Joel: A Boy of Galilee Read online

  CHAPTER XI.

  "WHAT are you looking for, grandfather?" called Jesse, as he pattered upthe outside stairs to the roof, where Reuben stood, scanning the skyintently.

  "Come here, my son," he called. "Stand right here in front of me, andlook just where I point. What do you see?"

  The child peered anxiously into the blue depths just now lit up by thesunset.

  "Oh, the new moon!" he cried. "Where did it come from?"

  "Summer hath dropped her silver sickle there, that Night may go forth toharvest in her star-fields," answered the old man. Then seeing the lookof inquiry on the boy's face, hastened to add, "Nay, it is the censerthat God's hand set swinging in the sky, to remind us to keep theincense of our praises ever rising heavenward. Even now a messenger maybe running towards the Temple, to tell the Sanhedrin that it hasappeared. Yea, other eyes have been sharper than mine, for see! Alreadythe beacon light has been kindled on the Mount of Olives!"

  Jesse watched the great bonfire a few minutes, then ran to call hissister. By the time they were both on the roof, answering fires wereblazing on the distant hilltops throughout all Judea, till the wholeland was alight with the announcement of the Feast of the New Moon.

  "I wish it could be this way every night, don't you, Ruth?" said Jesse."Are you not glad we are here?"

  The old man looked down at the children with a pleased smile. "I'll showyou something prettier than this, before long," he said. "Just wait tillthe Feast of Weeks, when the people all come to bring the first fruitsof the harvests. I am glad your visit is in this time of the year, foryou can see one festival after another."

  The day the celebration of the Feast of Weeks commenced, Reuben left hisshop in charge of the attendants, and gave up his entire time to Joeland Jesse.

  "We must not miss the processions," he said. "We will go outside thegates a little way, and watch the people come in."

  They did not have long to wait till the stream of people from the uppercountries began to pour in; each company carried a banner bearing thename of the town from which it came. A white ox, intended for apeace-offering, was driven first; its horns were gilded, and its bodytwined with olive wreaths.

  Flocks of sheep and oxen for the sacrifice, long strings of asses andcamels bearing free-will gifts to the Temple, or old and helplesspilgrims that could not walk, came next.

  There were wreaths of roses on the heads of the women and children;bands of lilies were tied around the sheaves of wheat. Piled high in thesilver vessels of the rich, or peeping from the willow baskets of thepoor, were the choicest fruits of the harvest.

  Great bunches of grapes from whose purple globes the bloom had not beenbrushed, velvety nectarines, tempting pomegranates, mellow pears, juicymelons,--these offerings of fruit and flowers gleamed all down the longline, for no one came empty-handed up this "Hill of the Lord."

  As they drew near the gates, a number of white-robed priests from theTemple met them. Reuben lifted Jesse in his arms that he might have abetter view. "Listen," he said. Joel climbed up on a large rock.

  A joyful sound of flutes commenced, and a mighty chorus went up: "I wasglad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Ourfeet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem!"

  Voice after voice took up the old psalm, and Reuben's deep tones joinedwith the others, as they chanted, "Peace be within thy walls, andprosperity within thy palaces!"

  Following the singing pilgrims to the Temple, they saw the priests takethe doves that were to be for a burnt-offering, and the first fruitsthat were to be laid on the altars.

  Jesse held fast to his grandfather's hand as they passed through theouter courts of the Temple. He was half frightened by the din of voices,the stamping and bellowing and bleating of the animals as they weredriven into the pens.

  He had seen one sacrificial service; the great stream of blood pouringover the marble steps of the altar, and the smoke of the burnt-offeringwere still in his mind. It made him look pityingly now at thegentle-eyed calves and the frightened lambs. He was glad to get awayfrom them.

  Soon after the time of this rejoicing was over, came ten solemn daysthat to Joel were full of interest and mystery. They were the days ofpreparation for the Fast of the Atonement. Disputes between neighborswere settled, and sins confessed.

  The last great day, the most solemn of all, was the only time in thewhole year when the High Priest might draw aside the veil, and enterinto the Holy of Holies.

  With all his rich robes and jewels laid aside, clad only in simplewhite, with bare feet and covered head, he had to go four times into theawful Presence. Once to offer incense, once to pray, to sprinkle theblood of a goat towards the mercy-seat, and then to bring out thecenser.

