Chapter XIV: Preface (3)

God's rule is not in a great palace, with soldiers and a throne and great splendor. It is in the heart, and grows up very quietly, like the plants in the field. Jesus once told a story to show this. It was the story of

THE MUSTARD SEED

"The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field.

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"Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

So the kingdom of heaven grows very quietly. But it is very precious, even if it is hidden away so closely. One might better let anything else go than that.

Again, he told them, the kingdom of heaven is like to a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind.

Again, the kingdom is like to a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls.

How proud a man is to be a citizen of a great country! In this country we are proud to be Americans. Do you suppose you could be a citizen of the kingdom of God? Yes. Jesus said once that children and people who were like children belong to this kingdom.

"Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

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LOADING CAMELS AT JERUSALEM

From a photograph taken by Prof. D. G. Lyon, and used by his kind
permission.

In the East much of the commerce is still carried on by means of
caravans of camels; sometimes there are several thousand camels in
one of these great caravans conveying all kinds of merchandise from
one point to another. The camel will carry a very heavy load, but
it utters piteous cries of complaint when it thinks the load is too
heavy.
[End illustration]

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THE LITTLE CAPTIVE MAID

Leprosy.
A very dreaded disease.

Leper.
One who has leprosy.

Rent his clothes.
To show great sorrow or trouble.

Chariot.
A small wagon with two wheels, used in war.

Flesh shall come again.
In leprosy the flesh dries up, and the person becomes very thin.

In the old times war was very cruel. Houses were burned and men and women killed, and very often the little children were taken far away and sold for slaves. Sometimes they never came back to their homes or friends again.

There had been war between the people in Israel and the people who lived in a country called Syria, which lay to the north of Israel. In this war a little girl had been taken away, and sold as a slave. She was bought by a great general named Naaman, who took her home, and she waited on Naaman's wife. Naaman and his wife must have been kind to the little slave girl, for when he was sick she wished that he could be made well.

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Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. And the little maid said to her mistress, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would heal him of his leprosy." And one went in, and told his lord, saying, "Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel." And the king of Syria said, "I will send a letter unto the king of Israel."

And he departed, and took with him a large present of money and fine clothes.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest heal him of his leprosy."

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to heal a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me."

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God {207} had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean."

Then Naaman was angry, and turned to go away in a rage.

And his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, 'Wash, and be clean'?"

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

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HOW THE PEOPLE TRAVELED IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE

Did they have railroads? Oh, no. Railroads were first built less than a hundred years ago, and the Bible times were many hundreds of years ago.

Then they must have traveled in wagons? Not often.

There were few roads, and wagons were not very common.

Then they went on horseback? Sometimes, but not often. In the earliest Bible times horses were only used in war, and only the kings of great countries kept a few, for their most honored soldiers to ride on.

How did they travel, then? Very often they rode on the backs of donkeys and asses. These are smaller than horses, but can go almost as fast. Do you remember how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on an ass, with the children shouting and waving palm branches before him? For short journeys, or in the land of Palestine itself, the ass was the animal most used.

But on many sides of the land of Palestine the roads that go out pass over country that is more and more bare, until finally the green grass is seen no more and only here and there is a small tree, and there are no flocks of white sheep, for there is nothing on which they can feed, and it is a long way, sometimes a whole day's journey, from one spring of water to another. Nothing but yellow sand and bare rocks!

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SHEPHERD BOY ON THE HILLS NEAR BETHLEHEM

Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.

This attractive picture of the shepherd lad shows that the work of
the shepherd still goes on in Judea as it did in the days of the
shepherd boy, David. A writer gives this picture of the shepherd
life at the present day: "Sometimes we enjoyed our noonday rest
beside one of those Judean wells, to which two or three shepherds
come down with their flocks. The flocks mixed with each other, and
we wondered how each shepherd would get his own again. But after the
watering and the playing were over, the shepherds one by one went up
different sides of the valley, and each called out his peculiar
call; and the sheep of each drew out of the crowd, to their own
shepherd, and the flocks passed away as orderly as they came. 'The
Shepherd of the Sheep, . . . when he putteth forth his own sheep, he
goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his
voice. And a stranger will they not follow,' 'I am the Good
Shepherd, and know my sheep and am known of mine.' These words our
Lord spake in Judea."
[End illustration]

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How the hot sun beats down in the summer! How dry all the ground looks! That is a desert. The little donkeys find it hard to travel on the long, stony desert roads. They must carry water to drink, or they would die of thirst. But if they carry water, they cannot carry much else.

