The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-05-08

the salutation from side to side, and
repeating it with laughter and groans,
liking of the Jews! Hail, King of
the Jews"
...
The sun was rising rapidly to noon ;
-. suddenly dimness Logan to fill
the sky and cover the earth-at first
no more than scarce perceptible fad
ing of the day a twilight out OF
time; an evening gliding in upon the
splendors of noon. But 1t deepened,
and directly drew attention; whereat
the noise of the shouting and laugh
ter fell off, and men, doubling their
senses, gazed at each other curiously !:
then they looked to the sun again; !;
then at the mountains, getting farther
away at the sky and the near land
scape, sinking in shadow; at the hill
upon which the tragedy was enactlng;
and from all these they gazed at each
other again, and turned pale and held
their peace 49,. The dimness
went on deepening into obscurity, and
that into positive darkness, but with
out lettering the bolder spirits upon
the knoll. One after the other the
thieves were raised OH their crosses,
and the crosses planted. The guard
was then withdrawn, and the people
set free closed in upon the height, and
surged up it, like a converging wave.
A man might take a look, when a
newcomer would push him on, and
take his place, to be in turn pushed on
and there were laughter and ribald-
nv and revilement all for the Naza-
rene.
"Ha, ha! If thou be king of the
Jews, save thyself," soldier shouted.
"Ay," said q priest, elf he will
come down to us now, we will believe
in him."
Others wagged their heads wisely,
saying, "He would destroy the Tenn
pie, and rebuild it in three days, but
cannot save himself"
Others still: "He called himself the
Son of God let US see if God will
have him."
What all there is in prejudice no
one has ever said. The NaZarene had
never harmed the people; for the
greater part of them had never seen
him except in his hour Of calamity !
yet singular contrariety they
LOADED him with their curses
and gave their sympathy to the
thieves.
The second hour after the suspen-
sion passed like the first one. TO the
Nazarene they were hours of insult,
provocation, and slow dying. He
spoke but once in the time. Some
women came and knelt at the foot OF
his cross. Among them he recog-
nized his mother with the beloved dis
ciple.
"Woman," he said, raising his
voice, "behold thy SON. ~ And to the
disciple, "Behold thy mother n'
The third hour came, and still the,
people surged around the hill, held to
it by some strange attraction, with
which, in probability, the night IN
midday had much to do. They were
quieter than in the preceding hour;
yet at intervals they could he heard
off in the darkness shouting to each
other, multitude calling unto multi
tude. 1t was noticeable, also, that
coming to the Nazarene, they ap.
preached his cross in silence, took the
look in silence, and so departed.
This change extended even to the
guard, who so shortly before had cast
lots for the clothes of the crucified;
they stood with their officers little
apart, more watchful of the one con-
vict than of the throngs coming and
going. If he but breaLhed heavily, or
loses his head in paroXism of pain,
they were instantly on the alert.
Most marvellous of all, however, was
the altered behavior of the high-priest
and his following, the wise men who
had assisted him in the trial in the
night, and. in the victims face, kept
place by him with Jealous approval.
When the darkness began to fall, they
began to lose their confidence. There
were among them many learned in
astronomy, and familiar with the ap-
partitions so terrible in those days to
the masses; much of the knowledge
was descended to them from their
fathers far back some of it had been
brought away at the end of captivity
and the necessities of the Temple ser
vice kept it all bright. These closed
together when the sun commenced to
fade before their eyes, and the noun
tains and hills to recede; they drew
together in a group around their pom
tiff, and debated what they saw.
"rhe moon is at its full" they said,
with truth, land this cannot be an
eclipse" Then, as no one could an
sWer the question common with them
all-as no one could account for the
darkness, or for its occurrence at that
particular time, in their secret hearts
they associated it with the NaZarene,
and yielded to an alarm which the
long continuance of the phenomenon
steadily increased. In their place be-
hind the soldiers, they noted every
word and motion Of the NaZarene, and
hung with fear upon his sighs, and
talked in whispers. The man might
be the Messiah, and then-But they
would wait and see!
When the third hour was
about half gone, some men of the
rudest class-Wretches from the tombs
about the city-came and stopped III
front of the center cross.
"This is he the new king of the
Jews" said one of them.
The others cried, with laughter,
"Hail, all hail, King of the Jews"
"If thou be King of the Jews, or
Son of God, come down." they said
loudly.
At this, one of the thieves quit
groaning, and called to the Nazarene,
"Yes, if thou be Christ, save thyself
and u.s."
The peOple laughed and applauded !;