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The Wingham Advance Times, 1934-12-20, Page 7Thursday, Dec. 2Oth, 1934 WIN 000 ALONG THE RO.e: BETHLEHEM PAG + SJ VJ N agAt 7Tra iOrsed Doubtless Many a Time by Jesus 4t;":.Each Year on Christmas`Eve, it is the Scene o fa Wonderful Religious Pageant — The Little Town of Bethle hem Where the Saviour Was Bonino By RENE BACHE Bethlehem, in Judea,, is today, much 'as it 'vvas when Jesus was born, 1984 years -ago-hardly more than a vill- age, with streets that twist and turn, so .narrow that an automobile or a carriage can scarce squeeze through. Its houses have the same flat roofs, with arrangements for catching min - den, which is conducted into cisterns dor use in the dry season. The little towns is.a suburb of Jer- msalem, only five miles distant from. that city, on, the road to Hebron. It • is a road with a wonderful itis- tory., Jesus, as boy and ,roan, must• 'have walked along it many times. Presumably it was the route followed ley the three Wise 1VIen when they sought the star that hung over the .lowly cradle of the infant Saviour. Along that. road marched, in a cloud of limestone dust, ' the arm of Y King David, on its way to attack ,and capture Jerusalem, even then an 'an- cient city, the capital . of the jehthe ites. Nearly a thousand years later, by the swine route, came the Rontan legions. ' Today it is an asphalted highviy. It has a P s acious outlook toward the Dead Sea, the mountains of Moab 'rising in the distance. The terraced r hills, with vineyards and alive orch- rds, c, h the �,rds, are Hutch as they weree ;a hen Bethlehem shepherds ;watched their n 'ilocks upon therm; and poor women still` g after the reapers, as did gleann , 'Ruth in the Bible story. Many Limestone Caves Near Bethlehem, on a rounded hill, :a walled enclosureof about three acres, '• planted with olive trees, is •point'ecl out as the identical spot -where the shepherds watched on the first Christmas Eve, and were visited by the angel. Jerusalem is built on a hill of lime, stone. That region is a limestone formation, in which, by the action of percolating water, many caves hate been hollowed •out. Some of these caves are used as stables for cattle t and goats; as was the case in ancient times. It will be remembered that Joseph - and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were residents of Nazareth. They had come to Bethlehem to be ` registered for the tax, and, the village being ov- er -crowded decl with people assembled, there for the same purpose, they were glad to find temporary lodging in a cave stable which belong to a "kahn" or inn: There Jesus was born, and laid In 'r a manger ordinarily used to co .t in food for cattle. Today the walls of that cave are concealed by panels of marble, and the place of the manger is occupied bya hollowed n 1 ;re 1 arkle block: Where there was bare rock a oc and a naked floor, with gloom, there is now an underground chapel, brilliant- ly lighted. It is a rocky crypt, enriched with marbles and gold. There is a small richly y ri 1 l - but decorated altar, and near it, set in the floor, a large silver star markingexactspote. the the e where t to i Saviotr was born. . Sixteen silver river lamps, which are never extinguished, glow above the star. Site of The Oldest Church The crypt is directly beneath the Church of •the Nativity, which is the oldest Christian structure in the world. Leading off from it are cor- ridors flanked byt monastic cells, in "LITTLE (Continued front page six) 'his loneliness. She wanted to catch him up into her warm, rushing love and keep him there, safe and forever. The Medicis were pathetic, but alien, after all, to her and her life. Joey was revelant. He had entered her consciousness. "You are a nice little boy, aren't you?" He smiled as if that were a joke. He had a quaiht little humor that -lighted up his gravity like a small candle. Bay had hand humor, too. 'They were so difefrent, Kay and ,Joey, but they had both been cast in uncommon molds; they were rare lit- tle persons, not just the run of the 'mill. "I don't care if Joey is a waif, le's got good stuff in him." She look_ •ed down at his narrow hands, his -scant legs, his thin, washed -gold hair. "Oh," she thought, "what will become •of him?), With the Medicis left, staggering tinder bundles and drooping with fa- tigue, she put Joey to bed again. His 'cheeks were slightly pin,k, his mouth was contented, he smiled drowsily as he obediently stuck his feet .in the night -drawers, as he allowed her to wash his face. Then she carried hint to the crib, limp and relaxed; he was ''tired now. But he chuckled suddenly. "1 like Christmas." When she kissed him lightly on the cheek — "Goodnight, sweet little boy,. happy drea.tns " he turned the oth- er cheek, "Alfie you like, to be kissed, don't you, darling?" Her arias were around him, her face warns against his 