Show wt 7 E ag W 1 X 4 V 41 j j 4 v 4 ak t B I 1 5 el in in k F il t 1 I 1 f t V oty i k field of the Sh shepards epards She parda bethlehem T THIS season of t the he yc year ar year the christian bodd A reverently turns to the lit tle tie town toun of bethlehem and lovingly recalls the story h of tile the saviors Siv Sivi lors ors birth asset ta forth in tile the simple et beautiful language of the t gospel narrative in spirit lot us go E onar to bethle hem and view the pi ice w whore christ the lord was nas born bethlehem Is situated about six miles south ot of jerusalem starting from jerusalem by the jaffa tate the journey la is over ft a rough and hilly country road amid seen scenes va that awaken in the mind reverent me memories memo iloa and fill tho the soul boul with nith loving amo 1110 vona along this very ery road chilst often walked and here and there at different turns of the road are places associated with some interesting and stirring event in the hie hutor of tile the people of israel on the west is the dibou valley where So solomn lonion na was cro crowned Nned and on the southeast la Is the valley of Hini torn where here bearb in the held field of king david de the Philli philistines tines but a short distance from kins david a well i ell bethlehem grets the heoe P e there on a high hill it stands with nith Us its closely clustered houses of chite white stone its nashiva nash lve walls and louers tow era loot looming ning forth in tho the brightness of the morning sun while below Is a rich valley with its green grass ollo tries and vineyards reaching up tilt in terraces ten teri aces to the summit of the hill bill charm aarm of A mysterious charm seem deenis to hang over the town as one looks loob lit at it t i om oin this point and that tilt hi 1 1 rn m where ruth and donz ih 11 ed d and loved nh lre lisse and david aled and where christ the son of god cod was vas born nhat hat a feeling ot to comes ovir one as aa draining nean to the town he passes thron h thit ihla lovely little valley cover coven I 1 with olav oah trees an aal I 1 green grass and Is lit hi n the field of the d w i i the angels appeared to tin th herds on the hist Chrls inin ti 1 a d announced to them the RI ki I 1 i adl of f the saviors savior a bl bi th h L li a i i tilt th road roadside and cros crossing sInE oie me to file held field of the shepherd on lock loc ha samul a binm the peaceful valley and bohol b hoha is aia pit feeding there upon the ra N slopes ani and da still war at their flocks as thu the sh eh pheris eherd did in the time of christ near the field of the alit lids iia i the field eld of boaz wh hf P e ruth ent eni forth to glean and when doa doai i fell in love with her it was t ni thi this union of boaz and ruth that the anistor of divald and christ sprung with tho the mind in I 1 nd thus thua awakened by these hestor lc ic spots one journeys along to the gateway leading into the town bethlehem his bis about 6 inkabi tants th ohp P tile me narrow poorly paved with scarcely a icyel stretch anywhere while low clyed houses of stone line hue both sides j f tho the streets the lower louir floor of many of the houses Is used for a booth or workshop whole natives are principally engaged in making to barles or trinkets of beail coial and olive wood ahe inhabitants aro are for the mos most t part christians christian 3 they are blight ap al scaring neatly diessel and more dav orally one than the people 0 of f jerusalem it Is said that tho the blo blood 0 d of the crusaders hows flows in the veins eins v of many of the inhabitants the cave in in the rock I 1 assing through the narrow streets ts we ne finally como come t to 0 the church of the it ft as hole heie that the inn stood where mary and joseph footsore and weary after their long journey sought for lodgings but there m was as no room for thim m they N were ere obliged to seek else where for some resting place the chalk hills hilla of judea are honey combed with innumerable eaves caves one of these excavations close by the inn was used as aa a pr for such beasts as tho the stabat a of the inn could not re ac mary alary and joseph were obliged to take shelter in this grotto here amid the straw which served as bedding for the beasts tar far front from all assistance on a cold winters night mary the virgin virbin mother gave birth to the infant savior salor ahli cave Is estabel established hed beyond all doubt as aa the place where christ was born ironi from the times chris liana have always kept sacred this particular spot st justin martyr born in palestine palt atine about beirs ears at af ter christ of this cave cae and the pagan celsus writing A D also knew of it ahe emperor Ilal rian about A D in order to keep keel the christians away from it e elected a statue of adonis there and e established idol worship in the cavern the emperoti constantine Constant lne ron removed loved the idol an aal I 1 erected over the cuve cave a church about A D at diffrient since then the chuich has boen bem rebuilt enlarged and renovated until wo ne find the present structure with nith its ita dif