The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-09-09

" ASHo snip Win thein, we nave ndu
much sorrow"
Many had been well pleased with
the suggestion and had forthwith es-
tablished communications with their
heather neighbors and apparently
were prospering under the compact
And this messenger had come to this
group OF Jews who still held aloof
from the popular disaffection to the
heather, and presented the suggestion
that they too make alliance with the
people about them.
Nay" we cannot do this great in
iquity," spoke up again the first
speaker. Once such departure from
Jewish law and ordinances is begun
and there is no telling to what lengths
it will go. You all know that already
there are some of our brethren who
nave been to the king and secured
license to do after the ordinances Of
the heather as though they were
Gentiles indeed. And thou knowest
how they have built places of wor-
ship in our holy city Jerusalem ac-
cording to all the manner and custom
OF the heathen. and have made them
selves uncircumcised and have for
salxen the holy covenant. Yea, they
have sold themselves to do mischief"
This earnest plea had its effect and
it was plain to see ere he had finished
speaking that all were determined to
stand against the enticements of the
Gentiles except the one who had
brought the message. 1t was evident
that he appreciated that further ar
| gument was OF no avail, for he turned
and as he stepped through the door
he turned and with a sneor on his
face he said:
you are foolish, indeed. Trouble
win surely come to you"
Not long after this the king Anti
ochus returned in triumph from Egypt,
where he had been waging war, and
came down upon Jerusalem with a
great army. And when he had taken
the city he entered proudly into the
sanctuary Of the temple and took
away the golden altar and the candle
stick of gold and all the vessels there
of. And the table of shew bread, and
the pouring vessels, and the viais, and
the censers Of gold, and the precious
| vessels, and all the gold and silver.
and much hid treasure. And he caused
all kinds of indignities to be prac-
| ticed upon those of the Jews who re-
| fused to conform to all the customs
| OF the heather. Those were terrible
| days in Jerusalem, for the strength of
the young men and the young women
was taken, and the beauty of women
was changed. Thsu matters continued
for two years and then the king sent
his chief collector to gather tribute
from Jerusalem and the cities of Juda.
This collector spake peaceable
words unto the Jews, but all was de-
ceit, for when they had paid him all
his demands he fell suddenly upon tue
city for loot and destroyed much
| people. Having done this, he brought
In great companies OF heather, and
they strengthened the walls of the
city and brought in armor and victuals.
And whenever any heather coveted
aught which was Jews he ruthless
ly slew the Jew and toook his ALL.
Now the king, Antiochus, was not
little annoyed because of the obsti-
macy of some few of the Jews, and he
sent decree into the land of Israel
that every one should leave his laws
and obey only those laws which the
king himself had made.
And very many Of the Jews were
consenting to this thing, pricing their
lives higher than obedience to Gods
law and acceptability with Him, and
they sacrificed unto the strange idols
with which the city became filled and
| they profaned the Sabbath days.
Now among the few who refused to
obey the commands OF the king was
that faithful Jew who had kept that
little company from compromising
with evil some two years before. And
not one of that group had proved
faithless to the stand taken that
night. Some had been put to death
and others had fed into the Businesses
of the mountains But their leader
still remained In Jerusalem, and now
it became evident that he was the one
upen whom the wrath and enmity Of
the officials of the city was centering.
But that they might cause him all the
suffering possible before putting him
to death. they seized his wife and his
infant son and put them both to death
before one of the altars erected to
the idols. All of which they forced
this devout Jew to witness. There
lay his wife in the awful agonies Of
the slow and torturing execution.
while their little son was strung by
the neck along the street with other
infants much as bead pendants might
be hung from string.
wilt thou not yield now, seeing
the sure fate which awaits you if you
do not?" demanded the official He
was hoping that he would be able to
get a recantation from the man, for
he knew that if he did, this mans in
fiuence was so great that many others
too would bow before the idols and
ocufo,-rr, ~ 40 roptifro oonfc pf 40