as terrified to see
that he had nailed the pieces of wood crosswise.

"Tell me," said Joseph to the boy, "what are you thinking of? If
you've any sense in your head use it for your honest work. The
simplest handicraft needs it all, and not only a piece here and there.
And especially carpentering, which builds people houses, bridges,
ships, and yea, temples for Jehovah. You cannot imagine what mischief
a bad carpenter may do. You're thinking of divine things? Well, work
is a divine thing. With work in his hands, man continues the creation
of God. People say that you are clever; then let your master see it.
You make the tools blunt and the work is not clean and sharp. This
can't go on, child."

Jesus let the lecture pass in silence, and worked far into the night to
make the mischief good.

Joseph confided his grief to his wife. Not that the boy would turn out
a bad carpenter. If he liked he could succeed in anything. But Joseph
was grieved to have to scold his favourite so often. He had to do that
to every apprentice.

Mary said: "Joseph, you are quite right, to direct him. I am indeed
anxious. I observe the child carefully, and I am not satisfied. He is
so different, so very different from boys of his age."

"I think, too, that he is different," said Joseph. "We must not forget
that from the very beginning it was different with this child. Jehovah
understands it; I can't fit it together. He reads too much, and that's
bad for young people."

"And I almost fear he reads the Law in order to criticise it," said
Mary.

"He'll find himself. At his age boys exaggerate in everything." So
Joseph consoled himself. "He's a singular boy. Look at him when he
plays with other children! The tallest of them all! No, after all, I
wouldn't have him other than he is."

They had talked in sorrow and joy while Jesus was nailing the wood
correctly out in the workshop. And when he had gone to bed, Joseph
crept into his room, and laid his hand gently on his head.

And so the years went by. Jesus improved in his work, and grew in
intelligence, and in cheerfulness. The Sabbath day was all his own.
He liked to go up to the hill top where the sheep were feeding among
the stones and the olive-trees, whence he could see the mighty
mountains of Lebanon and, the wide landscape, partly green and fertile
and partly barren, down to the lake. He stood there and thought. He
was always friendly with the people he met