The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-07
EASTER IN JERUSALEM
Robert HIchens Describes Religious
Ceremonies Mt Holy Sepu1chre


Robert Hichens in the Century Maya
zine.
After the wonderful midnight mass
on the eve of Easter, when at IL
o'clock bells sounded within the church,
and, as each one of the thousands as
sembled lighted his candle. the cry went
up, "Christ is risenl" came the Easter
morning ceremony in the court of the
Holy Sepulcher.
Ah., how gentle. how tender, how
touching, how vital 1t was, that SIM
pie greeting of the wonderful morning
after the delirium and the fury of the
holy fire! All hearts were excited to
frenzy by the holy fire. The Easter
morning procession moved hundreds to
tears, held them tense1y silent. Instead
of the blue DOME, spangled with artifi-
cial stars. faint blue was over our
heads, Instead Of the glare of the
torches, the sunbeams fell mildly upon
us. Instead of the yelling multitudes, we
heard the sound of the wonderful bells.
They began to peal forth just before the
procession entered the court from the
city. BY the door of the church the
Abssinians, in white and black were al
ready waiting. And the bells, one deep
and booming, the other lighter In timbre,
were harsh and very barbaric. but thrill
ing and full of meaning-bells never to
be forgotten. They sounded like strange,
emotional voices of living things, pro-
claiming a great, a superb truth Down
below me I saw tears streaming over the
scanned faces of many Russians as they
signed themselves, kissed one another
told one another, "Christ is risen!" an
swering to the triumphant proclamation
of the bells, which unwearied reiterated
their marvellous message to the children
of men. And the canvasses in blue and
red and gold came slowly into the court,
and a man carrying the cross, and boys
in red and in gold with swinging lamps
on chains. and many priests In black
And there followed a priest with his
arms full of flowers, and behind him
another bearing on high the risen Christ
crowned with halo of gold, and framed
in a glory of blossoms. Then there
rose from the thousands of pilgrims a
cry of sweet exultation and the bells
seemed 10 grow louueT as tney tolu
Jerusalem that the marble house was
empty that the stone had been rolled
away. The bishops appeared in pale
yellow. pearl color, and gold, all
holding lighted candles. And last of all
came Damianos. bearing a staff and
jeweled picture of the risen Christ The
procession stopped. The bells were silent.
There was a pause. Then the patriarch
took a step forward, gazed at the i'm
mense crowd of adoring pilgrims. lifted
the jeweled picture of Christ, held 1t
out toward them and said, Christ risen"
AS his voice died away, the priest
with the flowers raised his arms and
showered blossoms over the crowd; the
bells pealed forth again; the procession
moved on; and the pilgrims, eagerly
lighted their candles and embracing one
another, closed In behind, crying, Christ
is risen Christ is risenr'
And so into the darkness of the great
church, quietly, softly, the procession
gradually vanished. The gloom was lit
up by the candles of priests and pilgrims.
Through the doorway I saw Damianos In
his gorgeous vestments sink humbly down
to kiss the stone of JUNCTION. Then the
Russians, weeping with Joy, moved for
ward and hid him from my sight.
The crowd melted away; but the bells
never ceased proclaiming their message.
Tt was as If they knew that their voices,
were destined not only to tell to Jerusa-
lem but to all the world that lay be-
yond the confines of the city of Jesus,
the truth of the resurrection-"ChrIst is
riseni Christ is risen from the dead!''