第24章

Fromhishighperch，oneseesbeforehimandbelowhim，awallofdrearymountains，shornofvegetation，glaringfiercelyinthesun;itfencesinaleveldesertofyellowsand，smoothasvelvetandthreadedfarawaywithfinelinesthatstandforroads，anddottedwithcreepingmitesweknowarecamel—trainsandjourneyingmen;rightinthemidstofthedesertisspreadabillowyexpanseofgreenfoliage;andnestlinginitsheartsitsthegreatwhitecity，likeanislandofpearlsandopalsgleamingoutofaseaofemeralds。Thisisthepictureyouseespreadfarbelowyou，withdistancetosoftenit，thesuntoglorifyit，strongcontraststoheightentheeffects，andoveritandaboutitadrowsingairofreposetospiritualizeitandmakeitseemratherabeautifulestrayfromthemysteriousworldswevisitindreamsthanasubstantialtenantofourcoarse，dullglobe。Andwhenyouthinkoftheleaguesofblighted，blasted，sandy，rocky，sun—burnt，ugly，dreary，infamouscountryyouhaveriddenovertogethere，youthinkitisthemostbeautiful，beautifulpicturethateverhumaneyesresteduponinallthebroaduniverse！IfIweretogotoDamascusagain，IwouldcamponMahomet\'shillaboutaweek，andthengoaway。Thereisnoneedtogoinsidethewalls。TheProphetwaswisewithoutknowingitwhenhedecidednottogodownintotheparadiseofDamascus。

ThereisanhonoredoldtraditionthattheimmensegardenwhichDamascusstandsinwastheGardenofEden，andmodernwritershavegatheredupmanychaptersofevidencetendingtoshowthatitreallywastheGardenofEden，andthattheriversPharparandAbanaarethe"tworivers"thatwateredAdam\'sParadise。Itmaybeso，butitisnotparadisenow，andonewouldbeashappyoutsideofitashewouldbelikelytobewithin。Itissocrookedandcrampedanddirtythatonecannotrealizethatheisinthesplendidcityhesawfromthehill—top。Thegardensarehiddenbyhighmud—walls，andtheparadiseisbecomeaverysinkofpollutionanduncomeliness。

Damascushasplentyofclear，purewaterinit，though，andthisisenough，ofitself，tomakeanArabthinkitbeautifulandblessed。WaterisscarceinblisteredSyria。WerunrailwaysbyourlargecitiesinAmerica;inSyriatheycurvetheroadssoastomakethemrunbythemeagrelittlepuddlestheycall"fountains，"andwhicharenotfoundofteneronajourneythaneveryfourhours。Butthe"rivers"ofPharparandAbanaofScripture（merecreeks，）runthroughDamascus，andsoeveryhouseandeverygardenhavetheirsparklingfountainsandrivuletsofwater。Withherforestoffoliageandherabundanceofwater，DamascusmustbeawonderofwonderstotheBedouinfromthedeserts。Damascusissimplyanoasis——thatiswhatitis。Forfourthousandyearsitswatershavenotgonedryoritsfertilityfailed。Nowwecanunderstandwhythecityhasexistedsolong。Itcouldnotdie。Solongasitswatersremaintoitawayoutthereinthemidstofthathowlingdesert，solongwillDamascuslivetoblessthesightofthetiredandthirstywayfarer。"Thougholdashistoryitself，thouartfreshasthebreathofspring，bloomingasthineownrose—bud，andfragrantasthineownorangeflower，ODamascus，pearloftheEast！"DamascusdatesbackanteriortothedaysofAbraham，andistheoldestcityintheworld。ItwasfoundedbyUz，thegrandsonofNoah。"TheearlyhistoryofDamascusisshroudedinthemistsofahoaryantiquity。"LeavethematterswrittenofinthefirstelevenchaptersoftheOldTestamentout，andnorecordedeventhasoccurredintheworldbutDamascuswasinexistencetoreceivethenewsofit。Gobackasfarasyouwillintothevaguepast，therewasalwaysaDamascus。Inthewritingsofeverycenturyformorethanfourthousandyears，itsnamehasbeenmentionedanditspraisessung。ToDamascus，yearsareonlymoments，decadesareonlyflittingtriflesoftime。Shemeasurestime，notbydaysandmonthsandyears，butbytheempiresshehasseenrise，andprosperandcrumbletoruin。Sheisatypeofimmortality。ShesawthefoundationsofBaalbec，andThebes，andEphesuslaid;shesawthesevillagesgrowintomightycities，andamazetheworldwiththeirgrandeur——andshehaslivedtoseethemdesolate，deserted，andgivenovertotheowlsandthebats。ShesawtheIsraelitishempireexalted，andshesawitannihilated。ShesawGreecerise，andflourishtwothousandyears，anddie。InheroldageshesawRomebuilt;shesawitovershadowtheworldwithitspower;shesawitperish。ThefewhundredsofyearsofGenoeseandVenetianmightandsplendorwere，tograveoldDamascus，onlyatriflingscintillationhardlyworthremembering。Damascushasseenallthathaseveroccurredonearth，andstillshelives。Shehaslookeduponthedrybonesofathousandempires，andwillseethetombsofathousandmorebeforeshedies。Thoughanotherclaimsthename，oldDamascusisbyrighttheEternalCity。

