The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-03

away. and sought shelter in a stranded boat upon the beach.
 Near here Is pointed out the grave of Mary of Egypt, half mythological Af- rican saint, who is frequently confounded In art and history with the Magdalene and whose shadowy, legendary record Is full of interest
 In France her "dulia" was exceedingly popular, almost rivalling the hyper dulia" of the Madonna, and she was known as La Gipsienne (the Gipsy, soft ened by time into La Jusienne. l have. seen her whole story detailed on the rich-' ly painted windows of Chartres' superb cathedral and In the unsurpassed ''vitraux de Bourgess," her simple de- scripuon reads, "Segiptiaca." Her tradi- ton Is very ancient and supported by contemporary evidence and many of the picturesque and miraculous additions thereto are attributed to Saint Jerome. Mary lived in Alexandria about the year 365, where her excesses surpassed those of Mary Magdalene in female de- pravity, but repenting of her sins she took with her three loaves of bread and fled to the desert near the Jordon, where she hewailed her past life for many years and was accidentally discovered. Here she died and here is still shown her grave. Students of art who are pug .led at the confounding of the Mazda ione with La Jusienne and their dual presentation by the early painters as joint er plems of female penitence, can readily learn to identify and distinguish the lat ter by the three loaves of bread which are usually assigned to her. These are most noticeable on the chapel walls of the Bargello at Florence and in Tintorret- to's superb painting of the saint at the Scuolo di San Rocco, Venice.
 That evening I returned dripping from klA hat. nt nt-fa and dried myself by a roaring fire. Aft eiwards I visited the ruins of the old city whose walls had been successiyely destroyed by Joshua, Vespasian and the Crusaders. Modern excavations have re- gently been made here resulting in pot tery and ornamental beads being brought to light. The delving has been tenn porarily discontinued.
 Of course, l visited Elisha's spring and partool of it's waters. It is quite pretty and considerable body of water and the salting of the prophet must have had a lasting effect. for the draught from its depths was both sweet ana cool. Here l was amused at the antics of two Arabs who were trying to wash a donkey by forcing him under the cat aract of the dam at the mouth of the spring and applauded the sagacty of the protesting beast, which eliminated in his completely submerging one of his tor mentors in the depths of the pool
 Then I strolled to Bedouin camp which I thoroughly inspected. The tents of these wanderers are invariably black ana one positively stumbles upon the camp betore he is aware of it's presence. l nave hlucn respect for these nomadic people who reel as do our Indians that civilization has robbed them of their lands. Abraham was a Bedouin shiek and wandered with his flocks, his family and his possessions all the way from Haran beyond Damas- GUS to Hebron and then on to Egypt. The men of the camp welcomed me anu showed me through with genuine cour- tesy and the women seemed pleased 10 stand before my kodak. I obtained lew good snaps but when the time for the distribution of bakshees came, l was nearly mobbed and with the assistance Of my dragoman beat a nasty retreat.
 The storm of wind continued that night to late hour and fearing that my win dow panes would be blown in l was un- able to sleep. But I was rewarded by the spectacle of 8 gorgeous lunar rainbow, my first, and lulled by the distant ripple of Elisha's pool, dozed and in my half sumber that lunar rainbow became as the shekina that was wont to hover over the arch of the covenant of old in the very place where lay, for here the cap tain of the host of the Lord had pro- nounced the spot whereon Joshua stood as holy and Joshua had fallen upon his face to the earth. In my dreams heard voices and music. I heard Joshua demanding Of the man with the drawn sword, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" And heard the angels responsive Nay" The music that came to my ears was not that of horns of Elfland, faintly blowing but it was the voice of the resonant trum- pets of mighty warriors, the blasts of the rams horn on priestly lips, and then I heard the tramp of mighty hosts, I saw the armed men going before the priest and the "rereward following the glisten- ing ark. Then came silence as deep as that of the tomb followed by a mighty blast of trumpet and horn, the wild shouts of the host and the deafening crash of falling walls.
 1 arose from my couch with start and realized that I was in Jericho; in land where God had talked with men; Jericho whose walls had fallen so miraculously and whose ruin was so complete.