The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1910-09-23


around the city upon them. Today
parts of the walls OF Jerusalem are
wide enough for this The gates of a
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
nguratiye 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 60
| through the eye of a needle
Though the gates of Jerusalem still
stand and a 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 it 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."
The mems cloak is still made of
camels hair, like the one which John
the Baptist wore. 1t is sleeveless.
but very heavy and warm 1t is very
easily put on and we can understand
why that should have been chosen as
an expression of swiftness: AS a
shepherd puttest on his outer gar
ment." The women wear plain loose
blue gowns, with wide girdles On
their heads they wear stiff caps. to
which are attached all the gold and
silver coins they possess. A married
woman wears all her dowry sewn on
TO her cap. 1t is as safe as in the
bank The money is never used un-
less absolutely necessary 1t Is mat
ter of great pride to a woman to have
as many OF these glittering pieces as
tact. Seeing how zealously the WON
en- guard these precious coins. one
can realize better what it meant to
the woman in the parable to have lost
one of these pieces
1t is still customary in weil-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 a handful of the greasy
rice and a piece of bread. and rolling
it into ball he places it into the
guests mouth himself This compli-
mentary act is the sign for all those
assembled to literally dip in the
6ish,' eating with their hands
Work Of the Women.
When the evening meal is over, the
comfortables are taken off 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 wom-
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. well 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 blowing 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 a carpet hammock slung across
their mothers shoulders There is a
f1gurative 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 subsection of women in ali
Turkey and the Holy Lana. But with
her loosened letters viii go also the
counsrys traditional customs, and its
quaint, poetical forms of speech. in
fiuenced by the influx Of civilization.