The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-12-28

LIlt H6S. oNS1 tillS Gill tx "AoP
ing road Samuel went down to anoint
lie young Shepherd King Of Israel,
end David led cut his army from Jeru-
salem, to battle with the Ph1llst1nes
Over this road, also, more than nine
teen centuries ago, Joseph and his
young bride, Nary, went up from Naz-
areth into Galilee unto the city OF
David which is called Bethlehem
AS far as the eye can reach spread
the peaceful plains of Judea-the pur-
pie night already creeping up from
the land of Moab in the east and cast
ing Ions shadows down her mountain
sides. To the south the fields Of Boa%
lie, pastures of gold in the aftergioW
Of the setting sun; while a departing
glory touches the white dome OF
RacheTs tomb into al opa radiance.
Sacred landmarks OF the past were
these, even Mary and Joseph, being or
she house and lineage Of David, went
up into their own city to be taxed.
One can fancy that Mary's gentle gaze
rested upon the fields where Ruth OF
the Moabites followed the cleaners,
while dreams Of her immortal KRIS
woman stirred within her heart. AL
ready the Shepherds, who, a few hours
hence. would bend, worshippins, be-
fore her in alteration of the Child upon
her knee, had gathered to watch their
ftocks by night. Already the Anger
Chorus waited beyond that curtain OF
Cdlut shy u btcttdilt& tiAC III =
3 King. But the young motner-to-he
knew naught Of these things as yet.
She only felt that h was weary with
the long journey and her eyes lighted
AS she lifted them to Bethlehem
the hill-top. bathed in y
heavenly mellow light b~eSpeaking rest
anG hone.
In Palestine, with the man OF sa-
cred history spread out before one
in all the beauty OF it's fertile pastures,
its olive ~roves and deep green valleys,
and ia distant hills touched with
Dlaintive pastel lights, ones thoughts
travel over the years that
span Past and Present.
A young Roman walks barefoot De-
side me. His face is upturned. his
gaze beyond the spires and minarcts
now catching the gold from Judas
western hills-and he might have walk
ed western hills-and he might have
walked with the Master from the
glory in his eyes. The radiance of his
cO~untenance touches into being some
thing that has been strugSilng fo1
life within my own breast. Memories
come crowding upon me-groping up
ward through two thousand years to
claim me for the past.
The indCfrablc sense Of having
known before all that / see about me
now l. upon my soul; bridging the
centuries, nay SDiflC mas ltaDeu TO an
sWer the call of the East, mother of
cur being. our knowledge and our
. faith. The Calneleers. leading their
caravans OF ungainly beasts with
chains or ropes connecting their bob
Ding heads; the donkey-bOys, urging
IN by excavations their heavily laden
animals; little children, lettering by
the wayside to gather roots and thorn
branches: and women carrying huge
bundles upon their we'll poised heads
are all, III some dim way. dearly
familiar to my soul. A young girl.
mounted upon q donkey, rides al
most abreast OF me; while d man with
q light staff walks beside her. Her
~ateadfast eyes are lifted unto the
hills as IL some joy awaited her with
fn the city gates. n wears a GRIM
son bodice and q dark blue skirt. Be-
meath the white veil which covers her
head is a stiff black cap, across the
front Of which is strung her dOwey
Of silver coins, proclaining ner a mar
ried woman Just so Joseph's young
bride might have looked as she jour
neyed over this self-same road TO
Bethlehem, nineteen hundre years
ago.
Now. as then, a late arrival finds
that there is 40 room for him at the
inn. For this little city OF narrow
streets and io~ly dwellings, where
once at midnight shone the brightness
Of the dawn, is, tonight and forever,
the Mecca Of all Cnristendom. Within
the walls one mingles with Turk and
Arab, Greek ard Syrian, Christian and
Armenian, Latin and Jew-every ma
ton under the sun, and one remen
bers the ancient prophecy which long
ago was fulfilled-"And thou. Bethle-
hem in the land OF Juda, art not
the least among the princes Of Juda;
for out of thee shall come q Governor
that shall rule my people, Israeli
1JTArcon nf pnth1nIanrv Nth white
wells over their heads, are gathering
from all parts of the city. and the
trend Of every footstep is toward the
market place. Sheiks, rabbits, tur-
haned Turks, and tonsured Romans
are on my way. Pearl car.
or ~. their 1.orna inc:Stontiu 70 s