The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-09-30
MAILING PLACES
AT JERUSALEM
Where the Jews and Rus
slams Cougregate.
"A Strange and Solemn Sight as
the National Griefs are
Compared.

Urfi
jerusalem Is interesting as no 9TH
CT city is interesting. and that quail
ty of it Increases it's grip upon you
day by day, waking up the intellect,
stirring the faculties to an almost
untiring activity-an activity that
perhaps becomes feverish at the few
ering time of Easter. In Jerusalem
surely the most sleepy mind must
wake, the most phlegmatic tempera-
ment be whipped to a strong alert
ness. Conflict seems in the air-a
turmoil proceeding rather from the
sion taken from them. But there Is
! BY their great wall the Jews wall
day after day. They weep for vanish
ed power, vanished glory, a posses
sion taken from them. But teehr is
much less to weep for in the city
whose name means foundation or
habitation Of peace, where Moslems
keep the gate of the Holy Supulcher
and Turkish soldiers with loaded
muskets hold In check the furious
passions of Christians.
From the Russians who weep in
Gethsemane one may go down into
the city to the Jews who weep in
and interesting to compare the two
griefs Nothing in the Holy Land
touched me so much as the simple
faith, the deep reverence the heart
felt love and sorrow, of the Russian
pilgrims Totally free from self
consciousness like children, they
show all the feelings of their hearts,
In all the holy places they kiss the
ground. Where ever they think the
Savior suffered or was sad, they
weep to-day, men and women alike.
The Jews are prouder, are more Self
conscious; yet every time ! visited
their wailing place I felt that their
grief, too, in it's different, less touch
ing way, was often genuine.
The wailing-place is a rather mar
row paved alley between a white
washed wall and a gigantic ancient
wall formed of huge blocks of unce-
mented stone, worn away, so it is
said, by kissing lips. Weeds sprout
in places in the numerous crevices
and cracks. In the alley are wooden
! benches. The Jews, both men and
women, go there not only on Friday,
but on all the days of the Week.
Standing in rows close to the great
wall, with their faces upon Hebrew
books of prayer, they murmur the
words aloud, weep, bow, sometimes
almost to the earth, and often press
their lips fervently against the blocks
OF stone. The women wear shawls
and keep by themselves at the ends
of the alley. The men cluster in the
middle. Behind these mourners a
blind Moslem, conducted by a jew,
often goes to and fro, demanding
aims from the onlookers. The wall
ing place is in the Tyropeon Valley,
and the great wall Is at the west side
OF the temple area. Whereas the
Russian pilgrims never even glance
at those who watch their tears-such
at least is my experience of them
the Jews are often obviously aware
of the interest their mourning Gre
ates. | have seen them peer furtive-
ly around to take observations, and
return to their lamentations with
what seemed greater zest, when
they knew the eyes of strangers We're
upon them. Nevertheless, many of
them really weep, pray with earnest
ness and rock themselves to and fro
as If genuinely tormented. But the
Jew is by nature acutely aware of
the things and people about him, but
the Russian peasant 1t not.-From
Robert Hichen's Jerusalem in Aug
uct Cant,,rv