Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-02-15
ShirvaI.
A TALE OF JERUSALEM.

Very beauteous was the coming of
the sun, one day, over the cities of
Judah. The tops of the mountains,
which received his first warm kisses,
smiled down on each neighboring val
ley; and the Israelites and dark.eyed
women went forth to their tasks with
cheerful hearts. The dewy grass, and
the olive trees glittered as with count
like laughing infant.
But in a street in city of Main stood
the house of tears-the house of the
widow Unni, whose son, the preceding
night, had been forsaken by the angels
of Life, and now lay cold corpse in
the inner chamber. And there came q
young Jewish maid, early in the morn
ing, and went into the chamber. Her
cheeks, as she walked through the
fresh air, were like the roses of the
plains of Sharon; but when she passed
the portals, and entered, and saw the
dead man, her face imaged the color of
ashes, the emblem of mourning and
decay. The maid was Ear, the beloved
of Shirval, the widows son. Her mis-
sion was to inquire about his illness;
she found it ended.
Noon came. The preparations for
the burial had been made, and ere the
daylight should close, the body of the
youth was to be put in its sepulchre,
without the walls of the town.
He looked beautiful his manly pro-
portions, even in death. The curls of
his hair were drawn back from his fore
head, and linen bandage had been
passed under his chin, and tied around
his face. And on one side stood his
mother, and on the other side Ear, his
beloved. Unni wept, and rent the air
with shrieks of agony; but the maid
was silent and fearless.
Twenty.and-four years had Shirval
lived In his native city; and it was
known that his mother, to whom he
was ever obedient, leaned on him as q
staff of her declining age. He was her
only child.
0, God of Judgments!" cried Unni,
"w what am l that thou hast afflicted me
thus?"
And her gray hairs were bowed to
the ground, and she would not receive
consolation.
So the young mans body lay there,
Me day still waned, and the mourn
ers arrived to attend him to the last
resting place. They placed the corpse
upon the bier, and set forth.
No one could tell why it was So
that, as they advanced, many specta-
tors, people of Main. gathered around
them, and walked with them on their
silent errand. The rich men and the
officers joined the crowd; and it swelled
to many hundreds. Yet none spoke, or
understood what mysterious impulse
led him thus to honor the funeral march
of the poor widows son.
Now they came to the gates of the
town, and the foremost mourners passed
out, and went no further; for band of
travellers was before them, coming in
ward, and stopped the way. The
travellers paused too--all but a small
group who approached the mourners of
Shirval. Most of those in the group
were wayworn and coarse in their APP
pearance; but their look imported
strange things--and one of their num-
Der, as he walked little before the
rest. fixed all eyes, while the hearts of
the wide assembly throbbed, as at the
nearness of an undefnable presence,
more than mortal.
The being was of middle stature. of
fair proportions, in every motion where
of was easy grace. His step was Meth
er rapid nor very slow; and his look
more sought the earth than swept
around him with glances of pride. Hi.
face was beautifully clear, and his eyes.
blue as the sky above them, beamed forth
benevolence of love. His bro WI hair
was parted in the middle of his head.
and flowed in heavy ringlets down up.
on his shoulders. The a.pect of the