le world was glad to-day.

"They are all happy because I am happy," mused Naomi, smiling at her own
thought.

She glanced at Jacob plodding contentedly along beside his beasts, at
Aunt Miriam who sat silent, her usually busy hands folded in her lap,
enjoying this little rest from her many household cares.

Tap, tap, tap!

Naomi peered about, and Aunt Miriam sat up straight at this sound upon
the road.

Tap, tap, tap!

Now the shuffling of cautious feet was to be heard, too.

Down the Jerusalem highway came six men walking in single file, each
with a staff in hand and the other hand resting upon the shoulder of the
man before him. They were all blind! Even their guide, who tapped the
ground as he walked, was sightless, "the blind leading the blind."

Naomi stared curiously. She had often seen as many as a dozen blind men
walking in such a row, and they were always to be found by the wayside
or near the village gates at home, in company with the lame and the
helpless, holding out a little bowl for money or food.

"Jacob!" called Aunt Miriam.

She took a piece of money from her purse, securely fastened in her belt,
and Jacob, without being told, dropped it in the bowl of the blind
leader. He was accustomed to the charity of his good master and
mistress. Had not Moses the Lawgiver bade those who fear their God have
sympathy for the blind?

The blind men at sound of the cart had drawn up by the side of the road,
and now they leaned upon their staffs and turned their sightless faces
toward their unseen benefactress. They were glad of an excuse to rest
and also to talk, for time meant little to them, and they liked nothing
better than to recount, each one, the detailed history of his
misfortune.

But Aunt Miriam did not mean to spend several hours this morning in idle
talk upon the highway. She motioned Jacob to move on, and in response to
the thanks and blessings showered upon her for her gift, she called:

"Peace be unto thee, friends! We hasten on to Jerusalem before the sun
mounts high. May all good things await thee in Bethlehem!"

Up the steep hill climbed the bullock cart, and once round the curve in
the road Aunt Miriam pointed.

"Naomi--the City!" she said. "See the Temple! How it gleams!"

High above the flat roofs and massive walls of Jerusalem shone the great
gold and white Temple of the Hebrews. The little party halted at the
sight. Aunt Miriam's lips moved in prayer. Naomi was silent as she
g