life and great the hunger for Eternal Life."
"Now is Mary started again on speech-making which will begin with the
bones of our fathers and end with the hereafter. I care not for it.
Let us go, Joel, that we count the pig-skin bottles once again before
daylight has waned."
When Martha and Joel had gone, Lazarus made himself comfortable with
his feet against the parapet and turned to Mary.
"Once I sat with him upon the housetop," she said.
"Yea, Mary."
"The night was still and under the stars did stretch the far dim lines
of the Mountains of Moab. Of days long gone did he speak--days when
our fathers wandered in search of a Promised Land. When, from regions
far beyond, the spies of Israel crossed the Moabitish hills, they did
go to the home of an harlot. Wherefore they went hath not been handed
down. Mayhap to teach the woman the seventh commandment of Moses. But
they did go and she was an harlot. And when their hiding was
discovered she let them over the wall and they escaped. For this
kindness was her life spared, and when our fathers took the city,
Salmon did wed the harlot. Then did Salmon beget Boaz; Boaz begat
Obed; Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David. Thus was an harlot the
mother in Israel of whom was begotten Israel's kings. And is not the
blood of David in the veins of him we love--even Jesus? It is not
strange he hath ever words of kindness and a helping hand for women
downtrodden by the Law, for as the eye of God seeth good in what the
Law condemns, so doth the heart of the Master, and he hath courage to
speak."
"Yea. To be with him doth give new visions."
"And great love. Sometimes when I am with him or my mind traveleth far
paths with him, it seemeth as if God was pouring love into my heart
until it is full to overflowing. Again it seemeth I hunger for love."
"Thy heart need not hunger for love. Thou art much loved."
"I know thou dost love me much."
"All who know thee, love thee."
"The Master?"
"Yea, yea--he loveth thee."
"Ah, Lazarus, this is knowledge my heart doth hunger for. I know he
doth love me for he loveth all women. Martha sayeth he doth look upon
the women of the street even as in my eyes he looketh. Joel did tell
her so."
"Joel discerneth not the difference between sympathy in the eye of
pity, and hunger in the eye of such love as constraineth a man to take
one woman to himself apart from all the world even as the wild dove
taketh its mate to
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