Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-20

grims can be seen going about on foo
from shrine to shrine over Palestine.
Many of the pilgrims land at Haifa, tn
most northern port of the country. From
there they make their way on foot owe
the mountains of Galilee, stopping a
Nazareth and then going on to Tiberius
They stop and pray at every holy spot an
often kiss the ground where they thini
Jesus or the saints have trod. From tn
Sea of Galilee they make their way bacl
to Nazareth, and thence go across tn
plain of Esdraelon and through Samari;
to Jerusalem l have seen thousands
them at Bethlehem and have met then
tramping the weary road to the Dead sea
and the Jordan
These Russians belong to the Greek
Church, which owns the most of the mon
asteries and converts of this country, an,
which has all told property amounting t
millions, including some of the best rea
estate in Jerusalem. The most of thi
property, however, belongs to Greek
Catholics. who are not Russians, anC
the Russian Church seems to be an inSti
tuition of it's own kind. 1t has grea
hOspice outside thu walls of Jerusalem
and also a magnificent church on the to-
of the Mount of Olives. 1t has simila
institutions elsewhere, and is live fac
tor in the religious condition of the Holy
Land.
The Russians have here what is per-
haps the largest hotel of the world 1t
can sleep 10000 at time and in add
ton has buildings for families 1t is
known as the Russian Hospice and it lies
at the west outside Jersusalem proper.
1t covers space of ten acres or more
and has high wall about it.
entering the gates of this hOSpice, one
.nds himself surrounded by Russians
and Russian scenes. 1t is a slice of the
land of the car dropped down in Iudea
and there is nothing Syrian in sight. The
men dress in caps, long coats and trous-
ers. the last being tucked into high
boots. They are long-bearded, long
haired and fair faced There are many
red heads among them and none seems
10 know of the razor. The women are
clad in coarse gowns which end at six
inches or more from the ankle. They
wear boots or straw shoes, and in the
latter case their legs are wrapped around
with clo-ns which take the place of stock
ngs. They have handkerchiefs tied
about their heads and their features are
usually as had ard rough as those of the
men.
But suppose we go into the womans
quarters of this mighty hotel. The build
ing is cut up into cave like vaults which
run from one side of il to the other.
standing in a central hall it seems as
though the windows were at least 200
feet distant. Each vault is eight feet
wide and fifteen feet high and it is filled
from end to end with rough beds of pine
boards. Upon the boards is straw mat
ting, and a space six feet square forms
the bed and home OF each woman. AT
the back OF this she piles UP her bread,
tea and other belongings, which she has
brought with her from Russia. She
sleeps stretched out on the boards on
the front in the clothing she wears in
the daytime.
The quarters devoted to the men are of
similar nature and those to the families
differ only in that the space for each
holding is larger.
These pilgrims bring their bread and,
tea with them from Russia. In addition
to this they have few vegetables which
they buy of the natives. They cook with
oil stoves. When on the march each
carries some bread along with her and a
pan out of which she drinks and in which
she makes tea
In some parts of the Enclosure we can
see families at their meals. The men,
women and children sit on the ground
around a pot Of soup Each has his own
piece of bread and spoon which he uses
to dip up the soup and carry 1t to his