The record-union., 1897-10-24

/
verSation ceased.
4 Pontius evidently meditated further
on the strange teachings of the Naza-
rene, for he shook his head negatively,
and at intervals shrugged his shoulders.
At last he rose and began saying fare
we'll
Suddenly Ant1ea said:
'Caius, let US go hence and see this
Nazarene."
'Hastenl" said the departing PLATE.
Soon the procession will start
/ VIII.
The day, which in the morning had
been hot and clear. became overcast at
noon. From the northwest came dark
and coppery clouds. not very large but
ominous and pregnant with storm. Be-
| tween them could yet be seen fragments
| of the blue sky, but it could be easily
foreseen that they would soon all come
together and veil the horizon. Mean
while the sun tinged the side of the
clouds with gold and fire. Over thesc1ty
itself and adjoining hills was stilleout-
stretched an expanse of blue sky.zand
beneath the wind was still.
On high plateau, called Go1gotha,
stood here and there small crowds of
people who had comein advance Of the
procession. The sun shone on the wide,
rocky spaces, desolate, barren and mel
ancholy. Their gray, monotonous
color was interrupted here and there
with a black net of crags and fissures,
| which seemed more black in contrast
with the brightness of the plateau,
which was flooded with sunshine Far
away were seen higher hills, equally
desolate, yelled in the blue mist of the
distance.
Lower, between the walls of the city
and the plateau of Golgotha, lay a plain,
broken in places with terraces of rock,
| but less barren. From out the assures
of the rocks, in which rich loan had
collected, grew fig trees, with leaves
scarce and poor. Occasionally arose
| buildings fastened like swallows nests
| to the rocks, or white painted graves
| glistening in the sunlight. The influx
| of people from the country for the holy
| days caused them to rear close to the
walls of the city multitudes of huts and
| tents, thus creating many camps, full
of men and camels.
The sun rose higher and higher in the
clear part of the sky. The hour was ap-
preaching when deep silence reigned on
these hills and all nature sought the
| shade. And even now, in great con-
| trast to the living crowds, sorrow
| seemed to brood over this place, where
| the binding light fell not on the green
turf, but on the masses of gray desolate
rock. The murmur of far distant voices
coming from the walls changed as If in
to the ripple of the waves, and seemed to
be absorbed in the silence.
! The scattered groups of people, VINO
| from the early morn had awaited on
| Golgotha, now turned their faces To-
ward the city, from whence they eX-
| pected the procession to start every mo-
ment.
Anthea now arrived, carried in Mt
| ter, escorted by soldiers who We're sent
by the Procurator to clear the way and
protect her against the fanatical crowds
who hated all foreigners. Near to the
| litter walked CHINA, in the company OF
| the centurion Rufilus
The procession had at last started
| from the city to Golgotha, and from the
prominence upon which Anthea rested
it could be plainly seen. The multitude
of people was large, but in contrast with
the vast plain it seemed smaller. From
| the open gates of the city the crowd
/ kept pouring out, and the number was
| being augmented by those waiting out
| side the walls. First appeared long
/ file. which widened out like a river as 1t
| proceeded. At the f1anks ran swarIns
of children. The procession was spotted
| with the white garments and scarlet ana
| blue headdresses of the women. In the
midst glistened the bright armor and
spears of the Roman cohort, which re-
fected the flying rays of the sun. The
murmur of mixed voices came from adar
and became more and more distinct
.a.oT,0 mr.
the first rows commenced ascending
the hill.
Centurion Rufi1us approached the lit
ter and quietly gave some instructions
to the soldiers. Meanwhile, from the
the city the crowds grew in numbers,
like the waves of the sea- The pressure
increased every minute. In the multi
tude could be seen well-to-do citizens
of Jerusalem, clothed in striped robes,
who kept aIoof from the mob of the
purliens: also came numerous husband
men. accompanied by their families,
who came to the city for the holy days.
Also there were laborers whose loins
were clad in bagging, and herdsmen
clad in goatskins, with good -natured
wonderment depicted on their faces. In
the crowds could be seen many women,
but as the ladies of the upper classes
remained at home they were mostly
the women of the people, the wives of
husLandmen and laborers, or the wO-
men of the street, arrayed in fine fam
ing colors with dyed hair and eye
brows. tinted finger nails and carmine
checks. scented with nard, which one
could smell from afar, large earrings
and necklaces made of coins. At last
arrived a sanhedrim of the scribes and
elders. and in the midst walked Ha-
naan. an old man with the face of
yultllre and red eyelids; the high priest
Caiphas with a tow -cornered head
dress and golden breastplate. Together
with them walked different PhaTissees;
first. the foot dnaggers,' who purpose
" stumbled at every obstacle; the
bleeding heads who struck their
heads against the walls, and the
bowed backs who pretended to be
weighed down with the sins of the
whole city. Their ascetic gloom and
rigorous countenances distinguished
them from the noisy crowd of the COM
mon people.
CHINA regarded the multitude with
the cold, naughty glance of the dom
inant class. Anthea with surprise and
alarm. Many Jews inhabited A1exan-
dr-ia. but there they were half Hell
lenes here-for the first time she saw
them as described by PLATE and as
they indeed were in their own nest
Her young face, ON which death had