The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-12-25

and in two hours arrive at the little
city Of David, which appears in the
midst Of bare mountains like bunch
of verdure in the rocks.
A short distance from Jerusalem, the
pale, sad city with the desert on the
east rises Bethlehem. Its amphitheatre
crowns the hollow OF the valley which
Is a veritable horn of plenty--(hence
its former name Ephrata,-the fruit
fuD. Bethlehem was the favorite
abode Of Solomon. He had built hero.
the famous gardens which stretched
along the foot Of the city in the lit
tie valley Of the Ortas. Beyond. near
the road Of Hebron. he had built i'm
mense baths which still exist. They
were fed from clear spring, hidden In
the depth of subterranean grotto
which is now called the "Dried-CD
Fountain" as the valley is termed
"The Closed Garden" in allusion to
the poetical names given by Solomon
to his spouse In the "Canticles."
And Bethlehem, even today. is
charming. When one has asoended the
little hill, he has in front of him, the
sacred grotto surmounted by the most
ancient basilins' IN the world; he de-
series, little way off, the village Of
fsert sahour, whence came the shep-
herds; the estate Of BUoxf where Ruth
the Moabite CLEANED. On the horizon
to the right Ia the Dead Sea: to the
left Jerusalem the city Of blood. When
amidst these souvenirs, in turn pleas
ing and sinister, one secs the young
girls in long white wells and the chill
dren In bright dresses. one thinks Of
their brothers-the Innocents-and of
their other Brother. Jesus.
All this causes an unexplainable con-
fusion within the soul. A strange emo
ton seizes us; 1t Is the coming and go
ing of thoughts melancholy and sweet
the central thought being that cradle
which these things presage and of
which little later, cross will b.
made.
1t is night; it is midnight: all is
silent-nature is tranquil. Tho lit
tie knoll rises beneath the vibrations
heaven its Beloved" The con-
stellations light up the heavens with
out noise while from below come the
sounds of scattered and distant f1ocks
like the wailing Of the plain, or a vague
sigh Of the night.
l. Toward evening, Mary and Joseph
reach the end Of their journey. They
; have been preceded by number OF
their ompatriots-travelers like them.
selves come from all parts of Judea
consequently, In such a small town a:
|: Bethlehem, there is no room for two
} at the caravansery.
! With what striking applications this
!. fact has inspired the Fathers of tho
Church! In their opinion, the crowd.
ed caravansery is the human heart
AS these places of shelter are oper
to receive any and everything whic:
the oriental cities have to offer, 81
we offer the hospitality Of our hear
to everything which has an appear
j. ance of attraction or pleasure. Thi
. latter enters, too, IN crowds--crowd
. of worldly occupations, crowds
, Of affairs, crowds Of passions. Their
/ ia room for all this--but when Jesu
, presents Himself, He comes too late
And then, we are afraid Of such ,
. guest. He is troublesome-Jesu'
I Christ! When He comes He wlshc
the place to be free and uncontested
How can we receive Him, togethe
\ with certain Of those guests whom
3 we have admitted! We say, wat en-.
9 All! no, we do not say 1t with gu
t lips, but the heart is more eloquen
), than words, and the heart says t
E H:m-"va-t-en." the place is full.
s And He leaves US to ourselves. w
Q remain a victim to our misery Xix
r the caravansery which might hav
! received under its roof the Infinite
8 but which did not wish it.
There they are, without shelter
9 wandering thro' the streets Of Betll
n lehem-pressed by the nightfall an
n by the hour" which approaches.
y was so unexpected-this reception