Joel: A Boy of Galilee Page 16

  CHAPTER XIII.

  RUTH went every day to ask for her sick friend, sometimes with a bunchof grapes, sometimes with only a flower in her warm little hand.

  But there came a time when Martha met her, with eyes all swollen and redfrom crying, and told her they had sent to the city for a skilfulphysician.

  In the night there came a loud knocking at the door, and a call forRabbi Reuben to come quickly, that Lazarus was worse. At day-break amessenger was sent clattering away to hurry over the Jordan in hothaste, and bring back from Perea the only One who could help them.

  The noise awakened Ruth; she sat up in surprise to see her motherdressed so early. The outer door was ajar, and she heard the messagethat the anxious Martha bade the man deliver: "Lord, he whom Thou lovestis sick."

  "He will come right away and make him well, won't He, mother?" she askedanxiously.

  "Surely, my child," answered Abigail. "He loves him too well to let himsuffer so."

  But the day wore on, and the next; still another, and He did not come.

  Ruth stole around like a frightened shadow, because of the anxious lookson every face.

  "Why doesn't He come?" she wondered; and on many another lip was thesame question.

  She was so quiet, no one noticed when she stole into the room where herfriend lay dying. Mary knelt on one side of the bed, Martha on theother, watching the breath come slower and slower, and clinging to theunresponsive hands as if their love could draw him back to life.

  Neither shed a tear, but seemed to watch with their souls in their eyes,for one more word, one more look of recognition.

  Abigail sat by the window, weeping softly. Ruth had never seen hermother cry before, and it frightened her. She glanced at hergrandfather, standing by the foot of the bed; two great tears rolledslowly down his cheeks, and dropped on his long beard.

  A sudden cry from Mary, as she fell fainting to the floor, called herattention to the bed again. Martha was silently rocking herself to andfro, in an agony of grief.

  Still the child did not understand. Those in the room were so busytrying to bring Mary back to consciousness, that no one noticed Ruth.

  Drawn by some impulse she could not understand, the child drew nearerand nearer. Then she laid her soft little hand on his, thinking thetouch would surely make him open his eyes and smile at her again; it hadoften done so before.

  But what was it that made her start back terrified, and shrink awaytrembling? It was not Lazarus she had touched, but the awful mystery ofdeath.

  "I did not know that a little child could feel so deeply," said Abigailto her mother, when she found that Ruth neither ate nor played, butwandered aimlessly around.

  "I shall keep her away from the funeral."

  But all her care could not keep from the little one's ears the mournfulmusic of the funeral dirge, or the wailing of the mourners, who gatheredto do honor to the young man whom all Bethany knew and loved.

  Many friends came out from Jerusalem to follow the long procession tothe tomb. There was a long eulogy at the grave; but the most impressiveceremony was over at last, and the great stone had to be rolled into theopening that formed the doorway.

  Then the two desolate sisters went back to their lonely home and emptylife, wondering how they could go on without the presence that had beensuch a daily benediction.

  The fourth day after his death, as Martha sat listlessly looking out ofthe green arbor with unseeing eyes, Ruth ran in with a radiant face.

  "He's come!" she cried. "He's come, and so has my father. Hurry! He iswaiting for you!"

  Martha drew her veil about her, and mechanically followed the eagerchild to the gate, where Phineas met her with the same message.

  "Oh, why did He not come sooner?" she thought bitterly, as she pressedon after her guide.

  Once outside of the village, she drew aside her veil. There stood theMaster, with such a look of untold sympathy on His worn face, thatMartha cried out, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here my brother had notdied!"

  "Thy brother shall rise again," He said gently.

  "Yes, I know he shall rise again in the resurrection, at the last day,"she said brokenly. "That brings hope for the future; but what comfort isthere for the lonely years we must live without him?" The tears streameddown her face again.

  Then for the first time came those words that have brought balm intothousands of broken hearts, and hope into countless tear-blind eyes.

  "I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me shall neverdie. Believest thou this?"

  Martha looked up reverently. "Yea, Lord, I believe that Thou art theChrist, the Son of God which should come into the world."

  A great peace came over her troubled spirit as she hurried to her home,where the many friends still sat who had come to comfort them. A numberof them were from Jerusalem, and she knew that among them were some whowere unfriendly to her brother's friend.

  So she quietly called her sister from the room, whispering, "The Masteris come, and calleth for thee!"

  Those who sat there thought they were going to the grave to weep, as wasthe custom. So they rose also, and followed at a little distance.

  Mary met Him with the same exclamation that her sister had uttered, andfell at His feet.

