The roofs in Cairo are usually in a great state of litter.
One thing never seemed cleared away, and that was the heap of old broken pitchers, sherds, and pots, that in these and similar houses are piled up in some corner... A little before sunset, numbers of pigeons suddenly emerge from behind the pitchers and other rubbish, where they had been sleeping during the heat of the day, or pecking about to find food. They dart upward and career through the air in large circles, their outspread wings catching the bright glow of the sun's slanting rays, so that they really resemble shining " yellow gold"; then, as they wheel round, and are seen against the light, they appear as if turned into molten silver, most of them being pure white, or else very light colored. The effect of light in these regions is difficult to describe to those who have not seen it, and evening after evening we watched the circling flight of the doves, and always observed the same appearance.-" Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold."- Psa. 68:1313Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. (Psalm 68:13).
M. L. W.
" Miss W- asked me to accompany her on a visit to a bride, a young native (at Damascus) who was to be married the following day. We found the bride surrounded by a large party of friends. Refreshments were handed as usual. We withdrew to the terrace, the night was lovely; the moon, just rising, lighted up all the town below. It was almost with a feeling of awe that we saw, advancing through the uncertain light, a procession of twelve or fourteen figures draped in white, and each carrying in her hand (extended before her) a lighted lamp. They came up the steps at our feet, and passed into the house. None but those who had witnessed this visible, realization of the parable of the virgins could imagine the impressiveness of the scene, which, as we were afterward informed, is still further carried out the next evening, when they follow the bride to her new home. As soon as within sight, the cry is heard ' Behold the bridegroom cometh,' and with this signal (which is one for all his friends to attend him) he appears on the house top, breaks a cake over the bride's head as she comes to the door, and then descending, receives her on the threshold, and all who are of the marriage party entering the door is shut.' " A. F. F.
" It often blossoms in February, and this early activity is repeatedly attended to in the Bible. Jeremiah opens his heavy vision thus, ' the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see the rod of an almond tree. Then saith the Lord, Thou hast well seen, for I will hasten my word to perform it,' just as this tree hastens to bud and blossom long before any other has begun to wake out of the repose of winter, and before it has put forth its own leaves. The same thing is implied, according to the general economy of miracles, in the selection of rods from this tree by Moses to be laid up in the tabernacle... the rod of Aaron was budded, and brought forth buds, and yielded almonds.' This was miraculous rapidity certainly; hut a rod was selected for the purpose from that tree which, in its natural development, is the most expeditious of all; and not only do the blossoms appear on it suddenly, but the fruit sets at once, and appears even while the flowers are yet on the tree, buds, blossoms, and almonds together on the same branch, as on this rod of Moses. In that affecting picture of old age drawn by the royal preacher, it is said that ' the almond tree shall flourish,' or blossom. The point of the figure is doubtless the fact that the white blossoms completely cover the whole tree, without any mixture of green leaves, for these do not appear until some time after. It is the expressive type of old age whose hair is white as wool, unrelieved by any other color."
The Land and the Book.