Did you ever see a camel? They have long legs and broad feet, that can walk over the sand without sinking in. What long necks and queer humped backs they have! They are not beautiful animals. I am sorry to say that they are not very good tempered either, but are often very cross and stubborn. Sometimes they reach out that long neck and try to bite. Sometimes they refuse to go if they think they are loaded too heavily. But often they are very patient. They carry heavy loads and travel long distances. They can go a long time without drinking, where a horse or an ass would die of thirst. They are made for a desert country. Men call them "the ship of the desert." They were often used for long journeys in Bible times, as they are still in the same countries. Here is a story which tells how a servant of Abraham made a long journey on camels, and how the camels were given drink at the close of the journey.

"And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of {212} Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water," and Rebekah, a niece of Abraham, "came out with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the maiden was very fair to look upon: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, 'Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.'

"And she said, 'Drink, my lord': and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him to drink.

"And when she had done giving him drink, she said, 'I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.'

"And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels."

Then she went home and told of him, and her brother ran and came out to the servant and said, "'Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.'

"And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and {213} provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the men's feet that were with him. And there was set food before him to eat."

A few days later Rebekah, with her servant, mounted the camels, too, and went back with Abraham's servant, the long desert journey, to be the wife of Abraham's son Isaac.

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HOUSES IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE

The people in Bible lands did not have houses like those we live in to-day. You would not like to live in their houses. They were low, and small, and dark. Some were built of stone, but many were built of a sun-dried brick. They had flat roofs, where the people often went and where they slept in warm weather. A stair led up to the roof from the outside. Those that were made of the sun-dried brick were not very durable. Thieves could easily "break through and steal." The house which the man "built upon the sand" crumbled into mud and was swept away when "the winds blew and the floods came" and "great was the fall of it."

Of course the king lived in a beautiful palace and rich people had fine houses, but the houses of the poor people were only huts.

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CHILDREN OF NAZARETH

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether.
and used by her kind permission.
[End illustration]

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CHILDREN IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE

The children of Bible lands were very well cared for. They were sent to school. They were taught the Bible very carefully and every Sabbath they went to church. The children were very busy. They learned early to watch over the sheep, to work in the fields, to card and spin the wool and weave the cloth. Every child was taught some special trade or business. Still they had time to play and enjoyed their games as much as you do.

Jesus was taught to be a carpenter like Joseph. Nazareth, where he lived when he was a boy, is a small town in Galilee. There are beautiful fields and hills about. When he climbed the hills he could see, far away, the sea. He must have loved to pick the lovely lilies which grew in the fields. All the little boys and girls must have liked to play with Jesus, for he must have been always gentle and kind.

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JERUSALEM

The city that the Bible tells most about is Jerusalem. It is on a high ridge of hills in the middle of the land. On one side of it is a deep valley, and across the valley a hill called the Mount of Olives. On that hill there was a village, Bethany, where some of Jesus' friends lived. Deep valleys were on two other sides of the city.

Why did they build cities on the hilltops, and not in the valleys? Because, in the old days when wars often took place, a city on a hilltop could not be so easily taken. It was a safe place to live. To make it still safer, a wall was built around it, very thick and high. On the top there was a path, with a low wall outside, so that in war armed men could go up and shoot from the wall. In the walls there were great gates, that were shut at night and when there was a war.

In the city of Jerusalem was the palace of the Jewish kings, and the temple. King Solomon built the first temple. It stood for over three hundred and fifty years, then it was destroyed in a war. The city was burned and the walls thrown down, and many of the people were killed. After more than fifty years, another temple was built on the same spot. It was later added to and made more beautiful. It was built of white stone. A man who saw it wrote that it looked, when the sun shone on it, like a mountain of snow.

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THE SISTINE MADONNA
By Raphael (1483-1520)

Raphael is generally considered the greatest of all painters, and
the Sistine Madonna is the most famous Madonna in the world.

"The Sistine Madonna is above all words of praise; all extravagance
of expression is silenced before her simplicity. Not one false
note, not one exaggerated emphasis, jars upon the harmony of body,
soul, and spirit. Confident, but entirely unassuming; serious, but
without sadness; joyous, but not to mirthfulness; eager, but without
haste; she moves steadily forward with steps timed to the rhythmic
music of the spheres."--_Estelle M. Hurll_
[End illustration]

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This stood a long time, almost six hundred years, then in another war it also was thrown down, and never has been built again. It was this temple that was standing when Christ lived. He often taught in the open spaces about it. When he was a boy of twelve he first visited it, and the last days of his life he spent teaching in it. Jesus loved the temple and Jerusalem very much. He was very sorry that it must be destroyed. He said once, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"

A Jewish poet wrote a little poem about Jerusalem, to show how he loved it. Here it is:--

"I was glad when they said unto me,
Let us go into the house of the Lord.

"Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

"Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

"Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the
Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give
thanks unto the name of the Lord.

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee. {222}

"Peace be within thy walls,
and prosperity within thy palaces.

"For my brethren and companions' sakes,
I will now say, Peace be within thee.

"Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek thy good."

Another poet who was living in a foreign land, wrote another poem:--

"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat
down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

"We hung our harps upon the willows in
the midst thereof.

"For there they that carried us away captive
required of us a song; and they that
wasted us required of us mirth, saying,
Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

"How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget her cunning.

"If I do not remember thee, let my tongue
cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer
not Jerusalem above my chief joy."

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When one Bible writer hoped for some great good in the future, and wanted to make a very glorious picture, as splendid as he could, he told of a city coming down from heaven, and called it the New Jerusalem, because that city was dearer to him than any other place he knew, and he said:--

"AND I JOHN SAW THE HOLY CITY,
NEW JERUSALEM,
COMING DOWN FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN."

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THE JORDAN

Up among the mountains in the North of the land of the Bible a little stream flows down from a rocky valley. After wandering through beautiful hills with many trees and vines, it comes into a wide valley and passes through a little lake. Then it goes tumbling and roaring down a narrow gorge with high rocks on each side.

After that it widens out into the beautiful lake of Gennesaret, or Sea of Galilee. In the time of Jesus there were many towns about this lake and many boats sailing over it.

After leaving this lake, the river flows through a valley, winding from one side of it to the other. The valley grows deeper and deeper, until at last to get into it one must go down, down long, steep hills by winding roads, down narrow valleys where the rocks are piled high above one. At last the river flows through a wide, sandy plain into the Dead Sea.

The Jordan is the largest river of the Bible {225} land. The Hebrews used to tell their little children that in the ancient time, when they first came into the land, the Jordan stopped flowing so that their fathers, with all their little children, and cattle and sheep, crossed it on dry ground. Later King David crossed it, once when he found that all his country had gone over to his enemies. A few weeks later he came back, and many people went down to the river to welcome him. The great general who had leprosy was sent to wash in the river, and he was healed.

Jesus was baptized in the river. He often crossed it, and he lived and taught on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, through which it flows.

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THE DEAD SEA

The strangest lake in the world is the lake that is called the Dead Sea. It is east of Canaan. The Jordan runs into it, but no river runs out of it. It lies deep down between mountains. On one side the hills rise so steep that one cannot climb them. On the other, there is only here and there a place where a man on horseback can scramble down the rocks into the valley.

Why is it called the Dead Sea? Because the water is so salt that no fish live in it. It looks very clear and beautiful as it lies in the sunshine, but no one can drink it, it is so salt. Sometimes people bathe in it. It is so heavy that no one can sink. No towns were ever on its shore. Not a single person lives near it. Few people have ever sailed on its waters. The valley in which it lies is so deep that it is much lower than the ocean. All these things make it the strangest lake in the world.

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ON THE SHORES OF THE DEAD SEA

From a photograph in the possession of Rev. Louis F. Giroux of the
American International College, Springfield, Mass., and used by his
kind permission.

"The water is very nauseous to the taste and oily to the touch,
leaving on the skin when it dries a thick crust of salt. But it is
very brilliant. Seen from far away no lake on earth looks more blue
and beautiful. Swim out upon it, and at a depth of twenty feet you
can count the pebbles through the transparent water. It is difficult
to sink the limbs deep enough to swim; if you throw a stick on the
surface it seems to rest as on a mirror, so little of it actually
penetrates the water. No fish or any living thing can exist in its
waters."--_Smith_
[End illustration]

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BETH-LEHEM

Moab
A country east of Palestine.

Glean
To follow after the reapers and pick up what they have left behind.

The "little town of Beth-lehem," as it lies among the hills of Judaea, is one of the most famous places in all the world. But it is not famous because of its wealth or its size, it is famous because of the people who lived there. Beth-lehem means in the Hebrew language, "House of Bread," and it was in the fields of Boaz about Beth-lehem that the beautiful Ruth of Moab gleaned.

Then it was David's home. In the pastures beyond the town he used to feed his father's flocks. Sometimes it has been called "the city of David."