  He, seeing in her white face the marks of the deep grief she hadsuffered, was thrilled to the depths of His humanity by the keenestsympathy. His tears fell too, at the sight of hers.

  "Behold how He loved Lazarus!" said a man to the one who stood besidehim.

  "Why did He not save him then?" was the mocking answer.

  "They say He has the power to open the eyes of the blind, and even toraise the dead. Let Him show it in this case!"

  It was a curious crowd that followed Him to the door of the tomb: menwho hated Him for the scorching fire-brands of rebuke He had thrown intotheir corrupt lives; men who feared Him as a dangerous teacher of falsedoctrines; men who knew His good works, but hesitated either to acceptor refuse; and men who loved Him better than life,--all waiting,wondering what He would do.

  "Roll the stone away!" He commanded; a dozen strong shoulders bent to doHis bidding. Then He looked up and spoke in a low tone, but sodistinctly that no one lost a word.

  "Father," He said,--He seemed to be speaking to some one just besideHim,--"I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me, and I knew that Thouhearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it,that they may believe that Thou hast sent me."

  A cold shiver of expectancy ran over those who heard. Then He cried, ina loud voice, "_Lazarus, come forth!_" There was a dreadful pause. Someof the women clutched each other with frightened shrieks; even strongmen fell back, as out of the dark grave walked a tall figure wrapped inwhite grave-clothes.

  His face was hidden in a napkin. "Loose him, and let him go," said theMaster, calmly.

  Phineas stepped forward and loosened the outer bands. When the napkinfell from his face, they saw he was deathly white; but in an instant awarm, healthful glow took the place of the corpse-like pallor.

  Not till he spoke, however, could the frightened people believe that itwas Lazarus, and not a ghost they saw.

  Never had there been such a sight since the world began: the man who hadlain four days in the tomb, walking side by side with the man who hadcalled him back to life.

  The streets were full of people, laughing, shouting, crying, fairlybeside themselves with astonishment.

  Smiths left their irons to cool on the anvils; bakers left their breadto burn in the ovens; the girl at the fountain dropped her half-filledpitcher; and a woman making cakes ran into the street with the dough inher hands.

  Every house in the village stood empty, save one where a sick man moanedfor water all unheeded, and another where a baby wakened in its cradleand began to cry.

  Long after the reunited family had gone into their home with theirnearest friends, and shut the door on their overwhelming joy, the crowdsstill stood outside, talking among themselves.

  Many who had
taken part against the Master before, now believed onaccount of what they had seen. But some still said, more openly thanbefore, "He is in league with the evil one, or He could not do suchthings." These hurried back to Jerusalem, to spread the report that thisdangerous man had again appeared, almost at the very gates of the greatCapital.

  That night there was a secret council of the chief priests and thePharisees. "What shall we do," was the anxious question. "If we let Himalone, all men will believe on Him; and the Romans shall come and takeaway both our place and our nation."

  Every heart beat with the same thought, but only Caiaphas put it inwords. At last he dared repeat what he had only muttered to himselfbefore: "It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people,and that the whole nation perish not."

  While the streets were still full of people, Jesse crept up to Joel, asthey sat together in the court-yard. "Don't you think it would be justas easy to cure a leper as to raise Rabbi Lazarus from the dead?"

  "Yes, indeed!" answered Joel, positively, "I've seen it done."

  "Oh, have you?" cried the boy, in delight. "Then Joseph can have hisfather back again."

  He told him the story of Simon the leper, and of his visit to the lonelycave.

  Joel's sympathies were aroused at once. Ever since his own cure, he hadfelt that he must bring every afflicted one in the wide world to thegreat source of healing.

  Just then a man stopped at the gate to ask for Phineas. Joel had learnedto know him well in the weeks they had been travelling together; it wasThomas.

  The boy sprang up eagerly. "Do you know when the Master is going toleave Bethany?" he asked.

  "In the morning," answered Thomas, "and right glad I am that it is to beso soon. For when we came down here, I thought it was but to die withHim. He is beset on all sides by secret enemies."

  "And will He go out by the same road that we came?"

  "It is most probable."

  Joel waited for no more information from him, but went back to Jesse tolearn the way to the cave.

  Jesse was a little fellow, but a keen-eyed one, and was able to giveJoel the few simple directions that would lead him the right way.

  "Oh, I'm so glad you are going!" he exclaimed. "Shall I run and tellJoseph what you are going to do?"

  "No, do not say a word to any one," answered Joel. "I shall be back in avery short time."