The most conspicuous building in the picture, as one approaches Bethlehem, is the monastery connected with the Church of the Nativity, and the whole structure appears more like a fortress than a religious establishment. Bethlehem would be of little consequence were it not for its biblical interest, as there are no natural or other attractions, and the streets are badly kept. The convent and church remind the stranger of the castles on the Rhine and Danube, and with a little play of the imagination he may think he is looking at the crags of Drachenfels or the ruins above the Iron Gate. But as he ascends the last of the hills, and passes the massive gate-way leading into the streets, he finds that Bethlehem is not unlike Jaffa, Jerusalem, and the other towns of the Holy Land that he has visited. Ali had sent the tents ahead in the morning, and when our friends arrived everything was ready for them. There is no hotel at Bethlehem, and consequently travellers must sleep in tents, or be lodged at one of the convents. It was the time of the Christmas festivities, and all the convent accommodation had been secured by pilgrims and others, so that the camp became a necessity for Doctor Bronson's party. This was the first glimpse of tent life in the Holy Land for Frank and Fred, and they were delighted with it, but at the same time a trifle disappointed. "I thought we would have to 'rough it' in this country," said Frank, "but I don't see much rough work in this." "Nor I either," replied his cousin, as he examined the tents and their equipment. "Just look at it," said he, "and say whether this meets your ideas of wild life." Together they made an inventory of what was before them. There were three tents for the six travellers, and each tent was large enough for amply accommodating two persons with space for dressing and moving about. One tent was arranged for a dining-room, and the dinner was nearly ready to be served. There was a table large enough for six to be seated, and there were camp-chairs for all. Ali explained that after dinner was over the table would be removed, and two beds set up, as in the other tents. The height of luxury seemed to be reached when Frank pointed to the carpet which covered the ground beneath each tent, and was a welcome protection for slippered feet. "Real beds, chairs, tables, carpets, and all the comforts of a home," said Frank; "there isn't hardship enough here to make it interesting." "I thought," said Fred, "we might have to sleep on the ground in the open air, or beneath a tent like the shelter of the Bedouin. Then we could eat dates which we gathered ourselves from the trees, or perhaps we could get some of the grapes that we see in the pictures in our Sunday-school books. Here we are on fare like what we get at the hotel, and it isn't wild life at all."