laws.

Here on these sands the giant, Goliath, strode out pompously to be
slain by a stun from a sling sent by David when he wuz a shepherd boy.
"How I wished I had some of them stuns to slay the evil giants of
1900," sez I. "If a stun could be aimed at Intemperance and another at
the big monopolies and destroy'em as dead as Goliath, what a boon it
would be."

And Arvilly sez, "Where will you git your sling, and where will you
git your Davids?"

Sez I, "The ballot is a good sling that could kill'em both stun dead,
but I d'no where I could git any Davids at present," and she didn't
nor Josiah, but I felt in hopes that there would be one riz up, for
always when the occasion demands, the Lord sends the right man to fill
the place.

Well, presently we arrov at Bethlehem (House of Bread). I mentioned
its meaning, and Josiah sez:

"I do hope I'll get some yeast risin' here that will taste a little
like yourn, Samantha."

So little did he dwell on the divine meanin' that wuz thrillin' my
heart. House of Bread, sacred spot from which proceeded the living
bread, that if any one should eat he should never more hunger.

The Church of the Nativity, the place that we sought first in the
village, is the oldest Christian church in the world. It wuz built by
Helena, mother of Constantine, 330 A.D. It is owned by a good many
different sects who quarrel quite considerable over it, as they would
be likely to in Jonesville if our M. E. church wuz owned too by
Baptists and Piscopalians, etc.

We spoze this church wuz built on the site of the tarven where our
Lord wuz born. Goin' down the windin' staircase we come to the Grotto
of the Nativity, which is a cave in the rock. There are several holy
chapels here, but this one where they say Christ wuz born is about
thirty-eight feet long and ten or eleven feet wide, and covered inside
with costly carving and sculpture. A star in the floor shows the place
where the manger wuz where the Holy Child wuz born, a silver star
glitters above it and around the star sixteen lights are burning night
and day. All about here the caves in the rocks are used as stables,
specially when the tarvens are full, as the Bible expressly states
they wuz the night our Lord wuz born. 'Tennyrate, way back almost to
the time He wuz born, historians accepted this spot as the place of
His birth. But as I said more formerly, what if it wuz not this very
spot, or some other nigh by, we know that it wuz in this littl