'cheek. He nodded at her and lay back sat - When isfied.' Duncan came back, they left the living room together and went 'into the hall and i"lito the !nursery. It was not Kay,'btit it was a child. "Poor little cuss," said Duncan. Then they turned and went to bed. — G/ -ter✓o�–Z- Ogee" ..7Wehst-f/e9 seaetsgewk" .770i % /r14--'°'7. G>F ✓.ESY/�.3�: �r ,e477 -/c. hr.ET , one of which St. Jerome wrote the Latin translation of the. Bible which is in use today by Roman Catholics. In regard to the birthplace of Jesus there is much : ecclesiastical jealousy. The Roman Catholics, the Greek Or- thodox ` Church and the Armenian Christians have always •been at ,lag- gers,,drawn with respect to preced- ence there, and, to keen them from flying at each other's` throats, as well as - for. protection against possible vandalism, an armed gatrci is main- tained night and da'.. But, while the rights of all are equally 'recognized, it is the Greek Orthodox that con- ducts the great celebration on Christ- mas Eve, t It is an all -day and all-night ltt af- fair. On the day before Christmas the historic .road is congested with traf- fic—motor cars, busses, bicycles, don- keys, and every other means of con- veyance, and crowds of people on �' n P foot. At 10 o'clock A.M. a squadron of cavalry arrives at the Jaffa gate of Jerusalem, to offer an escort for His Beatitude, the Patriarch, chief digni- tary of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land. When, soon there- after, the Patriarch appears, at the OY" At breakfast Duncan said uneasily, "Well—" He looked at Joey, consci- netiously spooning up cereal. The sun shone on Joey's fine soft hair, his hands looked pathetically claw- like. "He ought to be fed • up," growl- ed Duncan. "That's what they're trying to do at the farm." "Well, they're not succeeding.. Why don't we—keep him a while? And see what we can do?" "If we keep hiin another minute, we'll keep him forever, said Sue. Duncan looked startled. "Oh, no." "Yes, we would. We're ahnost sunk now. We'd end up byiadopting him." "Gooch lord, I don't want to adopt any kids. We're going to have more of our own." "Well, then, Joey goes back this morning.", Duncan squirmed, "That's a nutty attitude to take. You've dome woad ere for him already. Gee, he looks like a different kid, Can't you just take him on for a while until. he's •all.. fat and well?" T "No," said Sale, "1 couldn't, I'd get too attached - to him. I couldn't Stand—another—I couldn't. stand it, that's all," "Well," said Duncan, uncomfortab- ly. "Well—heck, what are we going. to do?" "I'm afraid I want to keep him;" "Then if we have some kids of our own and this fellow Besides, where would we be?" "That's it." "It might be a mess. Maybe we'd feel" differently about our own kicls and treat him badly—" She looked, at Joey, his head bent the sunshine, his hands working industriously, "I' don't believe I'd treat trim bad.. ly, I-te's come when we've needed him. I'd always. 4.)e grateful for that." Duncan was watehing Joey too. "He's cute," ;he said. "It would be nice to have him here all the time." "Yep " "Whatever you say, Dune, You decide, please?' She was full of panic' now and indecision. "Well, gosh, we can try it, can't we? Then if it doesn't work out—" "Wait a minute then. I'll go call Jane. Oh!" She stopped horror-stric- ken. "What's' the matter?" "Maybe he isn't all right. I mean, maybe he has a bad history." Duncan turned white, "Call Jane!" he commanded. Shivering, they put in the call, and waited for Jane to come on the wire. "Oh shucks," said Duncan, "he's all right. Just look at him—" "Be still. Here's Jane. Jane, is Joey's history all right? Was bis "mo- ther an imbecile or •anything?" Even Duncan could hear Jane's ro- bust latighter. Her voice cracked a moment or two over the wire; then Sue hung up and turned: to Duncan. "He's fine,". she said, "Perfectly Y grand." "Huh," grunted Duncan, "what did 1 tell you?' "Oh, Dime, I bet Jane had this in mind all the time. She's diabolically clever -" But Duncan was in the dining room lifting Joey out of his chair, "Come on, big boy, see me to 'the door. You know, I have to be seen to the door every morning." They came trooping out, Duncan and Joey, Duncan got into his over- coat, picked tip Joey again. "Goodbye,Buster." He set Joey down, turned to Sue. "Goodbye, sweetheart.' He smiled at Sue, chucked Joey un- der' the • chin, and open the door clos- ed behind him. (Copyright, 1934, by 'United Feature Syndicate, Inc,) head of an ecclesiastical ,procession, the horsemen draw up along the sid- es of the road. .Presently they "'lath forWard, taking the lead. The Patriarch occupies a magnifi- cent carriage drawn by four horses. :Ile is clad iri gorgeous robes, with jewels and gold that glitter in the rays of the Syrian sun. As he is driv- en slowly along, he graciously raises his right hand from time to time in