THE GREEK BISHOP. 
239 
quite common throughout Syria. Many of the women are 
very beautiful—much more so, I think, than either the Cir¬ 
cassian or the Turkish women. It was quite enchanting, 
their fine complexions, dark eyebrows, and flashing eyes ; and 
for regularity and delicacy of features I have seldom seen 
them equaled, except in other parts of Syria. In Nazareth I 
saw some of the best formed and most beautiful women I had 
ever seen in any country; I believe it is noted as much for 
the beauty of its female population among tourists as for its 
historical interest; but at no place did I see what I really 
thought approached the perfection of beauty in so high a de¬ 
gree as in Bethlehem. The women of Bethlehem are abso¬ 
lutely bewitching. I never saw such perfect profiles, such 
eyes and eyebrows, and such delicate little hands and feet. 
Not that I mean to say that they are at all to be compared 
in all the higher attributes of beauty to our own fair country¬ 
women, for that would be sacrilege. There is nothing in the 
East, or in Europe either, or any where else that I have ever 
visited, to compare with the ladies of Philadelphia, Baltimore, 
and Washington. Talk of Parisian beauties ! Lively and 
vivacious they are, to be sure ; but not dignified, not queenly, 
not gentle and modest. Talk of English beauties ! Grand 
enough and fair, but not graceful. Italian beauties; dark, 
dull, and greasy. German, fat and florid ; Turkish, tallowy 
and buttery; all well enough in their way; but, Mashalla ! 
it won’t do to mention them in the same breath with Ameri¬ 
can beauties. 
And now good-by to Baalbek. We are off for Damascus, 
galloping out through the ruins and over the prostrate relics 
of the past as merrily as if they were only so much rubbish. 