But what makes it more famous than all else is the fact that in "Beth-lehem's manger" the little child Jesus was born, and over the old town hung in the night the star of Beth-lehem. It was here that the shepherds {230} who were keeping their flocks outside the town came to see the newborn child, and it was here that the Wise Men came to worship him and bring him gifts. It is true that Jesus did not stay here long. The wicked King Herod wished to kill him, and Mary and Joseph took him to Egypt. When they came back they lived in the town of Nazareth. But all the world loves the little town of Beth-lehem because it was Jesus' birthplace.

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HYMNS FOR THE DAY

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LORD OF ALL BEING

Lord of all being; throned afar,
Thy glory flames from sun and star;
Center and soul of every sphere,
Yet to each loving heart how near!

Sun of our life, Thy quickening ray
Sheds on our path the glow of day;
Star of our hope, Thy softened light
Cheers the long watches of the night.

Our midnight is Thy smile withdrawn;
Our noontide is Thy gracious dawn;
Our rainbow arch Thy mercy's sign;
All, save the clouds of sin, are Thine.

Lord of all life, below, above,
Whose light is truth, whose warmth is love,
Before Thy ever-blazing throne
We ask no luster of our own.

Grant us Thy truth to make us free,
And kindling hearts that burn for Thee,
Till all Thy living altars claim
One holy light, one heavenly flame.
--_Oliver Wendell Holmes_.

By permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.

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ON OUR WAY REJOICING

On our way rejoicing,
As we homeward move,
Hearken to our praises,
O Thou God of love.
Is there grief or sadness?
Thine it cannot be.
Is our sky beclouded?
Clouds are not from Thee.

If with honest-hearted
Love for God and man,
Day by day Thou find us
Doing what we can,
Thou who giv'st the seedtime
Wilt give large increase,
Crown the head with blessings,
Fill the heart with peace.

On our way rejoicing
Gladly let us go;
Conquered hath our Leader;
Vanquished is our foe.
Christ without, our safety;
Christ within, our joy;
Who, if we be faithful,
Can our hope destroy?
--_John Samuel Bewley Monsell_.

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JESUS BLESSING THE LITTLE CHILDREN
By Bernard Plockhorst (1825- )

GOING TO JESUS

"The Master has come over Jordan."
Said Hannah the mother one day;
He is healing the people who throng Him
With a touch of His finger, they say.

"And now I shall carry the children,
Little Rachel and Samuel and John;
I shall carry the baby Esther
For the Lord to look upon."

The father looked at her kindly,
But he shook his head and smiled.
"Now who but a doting mother
Would think of a thing so wild?

"If the children were tortured by demons,
Or dying of fever, 't were well;
Or had they the taint of the leper,
Like many in Israel."

"Nay, do not hinder me. Nathan,
I feel such a burden of care;
If I carry it to the Master,
Perhaps I shall leave it there.

"If He lay His hands on the children,
My heart will be lighter, I know;
For a blessing for ever and ever
Will follow them as they go."

So over the hills of Judah,
Along the vine-rows green.
With Esther asleep on her bosom,
And Rachel her brothers between,

'Mong the people who hung on His teaching,
Or waited His touch or His word,
Through the row of proud Pharisees listening
She passed to the feet of her Lord.

"Now why shouldst thou hinder the Master,"
Said Peter, "with children like these?
Seest not how from morning to evening
He teacheth, and healeth disease?"

Then Christ said, "Forbid not the children;
Permit them to come unto Me:"
And He took in His arms little Esther,
And Rachel He set on His knee.

And the heavy heart of the mother
Was lifted all earth-care above,
As He laid His hands on the brothers,
And blest them with tenderest love;

As He said of the babes in His bosom,
"Of such is the kingdom of heaven:"
And strength for all duty and trial
That hour to her spirit was given.
--_Julia Gill_
[End illustration]

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OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

I think, when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How He called little children as lambs to His fold,
I should like to have been with them then.

I wish that His hands had been placed on my head,
That His arm had been thrown around me,
And that I might have seen His kind look when He said,
"Let the little ones come unto Me."

Yet still to His footstool in prayer I may go,
And ask for a share in His love;
And if I thus earnestly seek Him below,
I shall see Him and hear Him above,

In that beautiful place He has gone to prepare
For all who are washed and forgiven;
And many dear children shall be with Him there,
For "of such is the kingdom of heaven."

But thousands and thousands who wander and fall
Never heard of that heavenly home;
I wish they could know there is room for them all,
And that Jesus has bid them to come.

