The Ordway new era., 1910-09-23
ScEME IN AEUHXEHkH ~

SCENE m AEZ77ZEIksN (R
at rest or in the streets bargaining. at
the sound Of that call to prayer he
turns his face eastward to Mecca and
bows down his forehead to the
ground. and rises and makes many
genuflexions while muttering Arabic
words from the Koran.
Gates No Longer Closed.
In olden days every city had high.
wide walls. 1t was possible to walk
around the city upon them. Today
parts Of the walls OF Jerusalem are
wide enough for this. The gates Of
city were always closed at sunset.
Caravans arriving after dark were
obliged to wait outside until morning
Travellers on foot could enter the city
by the small door Of the gate. which
was known In the gospel days by the
figurative expression: THE eye OF the
needle" Christ was referring to this
custom Of making the camels wait
outside the gates until dawn. because
of the impossibility of their passing
through the smaller door. when he
said: 1T is easier for a camel to go
through the eye Of a needle
Though the gates Of Jerusalem still
stand and sentinel guards them,
they are never closed by day or night.
One Of the most interesting illus.
trations Of scenes Of Bible days. per.
haps. since our Lord took It as sym.
bolic OF uprightness in mans dealings
with his fellow-men Is the daily scene
Of measuring wheat in the market.
place. The official measurer Is hired
by the vender OF wheat and he meas.
ures the quantity before the eyes OF
the purchaser. He shakes the wooden
measure and continues pouring on
more wheat until 1t literally runs
over. BY this very act he seems to re.
echo Christ's words: Good measure,
pressed down and shaken together and
running over. shall men give unto
your bosoms"
1t is still customary in well.to. do
homes to recline on couches during
the meals. but in the village homes
the people sit on the matted floor
around the large wooden bowl which
contains the cooked rice or beans.
The head Of the house opens the meal
by taking up handful of the greasy
rice and a piece Of bread. and rolling
1t into ball he places 1t into the
guests mouth himself This compli.
mentary act Is the sign for all those
assembled to literally dip In the
dish." eating with their hands.
Work Of the Women.
When the evening meal is over. the
comfortables are taken of the shelves
and spread on the mating for the
family to sleep on. Beds consist only
Of comfortables. When the children
are all rolled up and asleep the WON.
en- in the homes begin the grinding OF
the wheat for the bread for the next
day. while singing plaintive lullabies
This Is monotonous work. and was
often given to prisoners to do. Sam.
sons enemies set him to grinding
when he was their captive. Ezekiel,
speaking of utter desolation. used the
expression. we'll understood by the
people: THE grinders shall cease and
the sound Of grinding be low"
The women are as busy in the fields
as In the houses. There are Ruths
cleaning and reaping and winnowing
and even plowing by the side OF the
oxen. To the town the women come
bearing the produce Of their fields. and
they look very picturesque sitting In
the market place" On their heads
they carry large baskets and on their
shoulders their small sons sit. taking
their first lessons in riding. This
leaves the women's arms free for the
other purposes. Baby girls are car.
ried in carpet hammock slung across
their mothers shoulders. Their, Is n
ngurative prophecy regarding the bet.
ter standing of women in the Orient,
in days to come in the proclamation:
Their daughters shall be carried up
on their shoulders"
Those better days are now at last
breaking, for this is the dawn OF free.
dom from subjection of women in all
Turkey and the Holy Lan1. But with
her loosened letters will go also the
country's traditional customs. and its
quaint, poetical forms OF speech. In.
fluenced by the influx Of civilization.