CHAPTER II.
EARLY in the morning after the Sabbath, Joel was in his accustomed placein the market, waiting for his friend Phineas. His uncle had given agruff assent, when he timidly asked his approval of the plan.
The good Rabbi Amos was much pleased when he heard of the arrangement."Thou hast been a faithful student," he said, kindly. "Thou knowestalready more of the Law than many of thy elders. Now it will do theegood to learn the handicraft of Phineas. Remember, my son, 'the balm wascreated by God before the wound.' Work, that is as old as Eden, has beengiven us that we might forget the afflictions of this life that fleethlike a shadow. May the God of thy fathers give thee peace!"
With the old man's benediction repeating itself like a solemn refrain inall his thoughts, Joel stood smoothing the pigeon in his arms, untilPhineas had made his daily purchases. Then they walked on together inthe cool of the morning, to the little white house under the fig-trees.Phineas was surprised at his pupil's progress. To be sure, the weak armscould lift little, the slender hands could attempt no large tasks. Butthe painstaking care he bestowed on everything he attempted, resulted inbeautifully finished work. If there was an extra smooth polish to be puton some wood, or a delicate piece of joining to do, Joel's deft fingersseemed exactly suited to the task.
Before the winter was over, he had made many pretty little articles offurniture for Abigail's use.
"May I have these pieces of fine wood to use as I please?" he asked ofPhineas, one day.
"All but that largest strip," he answered. "What are you going to make?"
"Something for Ruth's birthday. She will be three years old in a fewweeks, Jesse says, and I want to make something for her to play with."
"What are you going to make her?" inquired Jesse, from under thework-bench. "Let me see too."
"Oh, I didn't know you were anywhere near," answered Joel, with a startof alarm.
"Tell me!" begged Jesse.
"Well, if you will promise to keep her out of the way while I amfinishing it, and never say a word about it--"
"I'll promise," said the child, solemnly. He had to clap his hand overhis mouth a great many times in the next few weeks, to keep his secretfrom telling itself, and he watched admiringly while Joel carved andpolished and cut.
One of the neighbors had come in to talk with Abigail the day hefinished it, and as the children were down on the beach, playing in thesand, he took it in the house to show to the women. It was a littletable set with toy dishes, that he had carved out of wood,--plates andcups and platters, all complete.
The visitor held up her hands with an exclamation of delight. Aftertaking up each little highly polished dish to admire it separately, shesaid, "I know where you might get a great deal of money for such work.There is a rich Roman living near the garrison, who spends money like alord. No price is too great for him to pay for anything that pleases hisfancy. Why don't you take some up there, and offer them for sale?"
"I believe I will," said Joel, after considering the matter. "I'll gojust as soon as I can get them made."
Ruth spread many a little feast under the fig-trees; but after the firstbirthday banquet, Jesse was her only guest. Joel was too busy makingmore dishes and another little table, to partake of them.
The whole family were interested in his success. The day he went up tothe great house near the garrison to offer them for sale, they waitedanxiously for his return.
"He's sold them! He's sold them!" cried Jesse, hopping from one foot tothe other, as he saw Joel coming down the street empty-handed. Joel washobbling along as fast as he could, his face beaming.
"See how much money!" he cried, as he opened his hand to show a shiningcoin, stamped with the head of Caesar. "And I have an order for two more.I'll soon have a fortune! The children liked the dishes so much,although they had the most beautiful toys I ever saw. They had imagesthey called dolls. Some of them had white-kid faces, and were dressed asrichly as queens. I wish Ruth had one."
"The law forbids!" exclaimed Phineas. "Have you forgotten that it iswritten, 'Thou shalt not make any likeness of anything in the heavensabove or the earth beneath, or the waters under the earth'? She is happywith what she has, and needs no strange idols of the heathen to playwith."
Joel made no answer; but he thought of the merry group of Roman childrenseated around the little table he had made, and wished again that Ruthhad one of those gorgeously dressed dolls.
Skill and strength were not all he gained by his winter's work; for someof the broad charity that made continual summer in the heart of Phineascrept into his own embittered nature. He grew less suspicious of thosearound him, and smiles came more easily now to his face than scowls.
But the strong ambition of his life never left him for an instant. Toall the rest of the world he might be a friend; to Rehum he could onlybe the most unforgiving of enemies.
The thought that had given him most pleasure when the wealthy Roman hadtossed him his first earnings, was not that his work could bring himmoney, but that the money could open the way for his revenge.
