who bring human sacrifices to their gods, I
would fain chastise them with a lash of scorpions. But when the
forsaken come to Me, and penitent sinners trustfully seek refuge with
Me, then, John, I am not hard."

The voices of children playing in the courtyard sounded through the
open windows. Jesus turned to His hostess and said: "Martha! You have
excellently entertained Me in your house. Will you give Me yet another
treat?"

"What is it, Master? I would leave no wish of yours ungratified."

"The little ones--let them come in."

"Ah! my poor boy will cry his eyes out that he wasn't here to-day.
Dear lad, he's in Jerusalem."

"God be his guard! Let those who are playing in the courtyard come up."

They came shyly in at the door, two dark little girls, and a fair boy,
who carried a carved wood camel in his hand. When Jesus spread out His
arms, they went to Him, and were soon at home, holding up their little
red mouths, in which He put fruit from the table. Peter, who would
have liked to sleep a little, was not particularly pleased with the
little guests, but was glad that the Master petted them and joked with
them.

Then Jesus said to the boy: "Benjamin, mount your camel, ride to that
man over there, and ask him why he is so silent."

Peter accepted the invitation to join in the conversation, but he was
not very happy in what he said. "Master," he said hesitatingly, "what
I have to say is scarcely suited to this pleasant day."

Such remarks, said Martha humorously, were of the right sort to add to
the cheerfulness of the company. Peter was not the man to keep a
secret long. Turning to the Master, he said: "Early to-day, in the
city, I heard some people talking. They're always doing you some
injustice."

"What were they saying, Peter?"

"They said that the Prophet was a man of fair words, but that He did
nothing. He never once healed the sick who came to Him from great
distances."

"They say that?"

"Yes, sir, that's the kind of thing they say."

Jesus raised His head, and looked cheerfully round the circle. While
He rocked one of the little girls on His knee, He said calmly: "So they
say I only talk and do nothing. In their sense they are right. I
don't pray, they mean, because they don't see Me do it. I don't fast,
because we can't eat less than a little, except when we sit at a
luxurious table like Martha's. I don't give alms because My purse is
empty. What good do I do, then? I do