The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-12-22

night that there might be bread to
feed his hungry little flock. Before
the open door a little boy of five or
six years Is playing, and trotting
around the room after the mother as
she bustles about her work in prepar-
alton for the evening meal is a girl
of three or four, while sleeping in the
crude cradle in one corne of the room
is the baby, the Joy and delight and
pride of the home. A glad shout from
the boy playing about the door causes
the mother to turn and she greets with
a sweet smile a sturdy boy of nine as
he enters. Setting down on the low
shelf the small jar of goats milk which
he had brought, he Stops and takes
up the little girl, who with a cry of de-
light had left her mothers side and
ran towards him.
Helping mamma make the cakes?"
he asked, patting her cheeks. That's
right. We all need to help"
YES" spoke up James, who had fol-
lowed his brother into the house. I'm
going to learn to take care of the goat
when | get a little bigger, amt
mamma?" and he drew himself up be-
side the older boy to show how tall
he was growing.
80 you shall, James," responded his
brother, encouragingly. Hello, there's
the baby!" he exclaimed as the little
one began to sQueal, and putting his
sister down, he went over to the crib.
At sight of him she began to laugh
and COO, and soon all four children
were in a merry romp on the floor.
The mother glanced out of the door
way and noting that the sui was neal
the upper rim of the western hills
and would soon have set, she hastily
took her water jar and started for the
well, bidding the boy Jesus take care
of the children while she was gone.
It was an animated scene about the
gushing fountain at this hour Of the
day, and the busy chatter of the
tongues of the women gathered there,
mingled with the drip and splash and
murmur of the waters. To Mary it was
a sacred place, for it was here that
early n morning years before the
angel of the Lord had appeared to her
and told her that of her was to be
born the Son of God. the hope of
Israel. That was nearly ten years
ago now, but she had never come to
the fountain since without feeling that
she was in the very presence Of God,
On this particular day the women
gathered at the fountain were so alb
sorbed in their discussion that they
did not observe Mary's approach and
she had filled her jar and was turning
to go when they called to her.
"Whither away so fast, Mary?
Canst thou not tarry one brief moment
to chat with thy neighbors?" child
ed one of the women, who had been
eagerly RECALLING the Others with some
bit of gossip which had come to her
ears, and which she was anxious to tell
again.
"Our rabbi has just returned from
Jerusalem with a strange story" she
ran on excitedly, and the other women
pressed close, to again hear the tale,
while Mary, posing her water pot
gracefully upon her head, waited. He
found the doctors of the temple search
ing diligently through the writings of
the prophets for the promises of the
Messiah, for one Of tne chief men of
Bethlehem had but a short tine be-
fore come to Jerusalem declaring that
one of his shepherds had told him how
years before in answer to a strange
midnight vision he and his compan-
ions had gone to Bethlehem and had
there seen a babe whom the angels ap-
pearing in the vision had proclaimed
as the one who should come as Is
hope. But all trace Of the child
has been lost, and the learned doctors
Of the law are seeking If there be any
word of the prophets which would
throw light upon the story"
Mary started visibly at the words,
and almost sent the jar upon her head
lashing to the ground, but her agita-
ion was unobserved by the others, SO
absorbed were they in the story. Quick
IL recovering herself, she asked,
'And what thirk the doctors Of the
story? Do they believe Messias hath
NAY. rabbi declareth that they have
already proved out of the words of
he prophets that the story Of the
shepherds cannot be true, for Christ
s to come In power and great glory"
Mary vouchsafed no reply, but re-
placing her water jar upon her head
he turned and walked slowly and
houghtfully homeward. What a train
# memories had been stirred within
,e, What marvellous. miraculous