The sun., 1915-12-19

surely more than a thousand years
genuineness Of the picty and devotion
Of the little company Of French Fran
ciscans, whose congenial life work has
been to tend one OF Christendom's
holiest shrines.
Now these followers OF st. Francis.
although removed far from political
turmoil. are the victims OF what the
Turks ca1 military necessity. and they
too have been expelled from Palestine.
The possibility OF the Turks destroy
Ing this little grove Of ancient olive
trees in Gethseinane for fuel for the
new railway sends a chill to every
reverent travellers heart.
Two great churches crown the
Mount Of Olives. one German and one
Russian. Their towers are the land
marks Of Jerusalem. which are to be
seen from the furthest points. Even
from Mount Nebo. on the other side
OF the Jordan. where Moses stood. one
may discern these two great towers.
though all the rest OF Jerusalem and
It's environs is invisible. The German
priests are safe, but the Russian
monks have been driven out. / Won
der who guards their treasures. in
cluding the great pictures Of Verest-
chagin.
Only when one particularizes the
fact Of the expulsion OF the religious
bodies from Palestine Is the enormlty
of this affront to all Christendom
realized. Who will guarantee the
safety OF property that can never be
replaced? What IL to prevent the
Moslems from proving their piety by
the destruction Of the priceless pic
lures and images. since pictures and
images have always been objects Of
adherence to followers Of the
Prophet?
| One wonders about the looting of
the treasures Of ecclesiastical vessels.
Christian dovotion has been lavish In
its gifts tdsthese shrines. The Holy
Land is now under military law. and
these ancient Christian churches con-
tain many prizes for looters.
| In recalling what the Turkish cdict
concerning the priests and monks may
mean the mind naturally turns from
| Bethlehem and Jerusalem and Gethse-
mane to Nazareth, where Jesus spent
| his boyhood. The place Is now a town
Of 1000 Inhabitants In a beautiful,
cuplike valley filled with fine buildings
which have been erected by the Chris
tians Of all the world. Oriental Chris
tians everywhere call themselves
Nasaru, even as Jesus was called the
| Nazarenc.
Tho history Of tho place since the
boy Jesus played on its hillsides has
been checkered and troubled. Armies
have contended for 1t. Emperors have
built churches here and warriors have
left ecclesiastical monuments of their
prowess and their piety. The powerful
Christian orders and societies have
made It a goal and throughout the CEN
turtles Nazareth has been a centre OF
pilgrimages. though. to-day never n
pilgrim foot treads the narrow streets.
The town Is divided UP into the
Greek quarter, the Latin quarter and
the Moslem quarter. with Protestants
and Christians OF other names scat
tered throughout.
OF the sacred buildings and institu-
tions whose custodians have all been
wrested from their life work there are
many. including Russian boys and
girls school and teachers college. The
Franciscans have a monastery and
church and school. There are an
orphanage and school Of the DANES de
Nazareth. u home. hospital and school
Of the Sisters OF St. Joseph. q home
and hospital Of the Sisters Of Charity
and school Of the Christian Brothers.
The 'Enstsh Female Education So