"THE AMERICANS."

Otago Witness, Issue 1913, 9 October 1890, Page 31

" THE AMERICANS."

A STRANGE RELIGIOUS SECT IN JERUSALEM — A LIFE OF GOOD WORKS. The soft warm light of sunset touched the heights of the Mount of Olives, and bathed the tower of the Russian Hospice and the dome of the Mosque of Omar with its minarets in its glow as our party descended into the shadows that lay along the dry bed of the Kedron. Then we began climbing toward the wall of Jerusalem, and turning went on towards the Damascus Gate. Jerusalem mounts so high above the Kedron that we were long in reaching the road that lies just below its mediieval walls. Going but slowly we overtook a group, whose donkeys were being urged along, as though tired. Two ladies and their donkeyboys formed the party. They bade us goodevening, the first two in English, and chatted on as we kept our donkeys along side. They had evidently come a distance, and on their saddle were paniers, hung just at the back of the riders. "We are deaconesses ; we have a mission in Jerusalem, as well as one at) Bethany. These baskets contained medicines and all sorts of things useful, clothing, books, when we went to Bethany yesterday ; now they are empty, soon to be filled and go again." I turned to look at my companions. The one next me was young, perhaps 25, healthy looking, with a resolute, calm expression of countenance. She was dressed in black, but from her hat floated a grey gauze veil, and from under her hat looked out blue eyes. The other deaconess was quite like her in the general resemblance given by a like life older and perhaps more resclute, and the look that in the eyes of the younger was enthusiasm by years of service had been changed in those of the elder deaconess into one of stern purpose, speaking of duty and business. PROVIDENTIAL MEETING. The young one plied me with questions. One of these led to a visit and an acquaintance that made me feel that meeting with the questioner was providential, so little would I have been likely otherwise to have made that visit and acquaintance. " Do you know those people there ? " she queried and pointed up close to the Damascus Gate, high above us. "In that house, on the wall, they are Americans, and they have been in Jerusalem some 12 years. Everybody knows them, not only all Englishspeaking people and Europeans, but Moslems aud Armenians, and everybody loves them, too, they do so much good." " What is their religion ?" "I don't know; they are not Shakers, but perhaps, they are something like them. Any how you must visit them." This young deaconess giving her own time to good works, had roused my interest to see country-people of mine, who were doing their name " the American " so much credit, and I resolved to see the high house on the wall from its entrance side. This was within the city. On the side we were passing the home looked as inaccessible as a medireval fortress, on the side to the enemy ; it looked like a continuation of the city wall, rising from its usual truncated outline, into a stormy and battlemented roof. Then the sharp Norman outline began, its dentated tops following for a season unbrokenly, marking the upward waving outline of Jeiusalem hill. " They are just called the Americans,"added our companion, as our parting ways were neared. "Everybody knows them by that name. They do not call themselves anything ; nor are they affiliated with any of the missions." THE AMERICANS. The next day found us at the door on the south side of the "Americans'" house. A blind man opened it ; a Syrian, named Hassan. He took us up a stairway in an inner court, the flagging of which, and the stone stairs were both singularly clean. Many doors {opened out of this court, Around these doois, lightly floating on the zephyrs as they caught them, as they breathed through the still place, were madeira vines in lush growth. The pure, white-washed walls, the tender, fresh green of the waving vine festooning everywhere, and someho*v adding emphasis to the general air of health and cleanliness, was quite refreshing to us, who had picked our way through the mud, garbage and general refuse, emitting smells most nauseating, to get to the house. Even the bright sights of the great bazaar along our way could not make us entirely forget the offence to the nose, in the pleasure to the eye. The blind Hassan went up the stairs and opened a door into a large room. This room was pervaded with that air of home that always tells of woman's loving care and taste. While our guide went to call the Americans, I looked about and saw that the taste, whose result was one to call into effect most pleasing combinations of form and colour, h?.d only had most cheap materials to use. Flowers and trailing plants shared with some coloured prints the duty of relieving the monotony of the white walls. There were many and large windows, and from those southward one could look over the housetops of Jerusalem to a far blue horizon, to the hills beyond the Dead Sea. Quite like our home room in the United States the parlour was warmed by a sheet-iron stove. I was by its side bringing my chilled hands into a normal warmth, when the Americans began coming in. A STRANGE RELIGIOUS SECT. Before I go farther I will tell what thej say of them in Jerusalem as regards their religious ideas and also why they remain in Jerusalem, or, rather, why they came there. They started from Chicago (Mr Spafford and his wife were the first) to come to Jerusalem in the belief that the end of the world was nigh and also in the belief that certain ones should not die, but were lining, to rise "to meet our Lord in the air." Other Chicagoans shared these opinions and joined the pilgrims. At first the household numbered 12 souls, now they count 20. They resemble the Shakers in so far as they do not marry; the men are brothers, the women sisters. They have impromptu religious services during the week ; Sundays reeularly at 3 in the afternoon. At their services a portion of Scripture is read and commented on by whoever will ; with singing an<l prayer. The belief that none of (h^m were to taste death was rudely dispelled by the death of