That thought, like a dark undercurrent, gained depth and force as thedays went by. As he saw how much he could do in spite of his lameness,he thought of how much more he might have accomplished, if he had beenlike other boys. It was a constant spur to his desire for revenge.
One day Phineas laid aside his tools much earlier than usual, andwithout any explanation to his wondering pupil, went up into the town.
When he returned, he nodded to his wife, who sat in the doorwayspinning, and who had looked up inquiringly as he approached.
"Yes, it's all arranged," he said to her. Then he turned to Joel to ask,"Did you ever ride on a camel, my boy?"
"No, Rabbi," answered the boy, in surprise, wondering what was comingnext.
"Well, I have a day's journey to make to the hills in Upper Galilee. Acamel caravan passes near the place where my business calls me, as itgoes to Damascus. I seek to accompany it for protection. I go on foot,but I have made arrangements for you to ride one of the camels."
"Oh, am I really to go, too?" gasped Joel, in delighted astonishment."Oh, Rabbi Phineas! How did you ever think of asking me?"
"You have not seemed entirely well, of late," was the answer. "I thoughtthe change would do you good. I said nothing about it before, for I hadno opportunity to see your uncle until this afternoon; and I did notwant to disappoint you, in case he refused his permission."
"And he really says I may go?" demanded the boy, eagerly.
"Yes, the caravan moves in the morning, and we will go with it."
There was little more work done that day. Joel was so full ofanticipations of his journey that he scarcely knew what he was doing.Phineas was busy with preparations for the comfort of his little familyduring his absence, and went into town again.
On his return he seemed strangely excited. Abigail, seeing something wasamiss, watched him carefully, but asked no questions. He took a piece oftimber that had been laid away for some especial purpose, and begansawing it into small bits.
"Rabbi Phineas," ventured Joel, respectfully, "is that not the wood youcharged me to save so carefully?"
Phineas gave a start as he saw what he had done, and threw down his saw.
"Truly," he said, smiling, "I am beside myself with the news I haveheard. I just now walked ten cubits past my own house, unknowing where Iwas, so deeply was I thinking upon it. Abigail," he asked, "do youremember my friend in Nazareth whom I so often speak of,--the son ofJoseph the carpenter? Last week he was bidden to a marriage in Cana. Ithappened, before the feasting was over, the supply of wine wasexhausted, and the mortified host knew not what to do. Six great jars ofstone had been placed in the room, to supply the guests with water forwashing. _He changed that water into wine!_"
"I cannot believe it!" answered Abigail, simply.
"But Ezra ben Jared told me so. He was there, and drank of the wine,"insisted Phineas.
"He could not have done it," said Abigail, "unless he were helped
by theevil one, or unless he were a prophet. He is too good a man to ask helpof the powers of darkness; and it is beyond belief that a son of Josephshould be a prophet."
To this Phineas made no answer. His quiet thoughts were shaken out oftheir usual routine as violently as if by an earthquake.
Joel thought more of the journey than he did of the miracle. It seemedto the impatient boy that the next day never would dawn. Many times inthe night he wakened to hear the distant crowing of cocks. At last, bystraining his eyes he could distinguish the green leaves of the vine onthe lattice from the blue of the half-opened blossoms. By that token heknew it was near enough the morning for him to commence saying his firstprayers.
Dressing noiselessly, so as not to disturb the sleeping family, heslipped out of the house and down to the well outside the city-gate.Here he washed, and then ate the little lunch he had wrapped up thenight before. A meagre little breakfast,--only a hard-boiled egg, a bitof fish, and some black bread. But the early hour and his excitementtook away his appetite for even that little.
Soon all was confusion around the well, as the noisy drivers gathered towater their camels, and make their preparations for the start.
Joel shrunk away timidly to the edge of the crowd, fearful that hisfriend Phineas had overslept himself.
In a few minutes he saw him coming with a staff in one hand, and a smallbundle swinging from the other.
Joel had one breathless moment of suspense as he was helped on to theback of the kneeling camel; one desperate clutch at the saddle as thehuge animal plunged about and rose to its feet. Then he looked down atPhineas, and smiled blissfully.
"HE LOOKED DOWN AT PHINEAS, AND SMILED BLISSFULLY"]
Oh, the delight of that slow easy motion! The joy of being carried alongwithout pain or effort! Who could realize how much it meant to thelittle fellow whose halting steps had so long been taken in wearinessand suffering?
