Beautiful as the city was, he saw not its beauty
as he entered it, for he had been struck blind by the great light. That
man was the great apostle Paul.
Who can help thinking of him among the gardens of fruit-trees surrounding
Damascus?
The damask rose is one of the beauties of Damascus. There is one spot
quite covered with this lovely red rose.
I will now give an account of a visit a stranger paid to a rich man in
Damascus. He went through dull and narrow streets, with no windows
looking into the streets. He stopped before a low door, and was shown
into a large court behind the house. There was a fountain in the midst of
the court, and flower-pots all round. The visitor was then led into a
room with a marble floor, but with no furniture except scarlet cushions.
To refresh him after his journey, he was taken to the bath. There a man
covered him with a lather of soap and water, then dashed a quantity of
hot water over him, and then rubbed him till he was quite dry and warm.
When he came out of the bath, two servants brought him some sherbet. It
is a cooling drink made of lemon-juice and grape-juice mixed with water.
The master of the house received the stranger very politely: he not only
shook hands with him, but afterwards he kissed his own hand, as a mark of
respect to his guest. The servants often kissed the visitor's hand.
The dinner lasted a long while, for only one dish was brought up at a
time.
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