The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-09-08
terest. When | addressed him he

For Two or three days he has been
meeting the learned Doctors OF the
Law in the Temple and disputing with
them about abstruse and difficult
questions in the Holy Book, and show
ing not only entire familiarity with
the text, but such power of analysis
and Interpretation as none OF them
possesses, for he confounded them
all
The incident made a deep and last
ing impression upon my mind, and I
have never forgotten the wonderful
face or the lad and it's confidence
compelling force.
AS / and my associates and friends
grew toward maturity T began to re
alize that loved Ruth with my whole
heart and all the intensity of my be-
ing. At times in my present existence
remember that I sometimes feared
she loved my cousin. But the time
came when all these doubts were set
at rest by Ruth's sweet confession
that she loved me alone, and she gave
me the assurance that my cousin low
ed her cousin and was beloved by her
AS no life is free from sorrow |
did not escape it, even at that early
age, for my father died suddenly and
my mother, with broken heart, only
week later. / was then called upon
to assume great and serious RESPONSE
bilities, which i need not relate to you
in detail, nor assure you that I met
them with a courageous spirit and
discharged the trusts which fell upon
me faithfully and 70 the best of my
ability. ! was on the verge OF man
hood and you will know that all that
was manly in my nature was deve-
loped to its highest attainment by
these responsibilities.
''l had just reached my majority and
Ruth was Is years old when we were
married. Then followed eight or ten
years Of such happiness as falls to
but few human beings. Two children
were born to us, a son and a daugh-
ter, and, as they grew, charmed our
hearts and won our intense love by
their beauty and amiability There
was single, but only a minor, note
OF discord in the harmony Of our lives
and that was fear of an inherited dis
ease.
IL was descended rom ReueI, a
prince OF the tribe Of Judah, and Ma
ana, daughter of Naaman, the Sy-
rian, who was healed of leprosy by the
Prophet Elisha, nearly 900 years be
fore 1 came into existence. The
cleansing Of Naaman and his restora-
ton to perfect health by dipping seven
times in the Jordan, at the word OF
Elisha, the prophet Of Israel, became
widely known among the surrounding
nations and Prince Reuel visited
Samaria and also Damascus, the
Syrian capital, to personally acquaint
himself with the true story of the
wonderful miracle. At Damascus he
met Mama, the daughter Of Naaman,
whom tradition describes, as woman
or great beauty, and they were NUT
ually attracted to each other. The re
suit was their marriage. "A son and
daughter We're born to them and 7
was descended from the son. The
genealogical descent was clear. 1t
was also clear that my dear Ruth was
descended from the daughter.
But the faint Of leprosy must have
been in the blood OF the Syrian gen
erals daughter, though never mani
tested during her life. 1t is g singu-
lar fact, too, that it never appeared in
the female line OF her descendants. 1t
had, however, occasionally appeared,
and at long intervals, in the male line,
though no case had been known for
two hundred years at the time I was
born.
Notwithstanding rnis. at times a
faint, shadowy fear would cross my
mind that, after all, the faint might
still exist, and I become a victim,
The danger, however, seemed so re-
mote that the thought was evanescent
and the fear of short duration. caus-
ing only a tiny, fleeting cloud upon
the otherwise undimned sky OF my
perfect happiness.
But the time came when the little
cloud expanded and grew in intensity
until my whole life became darkened
and no ray of sunshine fell upon my
pathway. AT the very time OF my hap
piness. with everything in possession
to make life desirable and joyful. with
unlimited wealth, high station,a loved
and loving wife and two beautiful and
! interesting children, and when moth
! ing more was to be desired, the blow
| fell. A strange eruption appeared on
my shoulder. At first it was slight
and 1 thought and hoped would pass
away. Instead II spread rapidly
Then, as required by the Mosaic law,
I sought the priest, ana, by his order
was shut in alone for a given time
Again the priest, in the exercise Of his
holy office, examined the eruption. He
was friend of mine and between us
there was a strong attachment. /
noticed that when he looked at my
shoulder his face grew livid and it
seemed long time until he could
command his voice to tell me was a
leper.
A leper, gentlemen! do you know
what that meant under the Mosaic
| law? | do not condemn the law II
was divine. wise and good, because
| 1t protected others from contamina-
ton. But it's subject was condemned
to condition far worse than death to
a sensitive person. II meant sepa-
ration and perpetual Punishment from
home and family. TO me it meant
that never again could I clasp in my
arms the wife whom I loved with de-
votion as intense as my being. 1T
meant that never again might I i'm
print the kiss OF love upon the lips
OF my prattling children. The won
der is that, in the anguish of my soul,
so dire and intense was, it, 7 did not
die at once.
But I lived and joined other lepers
in their Punishment from city and
home, and SO began two years Of
such sorrow as only leper may
know.