I long for the joy of that glorious time,
The sweetest, the brightest, the best,
When the dear children of every clime
Shall crowd to His arms and be blest.
--_Jemima Thompson Luke_.

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SUN OF MY SOUL

Sun of my soul, Thou Saviour dear,
It is not night if Thou be near;
Oh, may no earth-born cloud arise
To hide Thee from Thy servant's eyes!

When soft the dews of kindly sleep
My weary eyelids gently steep,
Be my last thought--how sweet to rest
Forever on my Saviour's breast.

Abide with me from morn till eve,
For without Thee I cannot live;
Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without Thee I dare not die.

Be near to bless me when I wake,
Ere through the world my way I take;
Abide with me till in Thy love
I lose myself in heaven above.
--_John Keble_.

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DAY BY DAY

Every day has its dawn,
Its soft and silent eve,
Its noontide hours of bliss or bale,--
Why should we grieve?

Why do we heap huge mounds of years
Before us and behind,
And scorn the little days that pass
Like angels on the wind?

Each turning round a small, sweet face,
As beautiful as near;
Because it has so small a face
We will not see it clear:

We will not clasp it as it flies,
And kiss its lips and brow:
We will not bathe our wearied souls
In its delicious Now.

And so it turns from us, and goes
A way in sad disdain:
Though we would give our lives for it,
It never comes again.

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WHAT CAN LITTLE HANDS DO?

Oh, what can little hands do
To please the King of heaven?
The little hands some work may try
To help the poor in misery:
Such grace to mine be given.

Oh, what can little lips do,
To please the King of heaven?
The little lips can praise and pray,
And gentle words of kindness say:
Such grace to mine be given.

Oh, what can little eyes do,
To please the King of heaven?
The little eyes can upward look,
And learn to read God's holy Book:
Such grace to mine be given.

Oh, what can little hearts do,
To please the King of heaven?
Our hearts, if God His Spirit send,
Can love and trust their Saviour-Friend:
Such grace to mine be given.

When hearts, and hands, and lips unite
To please the King of heaven,
And serve the Saviour with delight,
They are most precious in His sight:
Such grace to mine be given.
--_Fabin_.

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HOW GENTLE GOD'S COMMANDS

How gentle God's commands,
How kind His precepts are!
Come cast your burdens on the Lord,
And trust His constant care.

While Providence supports,
Let saints securely dwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guide His children well.

Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your heavenly Father's throne,
And sweet refreshment find.

His goodness stands approved,
Down to the present day;
I'll drop my burden at His feet,
And bear a song away.
--_Philip Doddridge_.

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ABOVE THE CLEAR BLUE SKY

Above the clear blue sky,
In heaven's bright abode,
The angel host on high
Sing praises to their God:
Alleluia!
They love to sing
To God their King
Alleluia!

But God from children's tongues
On earth receiveth praise;
We then our cheerful songs
In sweet accord will raise:
Alleluia!
We, too, will sing
To God our King
Alleluia!

O blessed Lord, Thy truth
To all Thy flock impart,
And teach us in our youth
To know Thee as Thou art.
Alleluia!
Then shall we sing
To God our King
Alleluia!
--_John Chandler_.

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BEDTIME STORIES

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THE STORY OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

Once there were two little children who lived in a large, red brick house, on a quiet street in the city. The names of these little children were Margaret and Harold. Margaret was five years old, and Harold was eight. Margaret and Harold used to have the best of times together. They played with their dog Sport and their cat Spot. They built houses of blocks. They colored pictures with their crayons. In winter, Harold drew Margaret on his sled, and in summer they played in the garden. But, better than all else, they loved to hear their mamma tell stories. Every night, before they went to bed, she told them a story.

"What shall it be to-night?" said mamma, as they sat before the fire after a cold winter's day.

"A Bible story," said Margaret.

"Very well," replied mamma. "It shall be a Bible story to-night, and since it is almost Christmas-time, I will tell you about the dear little Christ-child who was born in Bethlehem, and the first Christmas."

So Margaret cuddled up in her mamma's lap, and Harold sat at her feet, and she began.

THE STORY OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS.

"Once upon a time, there was a little town called Bethlehem of Judea, and late one afternoon in winter, a man named Joseph, and his wife named Mary, came to this {246} town. They were very glad to reach the village, for they were cold and hungry. But they were disappointed. No one would take them in. There is an old song which tells about it:--

"'O, dark was the night,
And cold blew the wind,
But Joseph and Mary
No shelter could find.