their pioneer, Mr Spafford himself, followed by the deaths of others. But new ones have from time to time joined them, bo the number, as we before stated, has nearly doubled in these years of work and waiting. Many nationalities find representation in the group; beside the Americans (some from the States and some from Canada), there is a Swiss, an Englishman and woman, and a Norwegian. All are not old. I saw two blooming girls in their teens, and wondered if Eros would leave their hearts to never burn with a flame more personal than general love. However, that has happened, and those so feeling just married and went their way. Childhood, too, was there in the presence of the little ones of a recent convert. Age, too, was there, whose paled hopes have grown bright and themselves renewed on accepting these different interpretations of the prophecies as regards death, especially since they have ventured their all on the hope of translation past the power of that last foe 1 LIVING THE LIFE IS PREACHING. Th6y came into the room quietly, about as I have placed them, and, exchanging words of greeting, we entered into friendly conversation. We — C. and I — were listeners and questioners. We were shown Mr Spafford's photograph by his widow, a sympathetic woman. The hymn we all know in the hymn book, " It is well with my soul," was written by him in the days when the coming to Jerusalem was planned, when all the hearts of the little band glowed in the fond hope of joyous translation, " Just to be caught up to meet our Lord in the air." " Yes ; T erusalem seemed to us a beautiful spot to start from heavenward,'' said Mrs Spafford. " No, we do not preach," said another in answer to a query, " only as living the life is preaching." " We desire to show the practical carrying out of the Christian life — love — enmity gone." " Done with enmity," to quote one of the phrases I caught as frequent among them. " What supports you ? " we asked after hearing the statement. "We work for the Lord only. We take no pay for what we do. We have money at home, but it is difficult for us to get it, for our friends are not sympathetic, and send us only small sums at a time." BUSY WORKERS. We went over the house, and what we saw proved to us that these " Americans " were busy workers. In one room were four sewing machines in full buzz as we went in. Three of the makers of the buzz were brothers, and they did it well, for I looked with curiosity to see how they could run a machine, those bearded men 1 This work consisted of sheets, 100 in number. On a bed was a dress in artistic green colour, and frilled and befurbelowed in an old and elaborate fashion ; near it was one half done, but already enough draped to show ifc was a copy of the other. This material was velvet and cashmere, and the colour ruby reel. "This dress belongs to a Mohammedan lady," said a sister touching the green gown, " and she wants us to make this stuff up in the same fashion," motioning toward the velvet. "All Mohammedan women like to dress in our dress, and do so when it is possible. Under their veils and cloaks are mostly such gowns, among the well-to-do especially. A BOSTONIAN. After strolling over the house, all so simple and so homelike, eveiywhere the loving taste and faultless cleanness, we went to the carpenter's shop— for one brother is a carpenter. Above the bench was a good collection of tools, and all of latest improvement were there, even to the vice and plane. I remarked on its being worthy to be in Yankeeland. " Properly bo," was the reply, " for our brother is a Bostonian." . Not far off, almost touching the carpenter's bench, was all the outfit of a shoemaker — the low seat, well-used, the table at the side, the awls and lasts, shoes new, standing up as they always seem to, with a conscious pride of newness ; shoes old, huddled off any way, in disgrace until pared and stitched and pounded, and stood up alongside of new ones, with a remoralised air; all the entourage was there, so familiar to u& everywhere. The place looked full of work ; so seeing, I said : "Oh I here is a source of income," and I was pleased to discover it. "We only work for the Lord," was the i answer. "We could do business, but time is short, too short for that." As tea was passed, sitting again in the pleasant parlour, we heard the stones, full of interest, of the relations, once very limited, now, however, happily opening into freedom, between the Children of the Desert and the Pilgrims from Chicago. Their home is in the Mohammedan quarter, and purposely so— no other but Mohammedans living near; and there, with their home open to the visits of the women of the neighbourhood, their children ready to play with the children about them, they do their I work. They sew for the people, make dresses, fchoes, Jcarnenter work, nurse the sick all gratuitously, hoping thereby to win the love and trust .of the people, and be "Living the Life" to win souls to that Christ, who can so inspire humanity to live out of self. Is not this after all the directest preaching ?— Charles and Susan M. Bowles, in the San Francisco Bulletin.