Wereachedthecitygatesjustatsundown。TheydosaythatonecangetintoanywalledcityofSyria，afternight，forbucksheesh，exceptDamascus。ButDamascus，withitsfourthousandyearsofrespectabilityintheworld，hasmanyoldfogynotions。Therearenostreetlampsthere，andthelawcompelsallwhogoabroadatnighttocarrylanterns，justaswasthecaseinolddays，whenheroesandheroinesoftheArabianNightswalkedthestreetsofDamascus，orflewawaytowardBagdadonenchantedcarpets。

Itwasfairlydarkafewminutesafterwegotwithinthewall，andwerodelongdistancesthroughwonderfullycrookedstreets，eighttotenfeetwide，andshutinoneitheraidebythehighmud—wallsofthegardens。

Atlastwegottowherelanternscouldbeseenflittingabouthereandthere，andknewwewereinthemidstofthecuriousoldcity。Inalittlenarrowstreet，crowdedwithourpack—mulesandwithaswarmofuncouthArabs，wealighted，andthroughakindofaholeinthewallenteredthehotel。Westoodinagreatflaggedcourt，withflowersandcitrontreesaboutus，andahugetankinthecentrethatwasreceivingthewatersofmanypipes。Wecrossedthecourtandenteredtheroomspreparedtoreceivefourofus。Inalargemarble—pavedrecessbetweenthetworoomswasatankofclear，coolwater，whichwaskeptrunningoverallthetimebythestreamsthatwerepouringintoitfromhalfadozenpipes。Nothing，inthisscorching，desolatelandcouldlooksorefreshingasthispurewaterflashinginthelamp—light;nothingcouldlooksobeautiful，nothingcouldsoundsodeli—ciousasthismimicraintoearslongunaccustomedtosoundsofsuchanature。Ourroomswerelarge，comfortablyfurnished，andevenhadtheirfloorsclothedwithsoft，cheerful—tintedcarpets。Itwasapleasantthingtoseeacarpetagain，forifthereisanythingdrearierthanthetomb—like，stone—pavedparlorsandbed—roomsofEuropeandAsia，Idonotknowwhatitis。Theymakeonethinkofthegraveallthetime。

Averybroad，gailycaparisoneddivan，sometwelveorfourteenfeetlong，extendedacrossonesideofeachroom，andoppositeweresinglebedswithspringmattresses。Thereweregreatlooking—glassesandmarble—toptables。

