Ellsworth American., 1920-01-07

raphy is published under the title
"A Far Journey" and is most inter-
esting book.
To go back to THE Syrian Christ
as stated In the preface; This little
volume is sent forth in the confident
hope that it may throw fresh light on
the life and teachings of Christ and
facilitate for the general public, the
understanding of the bible" Mr.. Rth-
bany also states that The central
purpose of this publication is simply
and purely to give the oriental back
ground of certain scriptural pas
sages. whose correct understanding
depends upon knowledge of their
original environment" and It certainly
does make so many passages palmer as
we read them with an understanding
of the Syrian thought and the Syrian
customs.
THE prayer, Give as this day our
daily bread Is note of pure grati-
tudt 10 the 'Giver OF ali good and per
feet gifts" The Oriental does no not
know material things as the occi-
dental knows them. To him organic
chemistry does not take the place OF
God. He is. IN his totally, God
ands kinship, not with those who. 80
for their daily bread no farther than
the bakery, but with the writer OF TINS
'Bsek Of the loaf is the snowy flour,
Back of the -four the mill;
Back Of the mill Is the wheat and the
And the sun and the Fathers will
Those who know the Oriental in
net life know also that from seed time
placed upon the family board. this
mans attitude toward the stan of
life is essentially religious IN !ae ne
soil in the name of God he thrusts
the sickle into the ripe harvest IN
the name of God he scatters ms
sheaves on the threshing floor ana
rrfnds his grain at the mill; and ia
The name OF God his wife kneads the
dough, bakes the bread and serves IL
" In my childhood days kneading,
day at our house was always OF
peculiar significance to me. y was
with the greatest interest that /
process of kueading. Her pious words
and actions made Eneading a sort OF
religious service.
and invoking the Holy Name, she drew
the required quantity OF Hour out OF a
small opening near the bottom OF the
meal was stored. Then my mother
packed the -four In the shape of
crescent on one side Of the large
earthern maajan tkneadinE baBinl
which is about thirty inches IN di
ameter. She dissolved the salt in
warm water, which she poured IN the
basin by the embankment OF -four.
Then with a God bless she took out
the leaven--a lump Of dough saved
from the former haking--whtch she
had buried in -four 10 Keep. it from
corruption. that is from overfermenta-
This leaven she dissolved carefully
in the salt water. and by slowly mix
ing the meal with this fluid. she had
the leaven in the meal, u was this
process which Jesus mentioned very
the thirteenth chapter of st. Matthews
gospel The kingdom OF heaveg is
like unto leaven, which women took
and hid in three measures Of meal till
the whole was leavened.'
The kneadinE done. my mother
smoothed the surface OF the blessed
lump, dipped her hand In water, and
deep cross the whole length of the
diameter of the basin. crossed herself
three times while she muttered an in
vocation. and then covered the basin
and left the dough to rise. The same
pious attitude was resumed when the
raised dough was made into small
ioaves during the baking, and when
ever the mother of the family put her
hands into the basin whore the loaves
were. kept. to take out bread for the
The use OF iron stoves was un-
known to the Syrians in my child
hood days and this modern conveu-
ience is now only used by some of the
weli-to-do people in the large cities.
The rank and file OF the people. as in
the days OF ancient Israel, still bake
their bread at semi-public ovens
few of which are found in every VIZ
lage and town. The women bake their
bread in turn. certain days being as
signed to certain families. The one
baking comprises from one hundred
to two hundred loaves-" IL
You will find this description of
bread-making very interesting. and
no doubt it will cause an added ap-
probation for the staff of life.