Toward the sunrise, being sketches of travel in Europe and the East, to which is added a Memorial sketch of the RevWilliam Morley Punshon . at night when the Redeemer of the worldwas born. A ride of fifteen minutes brought us to theShepherds Field. It is a kind of plain, and wethought of that night, surpassing all other nightsin wonders, when, as the peaceful shepherds watchtheir flocks, that lie on the hill-sides, like snowdrifts in the late spring, suddenly the wholeheavens are filled with splendor; a supernaturalglory bursts upon them ; the light grows brighter,until it takes the form of a
Toward the sunrise, being sketches of travel in Europe and the East, to which is added a Memorial sketch of the RevWilliam Morley Punshon . at night when the Redeemer of the worldwas born. A ride of fifteen minutes brought us to theShepherds Field. It is a kind of plain, and wethought of that night, surpassing all other nightsin wonders, when, as the peaceful shepherds watchtheir flocks, that lie on the hill-sides, like snowdrifts in the late spring, suddenly the wholeheavens are filled with splendor; a supernaturalglory bursts upon them ; the light grows brighter,until it takes the form of a shining angel, and there iswafted to them the celestial strain :— Fear not, for,behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, whichihall be to all people. For unto you is born this dayin the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ theLord. Then, as if the heavens must burst to disclosetheir joyous minstrelsy, a mighty orchestra— a mul^titude of the heavenly host—pour forth the Gloria in 8 Sketches of Travel. 26c, Excelsis, until through all the balconies of light, and thegalleries of the skies, from rock to rock, from throne. to throne, from the hills of earth to the gateways ofpearl, from cherubim to seraphim, is heard the raptur- 270 Toward the Sunrise ; or, ous i-ef rain, Glory to God in the highest, and on earthpeace, good will toward men !—Luke ii. 10-14. The ride to Mar Saba is over hill and dale, andthrough wild and barren scenery. The dominion ofsterility and weird desolation is complete and undis-puted ; lonely mountains and dark ravines, rough,bleak spuis of rocks, sharp ridges, and awfulchasms, with now and then a glimpse of the DeadSea, with the purple cliffs of the Moab mountainslooming up in the distant background. Afterthree hours ride from Bethlehem, the Conventof Mar Saba is reached. This convent stands on thewest side of a deep gorge of the Kedron, whose precipi-tous rock walls rise hundreds of feet in heiirht, andthe Monastery is one of the weirdes
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