Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1906-12-27

Messiah, who was to neal the broken.
hearted, to give dellvcrance to the
captlves. the recovering OF sight to the
blind. The words seemed 70 come to
their hearts like a refreshing draught
to a parched soul. They heard moth
ing more of the reading, and In their
preoccupation of mind passed out OF
the synagogue without scarcely
greeting to their neighbors and
friends.
But when at home, they had spoken
together Of the work of the prophet.
and, as they bent over the rude cradle
of their boy and looked into his sight
less eyes that were turned to theirs
with such pathetic appeal as though
he would say: 81 hear your loving,
tender words, but / cannot see you"
they sighed and cried out in the yearn'
ing Of their hearts:
"Oh that the Promised One would
come and give sight to our boy"
And during the days which followed
they had found the growing hope
within their breasts that there was yet
help for their boy and that when God
sent his deliverer to Israel it would be
all right.
But when will he Gomez" impa.
tiently cried the mother, one day as
Jose was starting off 10 his work
The good man shook his head and
then with an effort to be cheerful and
force smile, he said:
"But he will come. Hark! what is
that? he exclaimed. as the sound OF
music and the chanting Of Psalm OF
praise floated in to them from the
street. And they both hurried to the,
doorway just in time to see group OF
shepherds passing. while in their train
was crowd Of curious, wondering
villagers, listening to their shouts Of
praise, and to the strange words they
were speaking.
"Messias has come! Messias has
GOMEZ" they heard the shepherds
shout And as the crowd pressed
close around them and half in won
dering amazement and half in ridicule,
asked them what kind of wine they
had been drinking, they stopped and
shouted
NAY we are not drunk, as we may
suppose, but God has given us a vision
of angels who told us that Messias
has come"
Jose and his wife Ruth had been
eager listeners to all that had tran
spired, and now eagerly pressed for.
ard nj,
Where is he? Where is he?"
"In Bethlehem whittier we went
last night, as the angels babe us, and
we found the babe wrapped in swad-
ding clothes and lying in a manger."
"a babe? questioned Ruth, the hope
that had bounded upward dying with
in her heart, What can a babe do?"
But he is Messias, for the angel de-
clared that unto us was born Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord. And we
have seen and worshipped him"
"The word of the prophet" repeated
Ruth over and over again to herself
as she returned to her humble little
dwelling, while her husband continued
on his way to his work and the STEP
herds passed through the village
shouting their psalm of praise and
clarifying God for His great gift.
And it was the word of the prophet
which said he should give sight to the
blind. Some day perhaps he will come
and touch thine eyes," she concluded.
as she leaned over her baby's crib.
She lifted him to her arms and then
sat and let the glimmering hope COM
fort her heart.
Thirty years have passed since the
beginning of our story. The little
blind baby has grown to manhood.
while the parents have hoped on and
on for the deliverance which has not
come What place for the blind save
by the roadside, or near the temple at
Jerusalem, where they might receive
the aims of the people.
But one day rumor came to the
blind man of prophet which had
come to Israel and was doing wonder
full things in Galilee. Instantly his
| thought reverted to the words OF his
parents years before and when his
father came that night to lead him
| home, he eagerly told him what he
| had heard.
"Is not this the one of whom the
shepherds spoke so many years ago."
he asked.
AS they talked together concerning
the matter, the purpose grew within
him to go and find this new teacher.
Perhaps he would help him: After
much persuasion he won the consent
OF his parents to take him to Galilee.
But when they had come thither they
found that he had departed, and they
set out to follow Thus began a
search which dragged it's weary, dis
| annnintinS length through the re.