Year: 1878




The valley passes away. We
ride about a mile through suburb, the
HIGHWAY lined with people. The Cen
eral passes on, with barred head, for on
both sides the assembled multitude do
him honor. We see through the mist
a mass of domes and towers, and the
heart beats quickly, for we know they
are the domes and towers of Jerusalem.
There are ranks of soldiers drawn in
line, the soldiers presenting arms, the
band playing, the colors falling. We
passed through narrow gate, the gate
that Tancred forced with his crusaders.
We pass under the walls of the tower
of David, and the flag that floats from
the pole on the consulate tells us that
our Journey is at an end and that we
are within the walls of Jerusalem.


We sat ont in the afternoon to walk
over the sacred places, aud our first
walk was along the Via Dolorosa. Some
Of us had stolen away in the morning
before the ceremonies began to walk
over the street consecrated TO Christian
ity as the street over which Jesus
Christ carried His Cross. | am living
within five minutes walk of Calvary. l
look at it in the morning from the ter
race near my chamber door-a fair
rounded dome, high in the air, covering
the spot upon which our Saviour sut-
fered.


We pass from our hotel on Mount
Zion through narrow, dingy street
paved with jagged cobble-stones. We
make our way with some difficulty. We
stumble anu slide rather than walk.
We pass beggars who cry for aims,
workmen at various industries, mer-
chants .seAng their wares, camels and
asses and beasjs of burden. We turn
into a covered way and slide and STUN
BILE along, and we are on the Via Dolo-
rosa The Grst place pointed out is the
Coptic Monastery. Here Christ sank
under the weight of the cross. We are
going down ne hill which He ascend
ed. We come to the ruins Of the Hos
pice of the knights of st. John. Here
is where Jesus addressed the woman
who followed him.


We wind around the corner and fol
low the narrow, slippery way. Here
we are at the house where Jesus fell the
second time. a few steps further, and
we are at the house and tomb OF Veron,
lea, who wiped the blood from His holy
brow and left His image on her napkin
We descend slippery path, and at the
corner is the house against which Christ
leaned, overcome by agony. You see
a dent in the stone. This dent was
made by the hand of our Lord as He
stretched it out to support His burden
1t is smooth and dark with the kisses
of millions of believing lips.


The next house is that of Dives, the
rich man. At this corner Simon OF
Cvrene took the cross and carried 1t
part of the way, for which good deed
his name became immortal. In front
of the house of Dives is stone, and
over it howell The hovel was the
house oft the beggar, the stone is where
he sat in quest of aims, and under this
archway where we now stand and look
at the rich mans house Jesus stood and
pronounced the parable which yeu will
find in the sixteenth chapter OF Luke.


Here the road makes another bend
we pass a broken column that must at
one time have been stately ornament.
The column broke where Jesus satk
upon it, and the fssure is clear and
deep. We keep on until We come to a
church, a bright new church, with an
arch overhanging the street. This is
the Church of Ecce Homo.


1t was here or hereabouts that the
road to the cross began. There is a
barracks on the size of Pilates Judgment
hall. We 90 into the church, a sweet
faced sister opening the way. Behind
the alter is an arch, and under this arch
PLATE stood when he delivered over
Jesus to the Jews and washed his hands
of innocent blood. ...-.. -


Here, in an enclosure, was the whip
ping, the crowning with thorns, the
decoration with the purple robes, and
here, also, Jesus took up the cross which
He carried to Calvary. -.......


We can readily see as we retrace oul
way up the Via Doiorosa that it must
have been rough and weary road tc
one rent and torn and bleeding and
crushed under the cruel burden OF the
cross Even to us-tree as we are
wayfarers, in full possession of faculties
il is tedious task TO climb the hill OF
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