  That was the day when two goats were taken; by casting lots one waschosen for a sacrifice. On the other the High Priest laid the sins ofthe people, and it was driven out into the wilderness, to be dashed topieces from some high cliff.

  Tears came into Joel's eyes, as he watched the scape-goat driven awayinto the dreary desert. He pitied the poor beast doomed to such a deathbecause of his nation's sins.

  Then came the closing ceremonies, when the great congregation bowedthemselves three times to the ground, with the High Priest shoutingsolemnly, "Ye are clean! Ye are clean! Ye are clean!"

  Joel was glad when the last rite was over, and the people started totheir homes, as gay now as they had been serious before.

  "When are we going back to our other home?" asked Ruth, one day.

  "Why, are you not happy here, little daughter?" said Abigail. "I thoughtyou had forgotten all about the old place."

  "I want my white pigeons," she said, with a quivering lip, as if she hadsuddenly remembered them. "I don't want my father not to be here!" shesobbed; "and I want my white pigeons!"

  Abigail picked her up and comforted her. "Wait just a little while. Ithink father will surely come soon. I will get my embroidery, and youmay go with me across the street."

  Ruth had been shy at first about going to see her mother's friends; butMartha coaxed her in with honey cakes she baked for that expresspurpose, and Mary told her stories and taught her little games.

  After a while she began to flit in and out of the house as fearlessly asa bright-winged butterfly.

  One day her mother was sitting with the sisters in a shady corner oftheir court-yard, where a climbing honeysuckle made a cool sweet arbor.Ruth was going from one to the other, watching the bright embroiderythreads take the shape of flowers under their skilful fingers. Suddenlyshe heard the faint tinkle of a silver bell. While she stood with onefinger on her lip to listen, Lazarus came into the court-yard.

  "See what I have brought you, little one," he said. "It is to take theplace of the pigeons you are always mourning for."

  It was a snow-white lamb, around which he had twined a garland of manycolored flowers, and from whose neck hung the little silver bell she hadheard.

  At first the child was so delighted she could only bury her dimpledfingers in the soft fleece, and look at it in speechless wonder. Thenshe caught his hand, and left a shy little kiss on it, as she lisped,"Oh, you're so good! You're so good!"

  After that day Ruth followed Lazarus as the white lamb followed Ruth;and the sisters hardly knew which sounded sweeter in their quiet home,the tinkling of the silver bell, or the happy prattle of the babyvoice.

  Abigail spent many happy hours with her friends. One day as they sat inthe honeysuckle arbor, busily sewing, Ruth and Jesse came runningtowards them.

  "I see my father coming, and another man," cried the boy. "I'm going tomeet them."

  They all hastened to the door, just as the tired, dusty travellersreached it.

  "Peace be to this house, and all who dwell therein," said the stranger,before Phineas could give his wife and friends a warmer greeting.

  "We went first to your father's house, but, finding no one at home, camehere," said Phineas.

  "Come in!" insisted Martha. "You look sorely in need of rest andref
reshment."

  But they had a message to deliver before they could be persuaded to eator wash.

  "The Master is coming," said Phineas. "He has sent out seventy of Hisfollowers, to go by twos into every town, and herald His approach, andproclaim that the day of the Lord is at hand. We have gone even intoSamaria to carry the tidings there."

  "At last, at last!" cried Mary, clasping her hands. "Oh, to think that Ihave lived to see this day of Israel's glory!"

  "Tell us what the Master has been doing," urged Abigail, after the menhad been refreshed by food and water.

  First one and then the other told of miracles they had seen, andrepeated what He had taught. Even the children crept close to listen,leaning against their father's knees.

  "There has been much discussion about the kingdom that is to be formed.While we were in Peter's house in Capernaum, some of the disciples camequarrelling around Him, to ask who should have the highest positions. Isuppose those who have followed Him longest think they have claim to thebest offices."

  "What did He say?" asked Abigail, eagerly.

  Phineas laid his hand on Ruth's soft curls. "He took a little child likethis, and set it in our midst, and said that he who would be greatest inHis kingdom, must become even like unto it!"

  "Faith and love and purity on the throne of the Herods," cried Martha."Ah, only Jehovah can bring such a thing as that to pass!"