"'In all the fair city
Of Bethlehem,
In cottage or inn,
Was no room for them.'"

"Wouldn't anyone let them in?" said Margaret.

"No," said mamma. "They went to the inn, or hotel, of Bethlehem, and the keeper of the inn said, 'No room for you here, go away.' They went to each one of the houses, and the people who lived in them said crossly, 'No room for you here, go away.'"

"I would have let them in if I had been there," said Harold, earnestly.

"I would, too," said Margaret. "Were they very cold, dear mamma?"

"Yes, my dears," said mamma, smiling, "I know that you would have been kind to them. But you see this was before Jesus had taught people to be good and kind to others. Well, they were very cold and very sad, but at last the keeper of the inn let them go into his stable, and there were oxen there, and hay, and stalls for the cattle, and mangers."

{247}{248}

BETHLEHEM AT SUNSET

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Frank L. Goodspeed, and used by her
kind permission.

This beautiful picture of Bethlehem was taken just at sunset, with a
cloud effect unusual in Eastern skies. "So must the little town have
looked when Joseph and Mary, weary from their long journey,
approached it. The short winter's day was probably closing in as the
two travelers from Nazareth neared their journey's end. The way had
been long and weary. A sense of rest and peace must almost
unconsciously have crept over the travelers when at last they
reached the rich fields that surrounded the ancient 'House of
Bread,' and, passing through the valley, which, like an
amphitheater, sweeps up to the twain heights along which Bethlehem
stretches, ascended through the terraced vineyards and
gardens."--_Edersheim_
[End illustration]

{249}

"Like grandpapa's barn?" asked Harold.

"Yes," answered mamma, "only not so nice and comfortable, for this stable was a cave, cut out of the rock. That night, in the stable, the little baby Jesus was born, and his dear mother Mary wrapped him all warmly up, and laid him in one of the cattle mangers for a cradle."

"Was he a little tiny, tiny baby, like Grace's little brother?" asked Margaret.

"Yes, my dear," said mamma, "and the sweetest little tiny baby you ever saw.

"And in the fields near by there were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, and while they watched they saw suddenly a great light, and an angel stood before them and said, 'Be not afraid, for I bring you good tidings of great joy for all the people. For there is born in Bethlehem a little child Jesus, who is to be the Saviour of the world.' And when the angel had finished speaking, they heard voices, singing like a great chorus in the sky, and this was the song they sang,--

"'Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased.'

"Then the shepherds went to Bethlehem, and found the little child Jesus lying in the manger, and loved him, and told everyone what they had seen and heard.

"And later, wise men from the East came on their three white camels, guided by the star of Bethlehem, which shone in the sky. And as they came near to Bethlehem, they {250} said to everyone, 'Where is he which is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.'

"And the star led them at last to the stable where Jesus was, and they brought beautiful gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, and they worshiped him."

"And that is how Christmas came!" said Margaret.

"I am very glad that the little child Jesus was born."

"You must love him very much," said mamma, "for he was born, and grew up, and died at last, for our sakes. And now I want to read you a sweet little poem, which a very good man, named Phillips Brooks, once wrote about Bethlehem. I want you both to learn it to say to papa. Now listen while I read."

"O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep.
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.

"O holy child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us we pray,
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
Oh, come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel."

[Footnote: By courtesy of E. P. Dutton & Co.]

{251}

THE STORY OF PALM SUNDAY

One Sunday Harold noticed that all the people who came from one of the churches wore a little piece of palm, or evergreen.

"What does that mean?" said Harold.

"Oh, this is Palm Sunday," said mamma. "This was one of the glad days in Jesus' life. To-night I will tell you all about it."

When it grew dark mamma called Margaret and Harold, and began

THE STORY OF PALM SUNDAY.

"You know that Jesus was poor and homeless, yet he was very rich in the love of his friends. He was never honored but once as his friends liked. That was on Palm Sunday, and the children helped to do it.

"It happened at the great city of Jerusalem. Jesus did not go to the city very often. He liked to live in the villages and in the country better. At this time there was a great feast in the city, and Jesus was going to the feast with his friends."

"What sort of a feast was it, mamma?" asked Harold.

"It was not exactly what we call a feast," mamma replied. "It was more like a great celebration. It recalled a great event in the nation's history, the escape of the Jews from captivity. It was called the 'Feast of the Passover.' {252} The Jewish people from all over the world came to Jerusalem to celebrate it."

"Why, it must have been the Fourth of July of the Jews," said Harold.

