The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-27

The mosques are splendid from ma
terial viewpoint and beautiful on the in
terror. The floors are covered with beau
tiful rugs, but have no seats for the
accommodation of the audience. There
is niche, just large enough for one
man in the wall and this faces Mecca.
The service consists mainly of chants
and prayers, which are said together.
Then, during the day at morning, noon
or night. the people will engage in prayer.
They may be seen facing Mecca. hands
folded. eyeids closed, lips muttering,
sometimes audibly, sometimes not. in
prayer. They bend over until their head,
touch the ground during their prayer.
However religion has not lifted the Mo-
hammedans. One reason for this is
the degradation of women who are kept
from the world as much as possible.
Another reason for the poor condition of
these people is their carelessness of edu-
cation In Cairo there is a university
of $4,000 students. However, Mohamme-
danism and geography are all they study
and they study geography in the hope
that they will some day take the world.
II attended a service at the Holy Sepul-
chre in Jerusalem. 1t lasts but As min
utes and is then repeated all during the
day At a Greek service In the same
city the most impressive thing to me
was their reverence for the cross. L
was Palm Sunday and incense burned
beneath a large cross in the church.
There was much chanting to the cross
and people crossed themselves. When
the service was nearing completion the
priest left the altar and bore a large
cross through the audience. The people
stood and crossed themselves as he
passed.
in an Egyptian church I saw four
bvpstistries, two for children and two
for elders. In Athens l saw three serv-
ices, all of which were as the one de-
scribed. visited St. Peters cathedral
in Rome. These great cathedrals have
MANY divisions Small chapels are OFF
of the main aisle and services are held
in these except on special occasions. In
their great meetings an ordinary voice
would not be heard, so everything Is
chanted and each word can be caught,
despite the monotone.
I'm crossing themselves the Romans
r,oye their hand from the left to tho
right side of the body. while the Greeks
move the hand from the right to left side.
That is the only difference, but 1t start
ed the division in the fifth century.
.I attended a service in Ireland III
which there was singing and some chant
ing. The leader preached from a text
one of the most heart-touching sermons
I ever heard and l thanked God for let.
ting me near SUCH oSiNiSo. ~ ~
the things which impressed me this was
the greatest that religion is the greatest
mower today All over ITALY the church
has planted crosses along the roadways.
Sometimes 1t seems too much and sac
religious, but when we think of the ignor-
ance and superstition of the people l ask,
ls IT not better than nothing? We saw
crosses of iron sometimes 200 feet higa
on mountains, placed where all might
"On the island of Capria Is large
cross seen by all sailors and people VINO
go out on the sea and reminding them OF
Him who stilled the waves. What is lie
hut a Journey between two eternities
We leave this shore to sail to that shore
over yonder. a..
But the happiest part of all was the
homecoming. We saw famlllar slents
as we neared America and that and the
home beyond the landing was the best
of all. Thank God there Is nome TOT
that other homecoming. / cannot better
close than by those words of England
great poet, Tennyson:
sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me;
And NAV there be no moaning OF the par
When | set out to sea-