The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-09-08

heretical views I bave sometimes
felt that ] might be wronging the
Divine Master by this reticence, but
on the whole 7 believe He does not
desire the PRONUNCIATION of this ex-
traneous testimony OF His divinity
We have the New Testament and I
am assured BY sort of inward con-
seriousness that He desires us to
predicate our faith in Him upon this
revealed word. Furthermore, I hope
gradually and by prudently ap-
preaching the subject to finally win
my parents to believe and acknowl-
edge the Messiahship of Jesus. You
have probably observed, gentlemen, a
marked change in the attitude or in
telligent Jews, generally towards the
Man or Nazareth and his Disciples.
His name is no longer offensive to
them; they no longer regard Him as
voluntary imposter, but hold that
he was a most wonderful being and
endowed with attributes almost sup
erhuman, as well as with purity and
holiness Of life unexampled in His
X day. I believe the time is coming
when the Jews will, as a people, &C
cept and confess Him as the Divine
Redeemer Of a fallen world.
This much by way OF preface to
the remainder Of my story.
You will not be surprised when /
tell you that when I reached my ma
jority my parents began to express a
desire that I should marry and as
sumo the responsibility of a family.
There were many eligible and beauti-
ful maidens among our acquaint-
ances and I endeavored, but vainly,
to fix my affections upon one of them
the most beautiful and eligible OF
them all. But the image OF my lost
Ruth persistently interposed and T
found myself incapable Of love for
any other woman. Thus a year, two
years, passed and / became twenty
three years old without having made
choice OF a wife. My father and
mother became seriously distressed
by my Indifference and importuned
me earnestly to marry. Some times
was almost moved to crafty their
wishes and accept a loveless mar
r1ed life. But Ruth's image restrain
ed me. And very thankful and hap
py ! am this day that SO it was.
For several years before and af
ter my majority my father had had a
correspondent and financial associ-
ate in Paris whom he had never seen.
and just at the time when he was
most urgent for my marriage he in
vited this correspondent Sigis-
mund IS his name-and his wife and
daughter, Suzanne, to visit us In Lon
don. The invitation was accepted
and while mind and memory last /
viii not forget the night of their ar
rival T o.
reached our residence in London
but returned an hour later to find the
daughter alone in the drawing room.
And there I found my Ruth again.
Our meeting thus, after the lapse OF
centuries, was too sacred to be de-
scr1bed at length, and | will tell it
briefly. 1t was early spring time
and the weather was chilly. A glow
ing fire was burning in the CRATE and
she stood facing it. but turned as |
entered. For moment she seemed
to regard me with maidenly reserve;
than look Of wonder grew upon her
race as we gazed in each others eyes
and she saw that /, too, was filled
with aston1shment- Gradually the
expression Of wonder changed to one
Of supreme happiness, irradiating ev-
cry feature with brightness al
most angelic. And then she came to
my arms, with my old name on her
lips-lNathaniel, oh, my Nathaniel, at
last, at last y and the first act had
transpired in the fulfillment of the
promise Of Jesus to me in the noun
tains of Judea.
You realize that it was a strange
and joyful meeting, and will not be
In
lily followed by wedding, to the IN
qualified delight Of the parents OF
both or u.s. TO them it appeared a
case Of love at first sight and we
have never undeceiyed them.
And now you will probably won
der how Ruth recognized me and
whether she too remembered a pre-
vlous existence in which she was my
wife, She sits beside me, gentlemen,
ask her"
Thus appealed to the sweet and
gentle faced woman took up the story
and confirmed that portion of the
narrative related by her husband in
which she had had a part.
But" she said, II never saw Jesus
and had no promise that I should
again have an earthlIre and years OF
companionship with the dear hus-
band from whom had been separated
by fate more cruef than death. I
died in the belief that we would meet
again in the better life in the bright
Land Of the Leaf ana | know now
that that will be our ultimate re-
ward. I am glad, though, to live
again 10 this age of wonderful dis
covery and invention and to realize
that man is rising to the destiny de-
signed by the Creator who called him
into being"
To this Oppenthaler added a brief
word in relation to their children.
They are" he added, Identical in
every respect with those who died in
Chorazin nearly 1900 years ago. They
are the same in form and feature and
possess the same mental peculiar
tiles. One is rather quiet and re
served, but always bright and cheer
ful and with placid temper that
never breaks into stormy passion.
The other is OF nervous-sanguine
temperament, agile, active and SEEM
1ngly only at rest when asleep, but
not given to violent ebullitions OF
temper. They were Just that way in
the old life. They were too young
70 retain distinct memories OF that
life, but the older, who is the sedate
one, sometimes asks us questions
which lead us to believe that she
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