different terent sections belonging to the I 1 latin greek ani armenian rites the courtyard court cour vard tard leading to the lunch hutch Is paved with large square stones and on the side are the ruins of old columns colu where here the former atrium of thet basilica stood this court ya yard r 1 I la Is frequently used as a market place where here the natives gather to sell their baioa annaies looks like fortress rhe outside of the church looks like a four BS as with nith its high stone atone walls valls v alls 9 Y little door loads leads into tho the church neith Is divided into three sections K loin ng to the he latina greeks and imen lilt lans the hist filst of the hurch is the greek da i a idere ere i ro rows ros s L ot t marble pala s support lc e toot and divide dl ide the a I 1 nto two tao its I 1 a gliebe pillars at an lid iid to have hae D n taken bakon front from the ton ten pie of solo tilt in 11 long klong the walla are traces of an 1 it nt lit mosaics rhile flu ie ate aie two to eitran es 03 leading to h lit gr tto no one by a ma lile stair u ne w ii the choir in n the ateek see sec tian or of tue church and the from the latin section which aich la Is known knon as aa th h hurch of st it catherine bom om few sears ears BRO ago this church of st t atherine wa na enlarged and hand amely fitted up by the iho emperor of x x ta det des ending tho h grotto one la is re minded of the ca a in passing with lighted tapers through this dirk and winding cave to the various shrines and tombs hewn hen out of the sides grotto in limestone I 1 ho he grotto is formed in a ridge of soft limestone and la Is 39 feet long an and d from ten to twelve feet wide it is a paved with kith stone digs and the walls are arc covered with white marble turning to the right we ae enter a pas gageway to the altar of st Buse blus ot of cremona which Is built over his tomb lie he was a fi filand tend of st jerome and came to aid him in the founding of a monastery at bethlehem ile ho after afterward aard became the superior of it and died in A 1 I we next come to the chapel of the tombs on the east side Is an altar beneath which are the tombs tomba of st paula and st her daughter they were descendants of the and sciples and had come to bethlehem to devote themselves to the service of god they distributed their wealth to the poor aided st jerome to build monasteries and studied the holy under him in the west wall of this chapel Is the tomb of st fet jerome where an all altar is also erected above his resting place near by is a room known as the oratory of st jerome hero here the saint spent his declining years eara in prater and the study of the scriptures retracing our steps to the entrance of this chapel of tombs we e come next to the altar of the innocents bradl tion i elates relates that heie many of the mother 1 l of bethlehem hid themselves from the soldiers of but were vere and their children slain continuing along we ue are shown a small altar known as the chapel of st joseph which commemorates the place where here st joseph was nas warned in a dream to flee into egypt ove the altar is an oil painting represent ing the night flight into chapel in the monger manger passing through a n irrow narrow doorway wo bobsene e a roun round d hole in the ground where here tradition states a miraculous fountain burst forth for the use of the holy family imin here we now enter the ei v pt of the nati nativity vi ty where here 4 gold golden t n lamps shed a soft and brilliant light ajon the various shrines N ith feel ings of leverence levei ence and devout filth we ne approach appi and look with inith wonder upon the little chapel of the mil here with gifts of gold and nirra these wise kise men from the east knelt and adored the newborn king b bv is another small altar orna wonted with lights and silken diaper les lea it Is tte the chapel of the manger built upon the spot where the manger stood here tho the infant savior wiant in ill sN swaddling addling clothes was vas laid As the manger was carried to rome a mil tivai hie ble one now Is seen where A here a wax nax image of the infant lies upon a pallet of straw 0 o turn from here to another altar more ornamented and draped with nith silk and velvet curtains the soft rans from golden amps above flood the shrine with inith a glorious light dialing di awing aIng near we nse see a lire silver siler stir set lu in the marble floor beneath tile the luw arch of the marble altar and with awe and v wonderment read upon the paN pavement ement this inscription de birgine marl marii jesus christus Chrls natus est eat here jesus christ was born of the virgin mar man I 1 how our heart leaps leipa with ith joy as QU on find fand our at this sacred spot where christ the lord was born NN ith an irresistible impulse aou fill upon codr knees and prostrate in the radl anco ance of ahse golden lamps and in the quiet peace of this hallowed spot ou on think of thit first christmas night when nhen mary and joseph sought shelter within this cave cae where bere her das being accomplished she gle gave birth to the so alc icv vt ot mankind |