Peasant life in the Holy Land . into sharp relief thewhite beards of the older men. The long pipes arefilled and lit, and their smoke mingles with that ofthe fire. There is the hum of conversation allround, or else breathless silence while someone tellsa thrilling tale of adventure, robbery, or war; or ananimated discussion takes place over some matterof keen local interest. Many an evening have Ispent in the village guest-houses, and many anattentive audience have I had as I told the storyof redemption in Jesus Christ to the Moslemvillagers. If a guest arrives during the day for an hour ortwo
Peasant life in the Holy Land . into sharp relief thewhite beards of the older men. The long pipes arefilled and lit, and their smoke mingles with that ofthe fire. There is the hum of conversation allround, or else breathless silence while someone tellsa thrilling tale of adventure, robbery, or war; or ananimated discussion takes place over some matterof keen local interest. Many an evening have Ispent in the village guest-houses, and many anattentive audience have I had as I told the storyof redemption in Jesus Christ to the Moslemvillagers. If a guest arrives during the day for an hour ortwos rest, a mat will be spread for him, andmattresses and cushions fetched from the sheikhshouse, and he will be urged to take his rest; foodwill generally be quickly brought—two or threeloaves of bread and some olives, or grapes or figs,according to the time of year, or, if a person ofimportance, a fowl will be killed and quicklycooked for him. If, however, he stay the night, amore substantial meal will be provided. After the. SUPPER 279 evening prayers in the mosque, a large copper trayor wooden bowl, heaped high with boiled rice orcracked wheat, or sometimes with wheat below, forthe ordinary guests, and rice above for the moredistinguished ones, is brought in. On the rice arejoints of meat, mutton, or goats flesh (the ordinarypeasants never eat beef), and the master of theceremonies carries an armful of round flat loaves ofbread which he distributes at intervals round thedish. The guests then take their places, havingfirst washed their liands. With a * In the name ofGod, each plunges his right hand into the pile ofrice, and dexterously rolhng up a ball of it, conveysit to his mouth. The meat, which is always boiled,is very thoroughly cooked, so that it is easy todetach pieces with the right hand, it being con-sidered very bad manners, especially by theMoslems, to use the left hand. The sheikhwaits personally on the guests, often holding thelight that they may better see, urg
Size: 1020px × 2449px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidpeasantlifei, bookyear1906
