The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-09
WRITES OF TRIPS
IN THE HOLY LAND
Entertaining Letter from Miss Lillian
M. Spellman, Who Formerly Lived
in Brattleboro.

to Mrs. Jennie M. Cheney of West
Brattleboro, came to her from Miss Lii
liam M. Spelman, Mortified semi.
nary graduate whose name is now on
the honor roll at Sage chapel. She
lived at one, time with Mrs. Cheney,
also with Mrs. Allan d. Brown of Tyi.
Ter street Miss Spelman went to Pal.
estine a year ago last March in DR.,
Ernest Clark IS party as an American
Red Cross nurse, in the public relief
service. She has had charge of a hos
pital in Jerusalem the past 10 months
On her return to this country she will
go to Boston to take up her former
work as a settlement worker, with
headquarters in the Peabody Home
She writes:
Jerusalem, Palestine,
June %, 1919
NV dear Mrs. c.
Your nice letter came in less than
month. Thanks for the enclosed cards
and leaflet How good it will be to
get home. yet | know / am often going
to wish | were back here. Yes, | have
been in the Church of the Nativity.
Did 1 not write you about the two
Christmas services we attended there,
| the Latin and, three weeks later, the
Armenian or Greek Christmasa We did
not set our feet on the 1S-pointed sill
yer star of Bethlehem which marks
the place where Jesus Christ was born
| but watched with some disgust and
| fear of future consequences the many
natives who stopped and kissed the
star in the little recess, adorned with
swinging silver lamps. | thought OF
all the disease that has been spread
in this way. But kissing here is APP.
parently an essential part of reverence
and worship.
The weather here last month and
this has been ideal, quite unusual, they
tell us for May and June. 1 hope il
will continue until August, l, when VS.
leave here, as it is very hot in Cairo
where we have to go for our passports
/ / had a great trip to Frank Mt.
which is 2,940 feet high and volcanic
looking. 1t is the last place where The
Crusaders put up fight with the Mos
lens. 1t is situated about six mile:
southeast of Bethlehem and in Arabic
is called Paradise 1t surely has touch
es of the beautiful and perfect.
We started at $50 a. m. and reste,
at the Pools of Solomon, where tina
gentleman is said to have built thes
three large stone reservoirs for his gar
dens. The water from these pools still
runs to the temple area in Jerusalem
Each of the stone tanks is separate,
by wide wall on which one can walk
) as also can be done on the city wal
| CT =
water.
From here we went on and up noun
tains, and down valleys over yer
treacherous, slippery stones, tnarros
e paths or trails. Sup, up, our good, SURE
: footed horses 6sokarusagtb palmost th
c very summit, where we had such gle
rious view of the blue-gr Dead Sc;
t long stretch of it, with the brown
e barren hills of Moat spreading ava
e from it to the plains below and b,
: yond. On the plains were many group
:. of the Bedouin tents, looking lik
e specks so far below us. The white 70
n nation of stone on the hills and will
S cliffs surrounding the sea gave the a.
G pearance of the deep ridges being lign
L ly covered with snow. The Bedoui
s is considered the wild Arab, and OF
o could imagine the fate of the man wi
fell among thieves.
l. On the mount are the remains of
n ruined castle, and Herod is said to ha,
IL been buried here. The remains of IL
e 200 stone steps leading up to what pr
i, sumably was the front door gave o.
IL an idea of the height of the castle
y We left at $50 down such a. ste
'e short cut to Bethlehem that for safe
I 7 first l got off the horse and walk
~ miles. We went to the Shepher,
:: Fields, through the barley and co
fields of Boaz and Ruth of this e
: waiting for a husband.
The women and children are pictu
in their bright, yet soft, colored flo
~, ing gowns as they gracefully reap
10 pluck the barley. Jerusalem has be
golden in its miles of golden bro,
. wheat fields.
~, In the Shepherd Is Fields we we
No down some old stone steps to the roe
III hewn chapel which marks the S
in where the shepherds sat when the 8
n. gels came. From the darkness a
no smell I could easily be con WINGED of
:. age. We reached Jerusalem at 4
an tired, lame, sore, hungry, but gu
sullshtd lIIdt We ildu SttH d Dit
of Paradise.
nj Last night I went to Judd Cor L,
nv. da of Peter S day. to meet II p.
IRE train which did not get in until
of a. N. A 50-mile automobile trip
or the Holy Land at dawn was after
its worth seeing or taking. The dawn '
ere over the barren mountains and vail
au. below. The moon came out about
in and the sky was full of many beauti
es- rainbow colors which surely were
In and great to see. We were back he
sesi at a. m. "
the | expect to be in Paris, France
of Aug. 20 perhaps before. 81 hope. i
its run into Sicily and also see Rome,
L may be packed right into France
ich NsSs Stts4ss With love to you,
lies LILLIAN NJ. SPELMAN