The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-22

platform, to keep his feet away from
the cold marble, Turkish solder
stands with a loaded ride to keep the
Itace between the rel gious fanatics.
Serious trouble and some bloodshed
has occurred in this church due to
the jealousies Of these seets. Pcs
bly, the most absurd quarrel they
ever had was one tna' occurred few
yt ars ago, over strip of carpet
fifty or seventy five feet in length and
three or four feet wide, which was
laid across the transept to the crypt
One CT the sects claimed that the
O her was wearing II out with its re-
igious professions. and then So Gus
clash followed il is a sad. COMM en-
tary on the perversLon Ct true religion,
when IL Is neces airy to have armed
soldiers to keep the peace at the
birthplace of the Prince OF Peace.
The Cryct.
| As we stood there a procession Of
monks chanting and wiz incense
! burning, n atched by en- the strip II
carpet, and w nj down into the crypt
| by narrow stone steps much worn
by pilgr. ms, A few minutes later
monk handed to each Of us lighted
candle and we followed after them
down the narrow passage way, under
| gro M. fiei Q we came ~ 1t = ats Va
rooms, The first of which was the one
| in which Joseph had his dream. after
| the birth Of Christ, warning him tfat
| for the SO fey Of the Child, IL was
! necessary for him to flee into Egypt.
! Down in this cave we we're shown
! grotto in which 1t is sa d that all the
| children were buried who were killed
| by the order of Herod, when he hoped
| to kill the Chrst-child, The open
| ing to his grotto is near the floor,
| end sbove il and around are e~a1h3c
pa nti 1es. showl he sol lie s snatch
! ng the CHI Id en- from their motaers
/ and killing them.
| Nearby are two cells. one the tomb
/ Of st. jerome ana the other the rooIN
/ in which he wrote the Vulgate. Here
| for thirty years, by the Light vi
! candle, he worked and tasted and
| prayed, and wrote his commentaries,
and here 1t WAS he died.
Finally through anotner little mar
: row pass age we entered to Grotto OF
! The Nativity. which is large enough
to hold thirty or forty people. i his
the most sacred place of all ffom
the cell ng are hung many ever burn
! ing lamps, and the walls are covered
! with figured asbestos draperies, for
, the former dra Jories and decorations
ago and were entre.y consumed.
In the floor, in a niche in the wall.
| there is a silver star about two feet
| IN diameter, and this is the place
| where it Is said Christ was born Two
/ or three monks, the attendants, were
( standing near, and while we were in
there. pilgrims, mostly RuS slams
| men. women and even small boys
! came in and kneeled and prayed and
kissed the silver cross and the nearby
marble floor.
These pilei inns come from all parts
of the earth, making the trip to the
! sacred spots In Palestine as an act
or religious worship. Most OF those
we saw We're Russians who had come
steerage in ships from Southern Rus
san ports, making the water Jour
ney to Palestine at cost of about
twenty dollars each; and then on foot
they walked ard II unable to walk
they rode On dunkeys. to al the sacred
places, from the Sea of Galllee to
Bethlehem. They sleep on the ground,
they suffer from frCst and heat. They
have the stolld look of an OK. but
with It a look Of determination that
shows faith IN their faith. They are
completely carried away when they
can fulfn wha, seems to he their one
d. sire,--to kreel and kiss marble
slab or a Piece Of wood or a silver
crt ss, that is sacred to them.
About seventy wears ago the star
that marked the place Of the nativity
was stolen, some said by the Greek
! priests From this theft. there arose
n controversy out of which grew the
| Crimean war This is but another in
stance OF how men pervert the mes
sage OF the Prince of Peace. 1t was
OF His will than men should fight over
His birthplace, nor was 1t His will
that eleven million crusaders should
pour cut their ! YES In an effort tc
get possess ON Of Jerusalem: for II
has been es mated that this was the
number Of those who died in the cru
sades. Another silver star to fiji the
place Of the one that was stolen was
presented in 1852 by the Roman
Catholics Of Vienna.
Nearby In the Grotto is manger
made of marble similar to the one In
which We We're told that Christ was
laid after He was born. But tradi.
ton says that tho original manger wa:
: carried to Rome centuries ago, and
} It is in the Cathedral OF st. Maria
Magginre.
There are two entrances to the
crypt and we casae out at the secont
one
The beggars were most persisten
IN Bethlehem, and followed us fol
b ocks. often raising their voices e
UGH high pitch that II was i'm
poss,ble to talk. Accompanied b,
them. we walked through the street!
; Of the town, and from a place on th'
outskirts had an excellent view o.
J Boaz which looked IKE a stretch Of
! good farm land. and little town of
In the distance was pointed out TO VI
as the one In which the shepherd.
, lived, who saw the star.
} Bethlehem In an insignificant town
" nnd probably always hAA hA~AA- TA.&