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PEREGRINE PAPERS
By l\ev. W. II. T. Squires, D. L).
AWAITING THE KING.
XIX.
All roads from ill - north ; 1 1 1 ? I east ;iii< 1 many
from tin- west | to i ir their Inuiiiiii 1 it 1 ?* upon
one greal highway t lliit leads over the lofty
hills of I >< * i i.i;i miii toward Jerusalem. tin* city
of ill.- King. It is worth wait iny: :i 1 i t*? * t inn*
in s?' i fiint up. >n that historic highway. 'I'll.'
expense. fatigue aixl trials of travel through
1 1 1 : 1 1 1 \ an alien city ami over many boundless
seas are well worth while if one may. at last,
turn his fjiec toward ?lerusilein, tlm supreme
e i t \ of the world. Through the intense. Idiud
i n v ?_dare of the I ? i * i 1 1 i a 1 1 1 mid-summer miii the
towers ;i in I in ina rets swain into view.
TIm*\ e?i 1 1 I Come tin* Internal t'ity. Hut that
1 1 ; i in** is usurped. Jerusalem was a proud eapi
tal I. '-!(!<? years, and more lieside. h**foi*e the
foundations of Alha l.onga were laid on the
hills of Tib T. Kroiu Melehi/edek to this good
day, from the days of Noah to the anticipated
seei 1 1 1 d advent of our Lord, and perhaps for
a thousand years beyond I lis second coining
Jerusalem is the Ktorunl City, ami the only
blood of I >a vid, lli ' blood of Abraham, jmd
possibly I In* blood, ecrlainly I bo office, of Mcl
chi/edel\. The call of till' blood of 15.000 years,
of 1 ?_'( i general ions, surged within Him when
lie cried :
"O .lerusal 'in. Jerusalem, tli.it killetli Ibe
prophets, and sloueth lliem that are sent unto
her! I low often would I have gathered thy
children together even as a hen gathered! her
chic Uciis under her wings, and ye would not !
IJehold. your house is left unto you desolate.
K..r I say unto you. ye shall not sc.- Me hen
forth, till ye shall say. Messed is lie. that coni
I'th ill the name of the Lord.
?lerusalem has not said that word, but she
will conic to it as surely as there is truth in
proph >cy, as surely as there is a (Sod in heaven.
This is the city of the Crucifixion, of the
ltcsurrect ion. of the Ascension, of Pentecost
and the I ?:i pt ism of the llolv Spirit. This is
the cradle of Christendom, the source of all
that is good. Now so barren, the streams of
A i\|?i?;il sci'tM' ill Damascus (iatr, J< nisah'iii.
eternal city. In ruin ji 1 1 < I wretch "dness, in
desolation, disjJTaee iillil despair sin- is st ill lilt'
liiil?ril?-t of till' Wol'lil. Jerusalem is 1 1 1 1 i < 1 1 1?* ill
her appeal in llit* heart <<t ill* world. Nor
? Iocs sin- si 1 1 1 ?<*:i I in vain. Today as in tin1 days
? ?I' David, i>r t'hrisl, of the < 'rusadcrs. .Icrusa
1 1 * 1 1 1 is an ii n rival I ?'il ? 1 1 1 ? ? 1 1 .
In the dim twilight of history she was Sal -in.
( 1 1 ? * < itv ill' I'eace. ami her kiuj? was Mclehi
yedek. tin- I ?rin?*i* of I'eace. Melchi/.edek was
olil wlirii A l?ra lia in was yoinii.'; in fart, tlruv
a iv si nil* scholars who identify Melchizcdek
with Slum, tin- priest l\ son of Xoali.
While Israel sojourned in l'.?r\ |?t tin- .Icbu
sitrs made tli 'ir capital on these hills; ami
reinaiiieil until the bulwarks of Mount /ion
were capturci! hy (iivat .loab's ilanntless
swoi'il. David ?jatheivd the iniitcil trihes of
Israel her*, ami for twenty jjencrat ions a man
was not wanting in David's royal line; al
though eamlor compels one to a ? I < I that some
of ?liiilah s kiu^s hail less of David's heroic
spirit than of his blood.
It is not David, but David's fJrealcr Son
whose feet have trod this sacred soil and made
it holy above all lands. Jesus loved Jcrusa
lclil. lie could not do otherwise. Ilis was the
religion ; 1 1 1 < 1 civili/.at ion have flnwci] hence 1 o
;ill tli*' ?*ii ft It.
