Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-01
Or the heedeUker This Beautiful Design Can Be Transferred by
II +@ the @kalm Of &ghrrQhin9yt IT

OF sue-i an intimate knowledge of the at
fairs of both church and city, and such
clear reference to their past and pres
ent history. that their divine origin is
certain. 1t is in this letter that the most
comforting of Christian promises is
found; promise that soothes the fires
of martyrdom and makes bed of death
a place of coronation: BE thou faithful
unto death. and 1 will give thee crown
of life
The second fact of Christian history
that links this ancient shrine of Cybele
with all that is glorious in the early his
tory of the church. is the martydom of
Polycarp. This great bishop and spiritual
'eader at Smyrna was disciple of ST.
John the Divine. and by his writ ngs
forms the link between the co ege of
the apostles and the later Chr stan
writer's.
1t was upon Saturday afternoon in
156 A. D.. during the games pres ded
popular outburst against the Christians
led to the Staying of the aged bishop.
Jews took an active part in the execu-
ton, which Philippus sought to avoid,
even going so far as to bring wood for
his burning, and that upon their own
Sabbath fact which proves the accusa-
ton of both history and Scripture that
they were Jews in name only.
Toward the close Of each century the
neighborhOod of Smyrna Is visited by
earthquakes, which accounts for the fact
that it has few standing ruins. But we
shall be we'll repaid for journey thither.
and We climb the hill, called Pages by
the Greeks, and under a sky transparent
beyond description, .ook away to the
west across the bosom of the Gulf of
Smyrna, we have one of the most en-
trdncing of marine pictures to be found
in all the word. What memories come
with such a contemplation Upon these
waters have floated the merchant ships
of CIV ry land for five and twenty CEN
turtles. while k ngS and crusaders have
taken and retaken this last stronghold
of Christianity more often than any
other
Back of the city we shall find a gushing
spring that feeds an ever1owing stream,
short but beautiful. This spring is the
famed 'Danas bath of history and
song, and this little river is the god
river Meies. Upon entertin.S the port and
viewing the city from that direction, We
find 1t beautiful indeed, and so great IS
its commerce that it is not only the most
important local market of Asia Minor.
and the terminus Of both highways and
raj roads but nearly 10o0O steamships
enter and leave this port each year
Once within the town We find that it is
not only well laid out and vigorous
commercial center. but also that it is
We'll situated upon plain that rises by
easy ascent TO the surrounding hills. witt
suburbs equal to those of any European
CITY but t1dn us UuSS
harbor and beautiful and ample wharves:
more interesting than its marke tip ace,
Inch was once the inner harbor: more
astonishing than the fact that It's hotels
and shops are European in type and en-
terprise, rather than oriental. is the fact
that SMYRNA IS not a Mohammedan but
a Christian city. over half of its popula-
ton being Orthodox Greek Chr stians
and less than quarter are Moslems.
The city is divided into four or five
sections or qua ters." First the Moslem
quarter with mosques and minarets, and
narrow crooked streets Second, the
Jewish quarter; poor congested and I'M
clean. Third, third and fourth the
Greek and Armenian quarters; European
in character and cleanliness and last the
European quarter, where English, French
and American merchants seem to have
brought not only their ENTERPRISE and
capital, but also the very atmosphere f
occidental life.
Hence the pious Turk, though nomi-
nally in control. does not look upon
Smyrna as Mohammedan city, but calls
1t "Giaour Ismr, in his Language.
''Infidel Smyrna" and as If to Justify
this feeling the great missionary societies
of every Christian church have estab-
lished a headquarters here while an in
ternat.onal college pours out its stream of
Christian and civilizing influence year by
year.