benediction, in response to the greet- in<gs,.of the multitude. ,Following him are perhaps a dozen carriages contain- ing bishops and other dignitaries of the church. Pause for a Frugal 1\ffeal The. procession stops for luncheon at the monastery of St. Elias, which occupies the spot where Elijah, suff- ering fromhunger, was fed by rav- ens. It is a day of fasting, and hence the simpple meal, prepared by the monks, consists of little more than fish and aslads. When it has been eaten, the Patriarch and his follow- ers resume their journey. As they approach Bethlehem, the firing ofuns is heard, and a troop gi of horsemen appears, riding out from the little town, mounted on beautiful Arabian steeds and wearing the pic- turesque Syrian costume in variegat- ed colors. They halt within a few yards of His Beatitude's carriage, re- ceive his blessing, and swing about Theprocession 1 '1 lead to the »�t thereupon keeps on until it reaches the Church.of the Nativity, pausing in the large open quadrangle at the front, The church is aimost hidden froth view by Pranciscan, Armenian, and Greek Orthodox monasteries, and its entrance door is only four feet high, so that one must stoop in order to go in. It is a provision originally made to keep out cattle, at a period when Moslems were more :or less ad- dicted to the practice of stabling their beasts in Christian shrines. On entering-, one finds himself' in a spacious bisilica, in which, on Christmas Day, 1100 A.D., the crus - '4%,t, „r,.`•.?v M1:. x:[z ,,.J,,.,n', IM!ei•d-T. y:tP,.,d »i` 77/4"/'7 0.7/7"471P 4r./V..0 ,V4,9"rr'.c : .,051o'•'7-4-/yr''4':9.t51''09�/6`,+�'. i ader Baldwin, ;was crowned King of their voices in song;, the great organ Jerusalem. • or the cc•,c.bieit,oii !;ere of the church furnishing a low and described, it is brightly illuminated by solemn accompaniment. thousands of candles. From the roof At the heed of the p cc _ssion walks hang huge candelabra, ablaze with the 1'atriercli, a f;urgrvus figure, his lights. The whole effect is brilliantly silken robes literally covered with impressive. gold embroidery and glittering with A Long Ceremonial gems and orders and medallions, Following the arrival of the Patri- while on his load is a crown studded arch there is a ceremonial that lasts tvith jewels. Thr :Treat .candlabra all day and evening, terminating with swing back and forth , the air is per- ( a midnight mass. Then the Patriarch, fumed with nen ':neeeee fie nu censers (with a train of bishops, minor clergy swung by acolytes, and, as His Beati- and privileged visitor;, descends a tude passes along, the people kneel I steep flight of narrow steps which and try to kiss the hetn of his gar - leads under the sanctuary of the tnent, church to the holy crypt beneath. i Gift, for the Christ Child There the gospel hymn is sung by The Patriarch, before leaving the a deacon, after which the Patriarch ' crypt, has placed upon the little altar and those accompanying him fall up- t, fts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh on hands and knees to kiss the silver in remembrance of the offerings star that marks the spot where Jesus which the Three Wise Men brought was born. Encircling the star is a to the Infant Jesus. It may be inter - Latin inscription which, translated, esting in this connection to say a few reads, "Here Jesus Christ was barn j wards about these Wise Men, who of the Virgin Mary." A few steps ,were called Magi, to tell whence they to the right is the marble block which came, and to explain why they marks the place of the manger. ',brought to Bethlehem those"particular The final act• of the ceremonial isl things. a 'procession which moves slowly, The Bible speaks of them as corn - three times around the basilica, with ing "from the East." They came, in banners and uplifted crosses, and a fact from Persia, which is across and double file of bishops and priests in beyond the great Mesopotamian des - richly embroidered garments, while ert from Palestine . They were of a chorister boys in snowy white raise high Persian order of priesthood, known as the Magi, whose members, were supposed to posses extrao •din-, ary knowledge of matters occult and supernatural. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh because those were of all things the : most precious at that .per- iod. Also for the reason that frank- • incense and myrrh were customarily used in religious rites. They were used for that purpose by the Egyp- tians, especially in connection ,with sacrifices, their employment in that way :having: presumably arisen front a belief that. pleasant odors were agreeable to the gods. At Babylon in its heyday 1,000 talents' weight of thein was burned '.annually on the great altar of 13e1, the solar deity. Frankincense and myrrh are gum resins, and there is commercial de- mand for them today: The former comes chiefly from., Arabia, being ob- tained from a kind of tree. The young tree, when tapped, yields a milky juice that forms large globules which, as soon as they have had time to harden, are scraped off into bas- kets. Anciently it was believed that frankincense came from a land of fog and darkness, where slaves' gathered the gum from trees infested • by winged serpents of brilli;,:e- colors— a notion probably' circulated by Arab spice -producers desirous of avoiding competition. Myrrh is the gum of a scrubby little tree that grows in the Somali country: Most of the commercial pro- duct nowadays is marketed 'at the great annual fair at Berbera, where' it is bought up by dealers. Once a year, on the occasion of the feast of the Epiphany, the Queen of Great Britain makes an offering of gold, frankincense and myrrh at the Chapel Royal in. London. It is a cus- tom that dates from the reign of Ed- ward I. Was The Star a Comet? What star was is that overhung the stable at Bethlehem? Its identity is likely never to be established. Some writers have argued that it may have e been a comet. In Christmas week of the year 1927, there was a comet in the eastern sky, and an attempt was made to -connect it up with the light that led the three Wise Men. It is known as SkJellup's comet, and snakes its appearance only once in some hundreds of years, the course it pur- sues in travelling around the sun 'tak- ing it away to vast distances in space; "CHRISTMAS AT LAST” (Continued from page two) door of the cottage, she was aware for the first time of 'the sounds of New Year's Eve merrymaking -- the blowing of horns up anct down the street and, far off in ;the distance,'the shouting voices of children. So that the cottage would be sat- urated with cheer, she put on the lights in every one of the rooms save the one where the tree stood waiting. 1,\then she pressedthe last button, in the one dark dark room, the colored lights flashed out among the branch es and the tinsel streamed with rad- iance and the colored balls flung back the glory. Oh, it was very 'beautiful. She fairly rail to the back doer. "Bernice! Come now, Run over fast!" And Bernice was there almost be- fore the last of the words were call- ed. Bernice was standing still in the doorway, her eyes as shining as the. tree, "Myr tree my tree," she was whispering as site carate slowly toward it. She walked all around it again and again. She touched lightly with her fingertips one branch and then an. other. Before she would take her eyes from the tree, Grandma had to; re- mind her there were other things to look at, With a warns little sigh of content she turned at last from the tree to those other things. The coat was ;warm ;and fluffy and nice; she was excited for a moment over the skates —but it was the tree that made it Christmas! While they stood before it and said to each other, "See that big red ball," and "Yes, but look at that shining little silver one," the doorbell rang. Mrs. Melding looked startled and sheepish as she went to the door. A woman was on the 1)orclt. ":I happened to be passing and the little, house looked so very bright and gay and happy, and when I saw the For Rent sign T thought I'cl like to look at it for' my son and; his wife.. They're coming out from the east next-inotnth." Mrs. Melding stood aside and the ( woman came- in. The horns were making a lively clamor in the streets now. A flood of merry voices swept ;with the strangerinto the cottage. "We're just 'having, a little party," • Mrs. Melding explained. "Oh, I just love to see 'Christmas treee still lightedl" Mre. Melding moved toward.a door. "This is the kitchen, ie here.'" re that room behind' the closed door, she bad certain things to speak of before they came to disettssing the house; and when they had finished their round and were back its the liv- ing-room, where Bernice still stood in adoration before the tree, the wo- man went up to the child and put a round wide silver dollar in her hand. "Merry Christmas to the patient little girl!" Bernice passed the dollar quickly from this hand to the other. She turned it over. On both sides it was strong and shining. The woman laughed happily and pulled her fur about her as she went to the door, She stopped there to take a bill from her purse. "Will this do for a deposit? I'll be back in a day or two to make the other arrangements. This is just the sort of place I've. been wanting to find.,, Mrs. Melding came quickly bads into the room after she had watched the woman go down the path and St e into a ear at the curb, Bernice was sill looking back and forth from her great round dollar to ,the tree. Just then, a very lour' burst of mer- riment came in from the _street. She snuggled close and looked _tip into her grandmother's face. "Just listen, Grandma! Don't Peo- ple have awful good times tin Christ- sheer hrist-inasl" (Copyright, 1934, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.;