. The land and the Book; or, Biblical illustrations drawn from the manners and customs, the scenes and scenery of the Holy Land . ave noticed, every morning since coming to Sidon, thatwomen come forth very early to visit the graves. Theymove about under the trees and among the tombs in thegray dawn, wrapped up from head to foot in their whitesheets, and looking for all the world like veritable I hear the voice of prayer, some weep and sob,while others sing or chant in a low; monotonous tone. Thewhole thing is very novel, and thus far deeply affecting. You do well to limit the
. The land and the Book; or, Biblical illustrations drawn from the manners and customs, the scenes and scenery of the Holy Land . ave noticed, every morning since coming to Sidon, thatwomen come forth very early to visit the graves. Theymove about under the trees and among the tombs in thegray dawn, wrapped up from head to foot in their whitesheets, and looking for all the world like veritable I hear the voice of prayer, some weep and sob,while others sing or chant in a low; monotonous tone. Thewhole thing is very novel, and thus far deeply affecting. You do well to limit the duration of your emotion, andmay safely moderate its intensity as fast as possible. Inninety-nine cases out of a hundred, this public manifestationis the work of that arch-tyrant, custom, and nothing inquiry. What will the world say if I dont go andweep? sets all your ghosts in motion; and, unless your sym-pathy is directed toward the slave, it is merely thrown away,l^lioy themselves curse the tyrant they obey, as bitterly asthe Moslem does the fast of Ramadan, which yet he ob- VISITING GRAVES—HIRED MOURNERS. 145. WOMEN VVKEriNO AT THE (iUAVE. serves. In eitlicr case, it is artificial, hypocritical, slav-ish. You observe that some of these performers have tentspitched above the graves which require to be wept , however, afford but slight protection against this piti-less storm and piercing wind. The great majority have nocover, and the mourners go home to nurse rheumatisms andcatarrhs, burn in fevers, or go blind with ophthalmia. Thereal weeping is in the houses. And when jou fortherknow that many of these mourners and chanters are hired,and weep, howl, beat their breast, and tear the hair accord-ing to contract, your compassion will fail fast, or take an-other direction, and sigh for the victims of folly and fashion. You must not suppose, however, that there ^is no genuinesorrow among this people. The voice of nature is far toostrong to be stifled, even by
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbible, bookyear1874
