lew. You thought he was a
good man, and a great teacher; and you said he told a parable, and
you remembered the very words. I think I remember them, now:

"'And his father saw him, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed
him, and said, "Let us be merry, for this my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost and is found."'

"And so, father, is it even unto us."

Illustration: The Return of John to his House on the Lake.

Martha gave a loud cry, and turned to the door and, in another
moment, was clasped in John's arms. Then his father fell on his
neck.

There was no happier household in the land than that which joined
in the Psalms of thanksgiving that night. The news spread quickly
to the fishermen's cottages, and the neighbours flocked in to
congratulate Simon and Martha on the return of their son; and it
was long since the strains of the songs of joy had floated out so
clear and strong over the water of Galilee for, for years, strains
of lamentation and humiliation, alone, had been on the lips of the
Jewish maidens.

After the service of song was over, Miriam and the maids loaded the
table, while Isaac fetched a skin of the oldest wine from the
cellar, and all who had assembled were invited to join the feast.

When the neighbours had retired, John asked his father and Isaac to
come down with him, and Jonas, to the side of the lake, to bring up
a chest that was lying there.

"It is rather too heavy for Jonas and me to carry, alone."

"It would have been better, my son, to have asked some of our
neighbours. They would gladly have assisted you, and Isaac and I
have not, between us, the strength of one man."

"I know it, father, but I do not wish that any, besides ourselves,
should know that the box is here. We will take a pole and a rope
with us, and can adjust the weight so that your portion shall not
be beyond your strength."

On arriving at the spot, Simon was surprised at seeing a small box,
which it would be thought a woman could have lifted, with ease.

"Is this the box of which you spoke, John? Surely you want no aid
to carry this up?"

"We do, indeed, father, as you will see."

With the assistance of Jonas, John put the rope round the box, and
slung it to the pole near one end. He and Jonas then took this end.
Simon and Isaac lifted that farthest from the box, so that but a
small share of the weight rested upon them. So the chest was
carried up to the house.

"What is this you have brough