"Something like that," replied mamma, smiling. "Only the little Jewish boys did not make as much noise as my small son makes on his country's birthday.

"Well, the friends of Jesus who came with him to this feast wanted to show how much they loved him. They often wanted to treat him as though he were a king. Once they did treat him in this way, and Jesus did not forbid it. It does people good to show their friends how much they love them.

"Jesus stayed at night with his friends, in a village not far from the city, and every morning he came into the city. One morning he came over the hill, on the road which leads into the city, riding on an ass. It was a beautiful morning, and all his friends who were with him were filled with gladness. They shouted and sang as they marched along. They shouted 'Hosanna!' just as you shout 'Hurrah!' when you are marching in your processions. 'This man is going to be our king!' they called. 'Praise God for our king!' People from the city saw them coming and went out to meet them, so that there was a great multitude. They broke off branches of the palm trees along the way, and waved them in the air, just as the soldiers wave the royal banners of the king. Some of the people took off their cloaks and laid them on the ground for him to ride over, just as if he were a great king. They placed their palm branches on the ground, too, so that they seemed like a beautiful green carpet."

{253}{254}

JESUS ENTERING JERUSALEM IN TRIUMPH
By Bernard Plockhorst (1825- )

"And as he went, they spread their garments in the way. And as he
was now drawing nigh, even at the descent of the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise
God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen;
saying, Blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord:
peace in heaven, and glory in the highest."--_Luke 19:36-38_
[End illustration]

{255}

"Oh," said Margaret, "how pleased Jesus must have been!"

"Yes," said mamma, "Jesus was pleased to know that the people loved him. And he was a king, you know, though he never sat upon a throne. The Bible sometimes calls him, 'King of kings, and Lord of lords.'

"When they reached the city, there were many little children in the streets and about the temple. Now the children always loved Jesus, and when they saw him coming in this procession they all ran to meet him. They all joined in the procession, and sang songs, and shouted 'Hosanna!' and waved their hands for the children's king. Some of those people who did not like Jesus tried to stop the children. But Jesus would not tell them to stop."

"If I had been there, I would have shouted for Jesus," said Harold.

"That is my brave boy," said mamma. "But you must remember that there is just as much chance to let people know that you stand up for Jesus now, as then. You must never be afraid to let it be known that you are Jesus' friend.

"Now we will sing that hymn that you like so much. It is a good hymn for Palm Sunday."

So they sang,--

"Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before. {256}
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See, His banners go.

"Like a mighty army
Moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod;
We are not divided,
All one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.

"Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus
Constant will remain;
Gates of hell can never
'Gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ's own promise,
And that cannot fail.

"Onward, then, ye people,
Join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ the King;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing."

{257}

HOW JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THE WORLD

One afternoon in the springtime, just before Easter, Margaret was playing with her dolls. Her mamma came into the room and said:--

"I want my little girl to be good while I am gone; I am going to church."

"Why, mamma," said Margaret, "this is not Sunday, this is Friday."

"Yes," said mamma, "and this evening I will tell you and Harold why I am going to church on Friday."

At bedtime, mamma said, "Now I will tell you

HOW JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THE WORLD.

"It is a very sad and yet a very sweet story. It is very sad to think that Jesus had enemies who hated him so much that they could kill him, and yet we love the story because it tells us how much Jesus loved us.

"If we love anyone very much, we are willing to give up things for him."

"Yes," said Margaret, "Harold loves me, and he gave up his party when I was sick, and noise troubled me."

"That was a very kind and unselfish thing for Harold to do," said mamma, "but Jesus gave up very much more than that for our sakes.

"You would have to love anyone very much indeed to give up your home for him. You would have to love {258} anyone better than you love yourself to give up your life for him."

"Do you mean like Frank's papa," said Harold, "when he ran into the fire when his house burned, to get Frank, and almost died?"

"Yes," said mamma, "Frank's papa loved his little boy better than he loved his own life, and he was ready to give his own life that his little boy might be saved."

"But why is the story sad, then?" said Margaret.

"It is sad," replied mamma, "because his death was such a cruel one, and because he suffered so much.

"One night Jesus gathered his dearest friends about him, and they had supper together, and he told them how much he loved them, and that they must never forget him.

"After the supper was over he went out into the night, to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane. Then his enemies came with torches, and found him there, and seized hold upon him, and bound him with ropes, and led him away.

