The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-28

descriptive of the indescribabie Tine grace Of
Sod was upon Him.
We'll, IL He did not play as other children
He at least went to school" one OF the auditors
| said; and Uncle Midas fastened to reply:
'If Nazareth had a school-and the better
| opinion is that the village was not so favored
| ii is to be kept in mind that scholars could not
| be admitted before the age of six, and that all
| instruction was limited 10 the law and was en-
| tirey Oral. The master sat on a raised seat
| the children on the floor, simply repeated what
| he recited to them until they knew the lesson
| by heart. After six years-certainly after BE
! came to know Himself-our Lord was taught
| think. by His mother She may have initiated
| Him In the alphabet earlier anyhow delight
| in imagining the two at work. The torah is
| spread upon her knee; lie has hand over her
shoulder. she an arm about His waist; He is quick
to apprehend; their voices are low and and sweet;
at times they turn to each other and it is the old
story:
:Soft eyes looked love to eyes that spake again"
Uncle Midass voice was little tremulous, but
he went on In the same strain:
After the lad came to know himself the
knowledge enforced solemnity and serious
thought The old master who painted him
trudglng after Joseph with basket of tools h ad
the true conception of him about this time, for
he was humble and accomplishing, and de-
lighted in service. OF outdoor employments,
am sure he most loved that of a shepherd In
following the capricious 1ocks as they wandered
over the broad Esdraelon, he could freely in
dulge the expectancy of revelation that must
have been his constant condition of mind.
have had visions of him out in the historic
plain. sunburned, large-eyed, oval-faced,
leaning upon crook. a dog by his
side. What time he is not observant of his
Charge he is listening for voices, attentive to
each passing wind or gazing at the clouds for
seraphic messengers. or giving heed to the emo
lions OF his own being, in the hope of their be-
coming telltales of all he wished. How ten
DERBY he would carry the weaklings of the herd
down the steps and over the stony pacesl He
loved them and they loved him.
The herdsmen of Nazareth were ignorant and
poor; still they complied with the law. and at
least once every year went up to Jerusalem
after the custom of the feast. In the procession
on one such occasion there family, the
head of which was a plain, serlous-lookng mid
dle-aged man, with whom the world has since
become acquainted as Joseph. His WIFE Mary,
was then about twenty-seven years of age,
gentle, modest, sweet.spoken, of fair COM
plexion, with ewes of violet-blue, and hair half
brown. half gold. She rode donkey. James
Joses Jimon and Jude. fuil-grown sons of
Joseph, walked With their father. A child of
Mary, twelve years old, walked pear her. 1t is
not al all likely that the group attracted special
attention from their fellow-travelers. The
peace of the Lord be with youp they would say
In salute, and have return in kind. More than
eighteen hundred years have passed since that
obscure family mace that pious pilgrimage.
Could they come back and make it now. the
singing, shouting and worship that would go
with them would be without end; not Solomon
In all his glory nor Caesar, nor any or all of the
modern kings. would have such attendance. Let
us single out the boy, that we may try and see
him as he was-afoot like his brethren. small.
growing, and therefore slender His attire
was simpler on his head white hand
kerchief, held 10 place by a cord, one
corner turned under at the forehead. the other
corners loose a tunIc. also white covered him
from neck TO knees grit at the waist. His arms
and legs were bare: on his feet were sandals of
the most primitive kind, being soes of ox-hi 10
attached to the ankles by leathern straps. He
carried stick that WAS much taller than him
self The old painters, called upon to render
this childish figure on canvas, would have in
sisted upon distinguishing it with nimbus at
leas:; some of them would have filled the air
over its head with cherubs: some would have had
the tunic plunged into a pot of madden; the very
courtierly amongst them would have blocked
the way OF both mother and son with monks and
cardinals. The boy face comes to very clearly.
imagine him by the roadside on a rock which
he has clint bed. the better to the procession
winding pcturesquely through the broken coun-
try. His head is raised in effort at far sight.
The light of an intensely brilliant sun is upon
his countenanee, which in general cast is oval
and delicate. Under the folds of the handker-
chief see the forehead. covered by mass Of
projecting sunburned blonde hair, which the
wind has taken liberties with and tossed into
tufts. The eyes are In shade, leaving doubt
whether they are brown or violet, like his
mothers; yet they are large and BEAUTIFULLY
clear, and still retain the parallelism of arch
between brow and upper lid usually the char
acterstc of children and beautiful women.
The nose is of regular inward curve. Joined
prettily to short upper lip by nostrils just
full enough to give definition to transparent
shadows in the corners. The mouth is small,
and opens slightly that through the scarlet
freshness of its lines catch a glimpse of two
white teeth. The cheeks are ruddy and round,
L. e ~ r
years this side of the day the Magi laid their
treasures at his feet Putting face and finger
together. and mindful of the attitude of interest
in what is passing before Him, the lad rs see him
on the rock is handsome and attractive. When
the journey shall have ended, and the mother
made Him ready for the court of the temple, he
may jus tify more worshipful description; we
may then see in HIM the promise of the Savior
of men In the comeness of budding youth, his
sad destiny yet far in the future"