How can <1 skept ic account Tor t lir? i 1 1 H u??? !????
of .1 erusa Iciii ! Willi on I .lesiis ( lirisl this is
ii lilthy, crowded, conglomerate, ruined. nn*l -
odorous, Oriental town. Willi llim it is tin*
heart and t!ic hope of tin* world, tin- ( 'ity of
tin- ( 'omin<r Kin <r. oiic;> disowned and rejected.
Within 1 lie steep and narrow streets of .feru
sah-iii a constant confusion of tongues, and a
motley variety of costumes greets tin' si rank
er. Kvorv laniiiiaj;.' on earth may he heard
here today, unless it he Choctaw, and every
possible variety of dress may he seen, as in
the days of Pentecost.
''Who ai"1 these j;enth'i?icn in long hlaek
coits. shovel hats and delightful little curls,
which fall like a fetlock in front of each car?"
Kussian .lews.
"And who are these thickly hewhiskered
?X'litlenien with monstrous hoods, like Hal
lowe'en witches, ropes ahont their waists and
immense. hare feet peeping flirtiit inusly from
the hem of lon?r. dirty gowns?*'
Armenian monks.
"Who are these extremely holy and palri
archal looking brothers, who evidently need a
shave ;iih1 a prolonged shower bath. The\
wear stovepipe hats, like Abraham Lincoln,
only these have a Hange at tlie lop like a car
wheel ?''
(ireek priests.
'"Who comes her**? A nut -brown brothel*
.villi flying eagles, coiled serpents ami ram
pant wild beasts of |he .jungle done all over
him, face, neck, arms ami legs, in hlne tattoo,
making an ugly man hideous."
Itedouins.
"Don't all these gcnilcnnn know they ?ve
mil td' style? Dresses should fall litll' if any
be|ow the km-e. The long skirts on timse
remind me of line American ladies in
.Mr. (T'Veland's second administration. Pray,
somebody t ? ? 1 1 these I'.edouins, Arabs, ncgl'oes,
"These gentlemen are modest, you know."
my friend replied.
"Well, this one is not modes!. A strong
man. tanned a deep hrowu. wild eyed, haggard,
he\\ hiskered. almost naked, save lor a piece ol
guano sack tied about him.
"lie is a holy, wild man. Don't notice him;
lie is dangerous, probably crazy. If he notices
you give him a piastre ami get away as speed
ily as possible."
Knough said. There is no end to Ihe pro
cession of curious folk who throng the nar
row. lilt by. cobhlesl oncd streets and bazaars
of Jerusalem.
1 1 was early Sunday morning ;i military hand
s< in n? l<'< 1 in ilif streets and attracted a great
crowd. I ??'li i nt I (lie I > a 1 1 < I rwung a column of
fresh -laced British lads, who looked for 1 1 1 ?*
most part too young for r-'gular soldiers. I In y
wi'iv ma rehing to church. It is an it < ? 1 1 1 ol
( : t-f;i 1 liritain's tactful, colonial policy. Tin'
horns Hail*, tin' drums beat. tin* flag flutters in
i In- breeze, oWicers and men make a brave show
in the s 1 1 1 1 1 i <r 1 1 1 ol' early morning. They carry
ugly looking guns, tipped with steel bayou
? ?ts that glisten savagely in the peaceful siiil
sh in?*. They are niii i*<* hi ? i tr. this unit ol' a dis
ciplined ariu\ .inst to church! lint when
I hey have passed every brown Aral), every
naked l)*rvish. every rebellious Moslem and
Armenians, Syrians, Kgyptians, (S reeks, .lews,
( opts ami Palest inians that they ought, by all
means, to shorten their skirts and get. into
style."
grumbling Palestinian know that Kugland has
conic to stay. The touch is a touch of velvet,
but under it is a grip of iron, respected and
feared in six continents. The lads were mostly
from Yorkshire and Kent. Marching they
seemed to say, "We don't want trouble with
anybody, but if you want to know who is boss
here, start something.''
I followed I belli into tile English church
( 'lirist ('liuivli and enjoyed tin' quit t and
rest ful service. The familiar prayers were as
balm to a weary soul. One never appreciates
the beauty of the mother tongue until he is
thrown into a babel of outlandish tongues.
The rector was a gentle, old man. 1 thought
of the Vicar of Wakefield. The sermon was
brief, simple and helpful in its practical sym
pathy. The congregation was made up almost
wholly of soldiers ami their families.
At the end of the service we stood t ? ? sing
"(im| Save the King." The soldier boys caught
up the words with hearty good-will and their
deep bass voices floated far out upon Mount
Zion. .lust over the way was the Tower of
David, which the ant apiarians claim was one
of the melancholy monuments Titus left stand
ing at the destruction of .Jerusalem. Within a
pistol shot was the reputed site of David's