Evening star., 1915-04-04

{" ASTER, to a Syrian of Christian
IN faith, possesses no little sig
nificance. and to American
A lied Syrian gone back to the
old scenes at Easter time the expert
eice has two-fold Importance, in the
new ideas 10 take back and the old
ones to quicken.
\ young woman in Washington
whose propensity for self-improvement
has relieved her of any accent what
ever that would betray her Syrian or
igin-thoueh she may stop now and
then TO question her vocabulary-told
recently of a trip back to Syria. a
trip that was made to act also as
pilgrimage to Jerusalem. for the ortho-
,ox Creeks celebration of the resurec-
on.
We left here forty days before
Easter, and we landed in Jaffa about
two weeks before Easter on Wednes-
day Of that week we started for Ie-
rusalcm. say started. because the
tr9in was tho very slowest in the
world I had got used to modern bus
trr and hurry and the four hours ride.
n hich n modern train would have made
Io an hour. seemed endless
When we arrived we found our
selves among thousands of other pill
grims. most of whom were making ar
rangements to go over to the River
Jordan to bathe in the holy waters.
Those who could afford It took a car
rlage. We couldn't. we took don
keys We got there about o'clock
u the afternoon. after seven or eight
hours and Joined the crowds in the
water all believing that after the long
Journey to the river where Christ was
baptized every sin would be washed
away in the waves.
Our party. like all others, got some
or the water to bring home. We sent
our bottles to plumber to get them
securely sealed. Then. rather than try
20 get back to the city that night. we
mounted our patient donkeys and went
20 a bit of a town. a stones throw
away from the banks of the Jordan,
returning TO Jerusalem the next day.
MANY others did the same thing. and
MANY. who had not the price of lodg-
jr- al the inns. camped along the road
side And all the way back that next
dav there were throngs of pilgrims go
in. and coming, as if all the Christians
OF the world had congregated in the
HOLY Land to do penance. The very
atmosphere was redolent with prayer,
NO one seemed to think of anything
else. and numerous pilgrims spent SO
much time on their knees that the
dopkeys had an easy time of 1t.
We reached the city only to ma
Greater throngs for it was Holy Thurs
,lav. and the ceremony of feet-washing
Was TO take place We hurried to get
a place. if possible. to view this. mad
never seen IL before that / remembered,
for / was too young to remember
preyious tourney from my home CITY
Of Tripoli to Jerusalem. years before.
What is ii you call the head bishop
IN ENGLISH oh, yes archbishop-weil,
This ceremony takes place in the arch
bisbop.s ward. Twelve lesser bishops
surround him. as he sits in a chair on
an elevated platform. with his race
t,rned toward the east. A candle is
pIaced at each corner of the platform,
.rd = sort of pulpit set up before the
patriarch.
The dress OF the priests of the Greek
church is much more elaborate tnan
that Of the Latin Church. The arch
bishop wears many precious stones ana
his crown is studded with them one
Of the assisting bishops now reads from
81 John where the humility OF Jesus
Is spoken or and which passage is the
reason for the ceremony about to be
Witnessed.
"rak king Off his ordinary robe. the
archbishop hands his crown to one OF
tine twelve rolls back his sleeves. and
receives a towel from another of the
Live There Is a large silver bowl.