"After they had treated him with great cruelty, they took him to a hill called Calvary outside the city, and there, before a great multitude of people, they nailed his hands and his feet to a cross of wood, and after he had suffered very much, he died there upon the cross. Then it grew dark upon the hill, and an earthquake shook the ground, and the people ran away in terror, because they began to see what a wicked thing they had done."

"Oh, what wicked people," said Margaret, "to kill dear Jesus!"

{259}{260}

JESUS IN THE HOME OF MARY AND MARTHA
By Siemiradski (1843- )

"And fast beside the olive-bordered way
Stands the blessed home where Jesus deigned to stay;
The peaceful home, to zeal sincere
And heavenly contemplation dear,
Where Martha loved to wait with reverence meet,
And wiser Mary lingered at Thy sacred feet."
--_John Keble_
[End illustration]

{261}

"Jesus loved even them," said mamma, softly. "He was so good that he loved them, even while they were killing him, and asked his Father in heaven to forgive them, too.

"You must remember that when we do what is wrong, we hurt our Father in heaven very much, but Jesus has taught us that he loves us still, and is ready to forgive us when we ask him.

"So this is the reason why we love Jesus so much. 'We love him because he first loved us.' This is the reason why mamma went to church to-day, to thank God for sending to the world such a loving Jesus, and to remember the day on which he died for us, and for all the world.

"Now mamma will sing you a beautiful hymn about the cross. The cross was dreadful then, but we love it now because it makes us remember the love of Jesus."

"In the cross of Christ I glory;
Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

"When the woes of life o'ertake me,
Hopes deceive and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me;
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

"When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds new luster to the day.

{262}

"Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.

"In the cross of Christ I glory;
Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime."

{263}{263}

THE FIRST EASTER DAWN
By J. K. Thompson

"The day of resurrection,
Earth, tell it out abroad:
The Passover of gladness,
The Passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
From earth unto the sky,
Our Christ hath brought us over
With hymns of victory."
--_John of Damascus_
[End illustration]

{265}

THE STORY OF THE FIRST EASTER DAY

It was Easter Day. Both Margaret and Harold went to church. It was a beautiful day, warm and pleasant. The grass was green, and the tulips and the crocuses were blossoming in the gardens. Everybody was glad that the snow and the cold of winter had gone. When they were on their way to church, they saw a robin on a branch of a tree. The children laughed with pleasure to see Mr. Robin Redbreast back again. At church there were beautiful flowers, and the choir sang Easter songs and hymns. One of the hymns Harold liked very much indeed. He said it made him feel that the world was so glad that it couldn't help singing its gladness right out. This hymn began--

"Christ the Lord is risen to-day
Sons of men and angels say,
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Sing, ye heavens, and, earth, reply."

In the evening they sat with their mamma, watching the beautiful sunset.

"Mamma," said Harold, "I don't think that I just understand about that long word the minister used so much this morning--resurrection; won't you explain it, please?"

{266}

"Well," said mamma, "it is not very easy for little folks to understand, but I will try. I will tell you the

STORY OF THE FIRST EASTER DAY.

"You know that the enemies of Jesus crucified him as I told you, and he died upon the cross."

"Yes," said Margaret, soberly, "I know about that. My little kittie died. She went to sleep, and couldn't wake up any more. Poor little kittie!"

"Yes," said mamma, "and you know that dear Grand-mamma White went to sleep and didn't wake up, and God took her dear, beautiful soul to be with him.

"After Jesus had suffered on the cross, he went to sleep, that sound, sound sleep that we call death. Then they took him from the cross, and placed his body in a tomb dug out of the rock, and rolled a great stone before the door. His disciples and all his friends were very, very sad, because they thought they would never see him again."

"But they did, mamma," said Harold.

"Oh, yes," said Margaret, "he wasn't truly dead."

"Ah, yes, my dears," said mamma, "he was truly dead, but after he had lain there quietly for three days, a wonderful thing happened. He came to life again. He came out from the tomb. He went to see his friends and his disciples. He made them very happy. He told them that soon he must go back to his Father in heaven, and that they must go everywhere in all the world, telling people about him.

"Now I will read you the beautiful story of the first Easter Day, as it is told in the Bible:--

{267}

"'Now on the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and seeth the stone taken away from the tomb. She runneth, therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him."

"'Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. And they both ran together: and the other disciple outran Peter, and came first to the tomb; and stooping and looking in he seeth the linen cloths lying, yet entered he not in. Simon Peter therefore cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb; and he beholdeth the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, that was upon his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then entered in therefore the other disciple also, which came first to the tomb, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again unto their own home.

"'But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping. So, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou?"