El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-24

piled Stones" and thereupon the seed
peas IN his bag turned to stones and
all that he had sown did the same
Some OF the stones now on the field
are gathered up and peddled to pilgrims
as relics.
had one such peddler follow me half
the way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem
He was a turbaned Syrian boy on a don
Key, who had to gallop to keep up with
my carriage To this the donkey OBJ
Jected, and the boy kept him up to mis-
work with stick as long as a husk-
Ing pig and qually sharp. He inserted
this under the saddle, behind him. and
then using it as a lever, pulled on the
otner end Of the peg, forcing its sharp
point into the aninlal's flesh At every
such pull the donkey kicked I'D it's
heels increased its speed, the long. full
trousered legs of the rider standing
straight out and bobbing I'D and down
as it did So
Bethlehem in 1910.
The Bethlehem of today stands on the
site Of the Savior's birth. 1t is on the
top and side of a hill 1t is mass of
Dox like one, two and three story houses
Dullt along winding streets, which here
ana there are arched by the houses The
building material is from the limestone
quarries nearby, and the town has manv
quarrymen and masons. Entering. we
und the bushes parts made up of cave
like stores and rude workshops. in
which the Bethlehemites are making
the rosaries, crosses and articles Of
wood and nother-of- for sale to
the tourists and pilgrims, Fully half
of the population is engaged in this
business, the roSarieS being shipped
from here to all parts OF the world
They are sold to both Mohammedans and
Christians, and are used to keep count
of ones prayers. There are also many
crucifixes of ivory and articles of olive
wood made and sold for shipment
they seem we1ltodo. The town is the
-cleanest in Palestine, and its natives
have an independent spirit, which you
do not find IN Jerusalem. This may be
from the fact that there are no Jews
in the city, and comparatively few pau
pers, nearly every one supporting him
self
The Church of the Nativity.
The grotto or cave in which Christ
was born IS in the very heart of the
Bethlehem of today. There is an open
square in front Of it surrounded by
stores. and schools and a great church
known as the Church of the Nativity
has been built over it. This church is
entered by a door which looks like a
square Gle cut through a stone wall
1t is go low that all who enter, even the
children, must stoop As 1 started TO
go in 1 saw a Bethlehem woman with
babe in her arms standing outside.
The baby Was small, and / could ina G.
inc the woman as Mary and the child as
the Saviour, 1 took a coin out Of my
pocket and asked her to pose for my
camera. She did so. stepping into the
SUM- Nearby was a bearded Syrian in
turban and gown. and at first 1 thought
he might make a good Joseph to pose
with my Mary. He was in the shadow
of the church. Upon my bringing him |
into the light 1 found that he was
beggar and not fit for the picture. so |
1 enriched him with a gift of cents |
and sent him back to his seat
The Stable and Its Manager.
The Church of the Nativity is of |
great size 1t belongs to the Greeks, |
Latins and Armenians, each of whom |
has share in the church proper. and |
Is compelled to worship in turn and in /
his own quarters Mohammedan SOL |
Hers are always on guard to keep |
them from quarreling, and this is so !
1t only in the church itself, but in