Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-05-29

NAZARETH.
Few, if any, Of the camping days are
more memorable than that passed on
the plain Of Esdraelon. 1t is a broad
and fertile plain, which from the sur
rounding hills, appears a great lake Of
green, checkered by islands Of brown,
fallow land. The plain was the bat
tlefieid of former days, and no cities
of any size are to be found here. In
front Of ancient Magiddo, the forces
Of Barak swept down upon Sisera, and
won a signal victory. Here Josiah was
MORALLY wounded and here King
Ahasiah, stricken by the ayenging
Jehu, died. The ancient Jezreel, now
the pitiful ZeTin, is ON a hillside, not
far from the mountains OF Gilboa. A
ride around the village called up the
names Of Gideon and Saul, Elijah and
Naboth, Ahab and Jezebel. We saw
rocl1-cut wine presses on the hill slope
which suggested the vineyard which
Ahab coyeted and for obtaining which
by mnrderous means he and his wicked
wife met awful fate.
We left the regular path here and
rode some distance through fields OF
growing wheat TO Gideon's fountain
which, springing from a great wall Of
rock, flows toward the Jordan. 1t
was undoubtedly here that the en-
campment OF Gideon was pitched and
here he tested his men upon the eve Of
the battle with the Midianites. There
is one event which occurred on a
marshy place on this plain which may
be properly recorded. The lady, most
charming Of all the Glass, rode a
donkey, an amiable and swift-travel-
ing beast who persisted In keeping
ahead Of the procession. AS we
crossed 3 small stream however he
stuck in the mud and it required the
united efforts Of all mukaris-which is
Arabic for muleteers-and Of half the
class to extricate him. The caravan
stood still while human derricks pull.
ed the donkey and the Lady up the
bank.
The village Of Main, with name I'M
changed, still stands on the northern
slope Of Little Hermon at the plains
edge. Nearby is Shunem where dwelt
the Shunammite woman. The most
conspicuous landmark in all Lower
Galilee is Mount Tabor, a beautiful
rounded mountain rising from Esdrae-
Ion. Passing over the great plain one
is struck with the beauty, majesty
and graceful proportions Of the two
principal mountains which enclose it,
Tabor and Carmel. "Taken as a
whole, y said DR.. Stewart, "there is no
place, perhaps on the surface OF the
earth, Of similar extent, that calls up
such a long train OF historic associa-
lions and stirring events Of far-reach-
ing Character, as the Plain OF Esdrae-
lon.n
From the very beginning Of human
history it has been the camping place
and marching ground and battlefield
Of the nations. The ancient Canaan
ties with chari0ts OF iron have ira
Fersed it, Midinites and Amalekites
With their vast hordes have devastated
It; and the Philistines, the Jews, the
Egyptians, the syrians, the Greeks and
the Romans, the Crusaders, the
Saracens, the Freneh-all have passed
over it, and gone on to victory or de-
feat. To this day It Is exposed to.
i~nvasions from the Bedouin, those
modern children Of the east, who
came up from beyond Jordan "as.
grassh0ppers for multitude Thus 10
4 sense more elastic than poetic.
Esdraelson has been the valley Of
decision, where Dynasties have risen
and fallen; where Kingdoms have
been lost and won. Hence it is not
strange that this valley, with its long
record Of conflicts, from Thotmes III
to Napoleon should be chosen as the
typical representative Of the last.
great field Of conflict between truth
and error, right and wrong.