Swinging along in the cool air, so far above the foot-passengers, itseemed to him that he looked down upon a new earth. Blackbirds flewalong the roads, startled by their passing. High overhead, a lark hadnot yet finished her morning song. Lambs bleated in the pastures, andthe lowing of herds sounded on every hill-side.
Not a sight or sound escaped the boy; and all the morning he rode onwithout speaking, not a care in his heart, not a cloud on his horizon.
At noon they stopped in a little grove of olive-trees where a coolspring gurgled out from the rocks.
Phineas spread out their lunch at a little distance from the others; andthey ate it quickly, with appetites sharpened by the morning's travel.Afterwards Joel stretched himself out on the ground to rest, and wasasleep almost as soon as his eyelids could shut out the noontide glareof the sun from his tired eyes.
When he awoke, nearly an hour afterward, he heard voices near him inearnest conversation. Raising himself on his elbow, he saw Phineas at alittle distance, talking to an old man who had ridden one of theforemost camels.
They must have been talking of the miracle, for the old man, as hestroked his long white beard, was saying, "But men are more wont to beastonished at the sun's eclipse, than at his daily rising. Look, myfriend!"
He pointed to a wild grape-vine clinging to a tree near by. "Do you seethose bunches of half-grown grapes? There is a constant miracle. Day byday, the water of the dew and rain is being changed into the wine of thegrape. Soil and sunshine are turning into fragrant juices. Yet you feelno astonishment."
"No," assented Phineas; "for it is by the hand of God it is done."
"Why may not this be also?" said the old man. "Even this miracle at themarriage feast in Cana?"
Phineas started violently. "What!" he cried. "Do you think it possiblethat this friend of mine is the One to be sent of God?"
"Is not this the accepted time for the coming of Israel's Messiah?"answered the old man, solemnly. "Is it not meet that he should heraldhis presence by miracles and signs and wonders?"
Joel lay down again to think over what he had just heard. Like everyother Israelite in the whole world, he knew that a deliverer had beenpromised his people.
Time and again he had read the prophecies that foretold the coming of aking through the royal line of David; time and again he had pictured tohimself the mighty battles to take place between his down-trodden raceand the haughty hordes of Caesar. Sometime, somewhere, a universaldominion awaited them. He firmly believed that the day was near at hand;but not even in his wildest dreams had he ever dared to hope that itmight come in his own lifetime.
He raised himself on his elbow again, for the old man was speaking.
"About thirty years ago," he said slowly, "I went up to Jerusalem to beregistered for taxation, for the emperor's decree had gone forth and noone could escape enrolment. You are too young to remember the taking ofthat census, my friend; but you have doubtless heard of it."
"Yes," assented Phineas, respectfully.
"I was standing just outside the Joppa gate, bargaining with a man for acage of gold finches he had for sale, which I wished to take to mydaughter, when we heard some one speaking to us. Looking up we sawseveral strange men on camels, who were inquiring their way. They wererichly dressed. The trappings and silver bells on their camels, as wellas their own attire, spoke of wealth. Their faces showed that they werewise and learned men from far countries.
"We greeted them respectfully, but could not speak for astonishment whenwe heard their question:
"'Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his starin the East, and have come to worship him.' The bird-seller looked atme, and I looked at him in open-mouthed wonder. The men rode on beforewe could find words wherewith to answer them.
"All sorts of rumors were afloat, and everywhere we went next day,throughout Jerusalem, knots of people stood talking of the mysteriousmen, and their strange question. Even the king was interested, andsought audience with them."
"Could any one answer them?" asked Phineas.
"Nay! but it was then impressed on me so surely that the Christ wasborn, that I have asked myself all these thirty years, 'Where is he thatis born king of the Jews?' For I too would fain follow on to find andworship him. As soon as I return from Damascus, I shall go at once toCana, and search for this miracle-worker."
The old man's earnest words made a wonderful impression on Joel. All theafternoon, as they rose higher among the hills, the thought tookstronger possession of him. He might yet live, helpless little crippleas he was, to see the dawn of Israel's deliverance, and a son of Davidonce more on its throne.
Ride on, little pilgrim, happy in thy day-dreams! The time is coming;but weary ways and hopeless heart-aches lie between thee and thatto-morrow. The king is on his way to his coronation, but it will be withthorns.
Ride on, little pilgrim, be happy whilst thou can!