The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-03-28
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
What Church Folk Are Think
ing Abont and Doing
,>u,T MONEY AND PULL COULD
NOT DO.
11,c International Sunday chOo4 Les
sou For April = Is, elisha Heals
\aaman the SYRIAN" III Kings d.
(Ry WILLIAM Il. ELLIS.)

school studies lands us IN damascus
.ha romantic, the beautiful, the un-
changing. BY some claimed to be the
Oldest of living cities, it unquestion-
.TTV is the most picturesque and orr
@.nt,l What a revelation it would be
~ the twenty-seven million members
.t the sunday school, as they come
this week to make the ACQUAINTANCE
ar General Naaman, of Damascus, II
4hev could but peep into his native
civ. Perhaps they would go from
+ha coast. by way of the 1ordly Leban-
an mountains, coming upon
che swift streams and luxurlant gar
5ens. until the peerless panorama OF
+he city unfolds before them. Or they
NAV 90 up by rail from Haifa, pass.
mo through the magnificent scenery.
me many ruins. the desert glimpSSs
md the romantic hernitag e region of
The land of Og. Every rod OF the
WAY. in either direction. is repiete
win associations, as Well as with in
1riusic interest.
damascus itself. the great mart
NOW as it always has been, for orr
entail wares, has the best bazars IN
The East This is not a travel article,
else would describe those covered
streets wherein the spices of Arabia.
ana all the food and raiment and
furnishings that make the East dit
+erent from the West, are traff1ced III
iv visitors from h desert and be-
1ond. Portents of the near
of this rich city by the western ways
may be seen in the numbe Of tor
eiqn articles on sale in the bazars.
In the city square. too, rises a curious
pillar. entWined by a representation
of a telegraph system, and With a
model of the Medina mosque on top,
60 cOmmemorate the completion OF
the Mecca Railway as far as Medina.
49, 49, 81 ra0f GOV limo ms O4
through the Meidan, past the Beduln
a,azars. and often the cars must stop
while scared camels, slowly trudglng
.n from the desert in caravan forma-
tion. are gentled past this fearsome
wonder, a modern street car
4 Great Man, But
Through the midst Of the city OF
Damascus runs a clear, swift stream
called now the Barada. but fdentlf1ed
with the ALBANIA Of the Bible, the
stream which Naaman win
the Jordan, to the latters dlscredit.
It is true that the Barada is clearer
and swifter than the Jordan, although
backing the ~latter's volume. 1t has
now been confined within walls, in
side the city. and past the govern
nent buildings, where rules the VAN.
The wealth of the citizens OF Damas
Gus is still famous as are also me
richness of the furnishings OF the
houses. The inlaid woodwork or the
city is now a more celebrated product
than the Damascus swords.
one Of the rich and powerful men
Of old Damascus was Naaman. the
Syrian general. The oranges ana the
date palms doubtless grew in his ex-
~tensive gardens, just as they do TO-
day in the gardens OF the leading
men of the city, and his house was
one Of the show places for strangers:
He was pointed out as he passed
doWn the narrow streets, and the or.
entail salutations to him were most
elaborate, for was not he the delIv-
erer Of Syria, and the kings faVorIte
But and the people shook their
heads sadly as they said this under
their breaths-he was a leper. An, 1o1
and character True. Naaman went
about his duties. for to this LAY, in
some parts of the orient, leprosy Is
40 bar to q persons following his en-
A'loyment- / have a friend in Japan
who, a few years ago, discovered ina
41er baker was a leper. Naaman was
4 doomed man, none the less. he
! g"as losing the sensations Of various
:parts of his body; and sensation II
ale. Perhaps his fingers We're drop
Sing off, as with the lepers near
tethsemane, who entreat aims IRON
travellers. His skin was thick ane
puffy. Alas, but he was a leper.'
Some Things Kings Cannot Do.
Some great success is certain fol
even the lowliest person who i'm
proves all his opportunities to o.
telpful. The pivotal character IN thu
Interesting story is an i~nconsplcuou:
Hiebrew slave girl. Among the mul
fltude of servants in Naaman's house
hold she was perhaps the least. Onl,
little slave girl. brought among
fhe captives from Israel; with M
FAMILY or friends near, she was in
considerable to the last degree. Hare
gas her fate, and we'll might sh'
penn justified in railing against 1T
nd all who had to do with rendin:
er from her beloved homeland. In
cad Of hating her master, and wish
3 him i'll, saying to sympathetic
How slaves concerning his afhc
a, serves him right" she nobl.