childfrom his view and made possible the escape through the city gate.
He became more and more thoughtful, and he drew back the sword.
"The bees and the lilies have requited his good deeds," he whispered tohimself. Then he was struck by the thought that the little one had onceshown even him a kindness, and a deep crimson flush mounted to his brow.
"Can a Roman soldier forget to requite an accepted service?" hewhispered.
He fought a short battle with himself. He thought of Herod, and of hisown desire to destroy the young Peace-Prince.
"It does not become me to murder this child who has saved my life," hesaid, at last.
And he bent down and laid his sword beside the child, that the fugitiveson awakening should understand the danger they had escaped.
Then he saw that the child was awake. He lay and regarded the soldierwith the beautiful eyes which shone like stars.
And the warrior bent a knee before the child.
"Lord, _thou_ art the Mighty One!" said he. "Thou art the strongConqueror! Thou art He whom the gods love! Thou art He who shall treadupon adders and scorpions!"
He kissed his feet and stole softly out from the grotto, while thelittle one smiled and smiled after him with great, astonishedchild-eyes.
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The Flight Into Egypt]
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
Far away in one of the Eastern deserts many, many years ago grew a palmtree, which was both exceedingly old and exceedingly tall.
All who passed through the desert had to stop and gaze at it, for it wasmuch larger than other palms; and they used to say of it, that some dayit would certainly be taller than the obelisks and pyramids.
Where the huge palm tree stood in its solitude and looked out over thedesert, it saw something one day which made its mighty leaf-crown swayback and forth on its slender trunk with astonishment. Over by thedesert borders walked two human beings. They were still at the distanceat which camels appear to be as tiny as moths; but they were certainlytwo human beings--two who were strangers in the desert; for the palmknew the desert-folk. They were a man and a woman who had neither guidenor pack-camels; neither tent nor water-sack.
"Verily," said the palm to itself, "these two have come hither only tomeet certain death."
The palm cast a quick, apprehensive glance around.
"It surprises me," it said, "that the lions are not already out to huntthis prey, but I do not see a single one astir; nor do I see any of thedesert robbers, but they'll probably soon come."
"A seven-fold death awaits these travelers," thought the palm. "Thelions will devour them, thirst will parch them, the sand-storm will burythem, robbers will trap them, sunstroke will blight them, and fear willdestroy them."
And the palm tried to think of something else. The fate of these peoplemade it sad at heart.
But on the whole desert plain, which lay spread out beneath the palm,there was nothing which it had not known and looked upon these thousandyears. Nothing in particular could arrest its attention. Again it had tothink of the two wanderers.
"By the drought and the storm!" said the palm, calling upon Life's mostdangerous enemies. "What is that that the woman carries on her arm? Ibelieve these fools also bring a little child with them!"
The palm, who was far-sighted--as the old usually are,--actually sawaright. The woman bore on her arm a child, that leaned against hershoulder and slept.
"The child hasn't even sufficient clothing on," said the palm. "I seethat the mother has tucked up her skirt and thrown it over the child.She must have snatched him from his bed in great haste and rushed offwith him. I understand now: these people are runaways.
"But they are fools, nevertheless," continued the palm. "Unless an angelprotects them, they would have done better to have let their enemies dotheir worst, than to venture into this wilderness.
"I can imagine how the whole thing came about. The man stood at hiswork; the child slept in his crib; the woman had gone out to fetchwater. When she was a few steps from the door, she saw enemies coming.She rushed back to the house, snatched up her child, and fled.
"Since then, they have been fleeing for several days. It is very certainthat they have not rested a moment. Yes, everything has happened in thisway, but still I say that unless an angel protects them----
"They are so frightened that, as yet, they feel neither fatigue norsuffering. But I see their thirst by the strange gleam in their eyes.Surely I ought to know a thirsty person's face!"
And when the palm began to think of thirst, a shudder passed through itstall trunk, and the long leaves' numberless lobes rolled up, as thoughthey had been held over a fire.
"Were I a human being," it said, "I should never venture into thedesert. He is pretty brave who dares come here without having roots thatreach down to the never-dying water veins. Here it can be dangerous evenfor palms; yea, even for a palm such as I.
"If I could counsel them, I should beg them to turn back. Their enemiescould never be as cruel toward them as the desert. Perhaps they think itis easy to live in the desert! But I know that, now and then, even Ihave found it hard to keep alive. I recollect one time in my youth whena hurricane threw a whole mountain of sand over me. I came near choking.If I could have died that would have been my last moment."
The palm continued to think aloud, as the aged and solitary habituallydo.
"I hear a wondrously beautiful melody rush through my leaves," it said."All the lobes on my leaves are quivering. I know not what it is thattakes possession of me at the sight of these poor strangers. But thisunfortunate woman is so beautiful! She carries me back, in memory, tothe most wonderful thing that I ever experienced."
And while the leaves continued to move in a soft melody, the palm wasreminded how once, very long ago, two illustrious personages had visitedthe oasis. They were the Queen of Sheba and Solomon the Wise. Thebeautiful Queen was to return to her own country; the King hadaccompanied her on the journey, and now they were going to part. "Inremembrance of this hour," said the Queen then, "I now plant a date seedin the earth, and I wish that from it shall spring a palm which shallgrow and live until a King shall arise in Judea, greater than Solomon."And when she had said this, she planted the seed in the earth andwatered it with her tears.
"How does it happen that I am thinking of this just to-day?" said thepalm. "Can this woman be so beautiful that she reminds me of the mostglorious of queens, of her by whose word I have lived and flourisheduntil this day?
"I hear my leaves rustle louder and louder," said the palm, "and itsounds as melancholy as a dirge. It is as though they prophesied thatsome one would soon leave this life. It is well to know that it does notapply to me, since I can not die."
The palm assumed that the death-rustle in its leaves must apply to thetwo lone wanderers. It is certain that they too believed that their lasthour was nearing. One saw it from their expression as they walked pastthe skeleton of a camel which lay in their path. One saw it from theglances they cast back at a pair of passing vultures. It couldn't beotherwise; they must perish!
They had caught sight of the palm and oasis and hastened thither to findwater. But when they arrived at last, they collapsed from despair, forthe well was dry. The woman, worn out, laid the child down and seatedherself beside the well-curb, and wept. The man flung himself downbeside her and beat upon the dry earth with his fists. The palm heardhow they talked with each other about their inevitable death. It alsogleaned from their conversation that King Herod had ordered theslaughter of all male children from two to three years old, because hefeared that the long-looked-for King of the Jews had been born.
"It rustles louder and louder in my leaves," said the palm. "These poorfugitives will soon see their last moment."
It perceived also that they dreaded the desert. The man said it wouldhave been better if they had stayed at home and fought with thesoldiers, than to fly hither. He said that they would
have met an easierdeath.
"God will help us," said the woman.
"We are alone among beasts of prey and serpents," said the man. "We haveno food and no water. How should God be able to help us?" In despair herent his garments and pressed his face against the dry earth. He washopeless--like a man with a death-wound in his heart.
The woman sat erect, with her hands clasped over her knees. But thelooks she cast towards the desert spoke of a hopelessness beyond bounds.
The palm heard the melancholy rustle in its leaves growing louder andlouder. The woman must have heard it also, for she turned her gazeupward toward the palm-crown. And instantly she involuntarily raised herarms.
"Oh, dates, dates!" she cried. There was such intense agony in her voicethat the old palm wished itself no taller than a broom and