Allthisluxurywasasgratefultosystemsandsenseswornoutwithanexhaustingday\'stravel，asitwasunexpected——foronecannottellwhattoexpectinaTurkishcityofevenaquarterofamillioninhabitants。

Idonotknow，butIthinktheyusedthattankbetweentheroomstodrawdrinkingwaterfrom;thatdidnotoccurtome，however，untilIhaddippedmybakingheadfardownintoitscooldepths。Ithoughtofitthen，andsuperbasthebathwas，IwassorryIhadtakenit，andwasabouttogoandexplaintothelandlord。Butafinelycurledandscentedpoodledogfriskedupandnippedthecalfofmylegjustthen，andbeforeIhadtimetothink，Ihadsousedhimtothebottomofthetank，andwhenIsawaservantcomingwithapitcherIwentoffandleftthepuptryingtoclimboutandnotsucceedingverywell。SatisfiedrevengewasallIneededtomakemeperfectlyhappy，andwhenIwalkedintosupperthatfirstnightinDamascusIwasinthatcondition。Welayonthosedivansalongtime，aftersupper，smokingnarghiliesandlong—stemmedchibouks，andtalkingaboutthedreadfulrideoftheday，andIknewthenwhatIhadsometimesknownbefore——thatitisworthwhiletogettiredout，becauseonesoenjoysrestingafterward。

Inthemorningwesentfordonkeys。Itisworthyofnotethatwehadtosendforthesethings。IsaidDamascuswasanoldfossil，andsheis。Anywhereelsewewouldhavebeenassailedbyaclamorousarmyofdonkey—drivers，guides，peddlersandbeggars——butinDamascustheysohatetheverysightofaforeignChristianthattheywantnointercoursewhateverwithhim;onlyayearortwoago，hispersonwasnotalwayssafeinDamascusstreets。ItisthemostfanaticalMohammedanpurgatoryoutofArabia。WhereyouseeonegreenturbanofaHadjielsewhere（thehonoredsignthatmylordhasmadethepilgrimagetoMecca，）IthinkyouwillseeadozeninDamascus。TheDamascenesaretheugliest，wickedestlookingvillainswehaveseen。Alltheveiledwomenwehadseenyet，nearly，lefttheireyesexposed，butnumbersoftheseinDamascuscompletelyhidthefaceunderaclose—drawnblackveilthatmadethewomanlooklikeamummy。

IfeverwecaughtaneyeexposeditwasquicklyhiddenfromourcontaminatingChristianvision;thebeggarsactuallypassedusbywithoutdemandingbucksheesh;

themerchantsinthebazaarsdidnotholduptheirgoodsandcryouteagerly，"Hey，John！"or"Lookthis，Howajji！"Onthecontrary，theyonlyscowledatusandsaidneveraword。

ThenarrowstreetsswarmedlikeahivewithmenandwomeninstrangeOrientalcostumes，andoursmalldonkeysknockedthemrightandleftasweplowedthroughthem，urgedonbythemercilessdonkey—boys。Thesepersecutorsrunaftertheanimals，shoutingandgoadingthemforhourstogether;theykeepthedonkeyinagallopalways，yetnevergettiredthemselvesorfallbehind。Thedonkeysfelldownandspiltusovertheirheadsoccasionally，buttherewasnothingforitbuttomountandhurryonagain。Wewerebangedagainstsharpcorners，loadedporters，camels，andcitizensgenerally;

andweweresotakenupwithlookingoutforcollisionsandcasualtiesthatwehadnochancetolookaboutusatall。Werodehalfthroughthecityandthroughthefamous"streetwhichiscalledStraight"withoutseeinganything，hardly。Ourboneswerenearlyknockedoutofjoint，wewerewildwithexcitement，andoursidesachedwiththejoltingwehadsuffered。

IdonotlikeridingintheDamascusstreet—cars。

WewereonourwaytothereputedhousesofJudasandAnanias。Abouteighteenornineteenhundredyear