompt confession; his belief in
Gods merciful forgiveness is bound
less.
The orb of day finally sank behind
the hills of Judea with a respondent
glory, little in keeping with the des-
olation on every hand. In the twi-
light we strolled back to the city gate,
much impressed by the solemnity of
the hour and place.-From The Des-
tiny Of Doris" by julius Chambers,
published by the Continental Publish
iu0 N