he place from which,
it is claimed, the ascension of the Savior was made."

As we approached the gate, a group of Russian men and women were seen
coming sadly away. We were informed later that these peasants, after
tramping a long distance on a holy pilgrimage in order to kneel down and
kiss the stone that marked the sacred spot of the Ascension of their
Lord, were refused admittance because they had not the required fee to
pay for entrance. In a Roman Catholic church, built on the spot on
Olivet where Christ is said to have taught His disciples to pray, the
Lord's Prayer is displayed on charts in large letters in thirty-six
different languages, so that pilgrims from all parts of the world can
read the prayer in their own tongue.

From the summit of Olivet, which is two hundred feet above the city of
Jerusalem, we looked down over the Holy City; but a finer panoramic view
of the surrounding country was obtained afterwards from the Russian
observation tower. The climbing of the two hundred stone steps which
lead to the top of the tower was not easy, but we felt amply repaid by
the magnificence of the view. Near the foot of the mountain lay the
Garden of Gethsemane. Beyond and four hundred feet below us, the
little brook Kedron trickled through the narrow Valley of Jehoshaphat.
Across the valley on the opposite heights of Mount Moriah, only half a
mile away in a direct line, prominent in the foreground, stood the
Mosque of Omar, and back of it rose the square roof and round domes of
the city buildings. Away off to the east, deep down in the valley, we
could see a portion of the Dead Sea and could trace the Valley of the
River Jordan.

[Illustration: AND A FEW LEAVES FROM ONE OF THE ANCIENT OLIVE TREES.]

We walked from the summit of the Mount of Olives down a steep, rocky,
crooked, narrow lane, hemmed in by stone walls, to the foot of the
slope, as it is considered too dangerous for the tourists to remain in
the carriages while descending this short cut to a lower road. The
carriages rejoined us later. At the foot of the hill there was a piece
of land about half an acre in extent enclosed by a white stone fence.
Within the enclosure was a garden surrounded by an iron fence. Between
the stone fence and the iron railing was a wide path. Within the garden
were eight gnarled olive trees that appeared to be of great age, and
flower beds which were carefully tended and guarded by Franciscan monks.
It was not necessary for t