  "Are you going to stay at home now, father?" asked Jesse, anxiously.

  "No, my son. I must go on the morrow to carry my report to the Master,of the reception we have had in every town. But I will soon be backagain to the Feast of Tabernacles."

  "Carry with you our earnest prayer that the Master will abide with uswhen He comes again to Bethany," said Martha, as her guests departed."No one is so welcome in our home, as the friend of our brotherLazarus."

  The preparation for the Feast of the Tabernacles had begun. "I am goingto take the children to the city with me to-day!" said Reuben, onemorning, "to see the big booth I am having built. It will hold all ourfamily, and as many friends as may care to share it with us."

  Jesse was charmed with the great tent of green boughs.

  "I wish I could have been one of the children that Moses led up out ofEgypt," he said, with a sigh.

  "Why, my son?" asked Reuben.

  "So's I could have wandered around for forty years, living in a tentlike this. How good it smells, and how pretty it is! I wish you andgrandmother would live here all the time!"

  The next day Phineas joined them. It was a happy family that gathered inthe leafy booth for a week of out-door rejoicing in the cool autumntime.

  "Where is the Master?" asked Abigail.

  "I know not," answered her husband. "He sent us on before."

  "Will He be here, I wonder?" she asked, and that question was on nearlyevery lip in Jerusalem.

  "Will He be here?" asked the throngs of pilgrims who had heard of Hismiracles, and longed to see the man who could do such marvellous things.

  "Will He be here?" whispered the scribes to the Pharisees. "Let Himbeware!"

  "Will He be here?" muttered Caiaphas the High Priest. "Then better oneman should die, than that the whole community perish."

  The sight that dazzled the eyes of the children that first evening ofthe week, was like fairyland; a blaze of lanterns and torches lit up thewhole city.

  In the Court of the Women, in the Temple, all the golden lamps were lit,twinkling and burning like countless stars.

  On the steps that separated this court from the next one, stood threethousand singers, the sons and daughters of the tribe of Levi. Twopriests stood at the top of the steps, and as each gave the signal on agreat silver trumpet, the burst of song that went up from the vast choirseemed to shake the very heavens. Harps and psalters and flutes swelledwith the rolling waves of the organ's melody. To the sound of thismusic, men marched with flaming torches in their hands, and the marchingand a weird torch-dance were kept up until the gates of the Templeclosed.

  In the midst of all the feasting and the gayeties that followed, thelong-expected Voice was heard in the arcades of the Temple.

  The Child of Nazareth was once more in His Father's house about HisFather's business.

  On the last great day of the feast, Joel was up at day-break, ready tofollow the older members of the family as soon as the firsttrumpet-blast should sound.

  In his right hand he carried a citron, as did all the others; in hisleft was a palm-branch, the emblem of joy. An immense multitude gatheredat the spring of Siloam. Water was drawn in a golden pitcher, andcarried back to be poured on the great altar, while the choir sang withits thousands of voices, and all the people shouted, Amen and Amen!

  When the days had gone by in which the seventy bullocks had beensacrificed, and when the ceremonies were all over, then the leaves werestripped from the green booths, and the people scattered to theirhomes.

  Long afterward, Jesse remembered only the torch-light dances, the silvertrumpets and the crowds, and the faint ringing of the fringe of bells onthe priest's robes as he carried the fire on the golden shovel to burnthe sweet-smelling incense.

  Joel's memory rang often with two cries that had startled the people.One when the water was poured from the golden pitcher. It was theMaster's voice: "_If any man thirst, let him come unto me_." The otherwas when all eyes were turned on the blazing lamps. "_I am the Light ofthe World!_"

  Reuben thought oftenest of the blind man to whom he had seen sightrestored. But Lazarus was filled with anxiety and foreboding; throughhis office of scribe, he had come in close contact with the men who wereplotting against his friend. Dark rumors were afloat. The air was hotwith whisperings of hate.

  He had overheard a conversation between the Temple police, and some ofthe chief priests and Pharisees.

  "Why did ye not take Him, as ye were ordered?" they demanded angrily.

  "We could not," was the response; "for never man spake like this man."

  He had seen the mob searching for stones to throw at Him. Though He haddisappeared out of their midst unhurt, still Lazarus felt that someterrible disaster was hanging threateningly over the head of his belovedfriend.