The Ocala evening star., 1911-03-10


the gentle voice Of the patient suffer
| ct saying. Daughters of Jerusalem
weep not for me, but weep for your
selves and for your children" Then
Veronica hands Him the linen cloth 10
wipe the sweat from his brow, but
soldiers drive the women away and
there remains but one consolation TO
them, that of following the procession
TO the place Of execution. The scene
changes, Jesus now being on Golgotha.
The chorus approaches. singing the
funeral dirge. The chorus has COM
pleted its song of lamentation \
noise heard from behind the curtain
accompanies the last verses. Ham
mering! What can it mean? No the
very thought of il is too awful. We
hear il: we try not to listen 10 it. The
silence Of death prevails among the
audience The blows Of the hammer
become more distinct: the curtain
rises. There he is lying. his feet to-
wards US. stretched out fat on the
drive the nails through his limbs with
heavy blows. They bore through those
tender hands which have never done
harm to any living creature, which
whenever raised, healed all wounds
and relieved all pain; those feet which
carried the divine form lightly.
gliding over the hot sands of the coun-
try and over the rolling waves OF the
ocean, onward towards the goal of
love. He now lies pitifully here on
the ground. stretched out on the ac-
cursed tree. His muscles tense and
rigid as a fallen stag. To the right
and left. already erected, stand the
low crosses of the two thieves. The
latter merely have their arms bound
10 the crossbeam and only their feet
are fastened with nails. Christ alone
is nailed through hands and feet the
Pharisees being troubled by pre-
sentiment of their not being able to
Kill him altogether. If they dared.
they would tear him TO pieces and
scatter the parts TO the four winds. so
as 10 be quite certain of his not ris-
ing again the third day, as he pro-
phesied. ThS executioners have finish
ed binding the two thieves. Now the
King of the Jews must be raised.
Raise the cross: lay hold" commands
the centurion. BreathlesS silence
reigns supreme. Every heart stands
still; the four eXecutioners lay hold
with their muscular arms. TIP with it:
don't leave GO The cross is heavy:
the soldiers groan and push il up with
their shoulders. Their veins swell
/ out. Another heave and up il goes in
/ a huge sweep. Humanity bows its
head, shuddering a the atrocious deed
1t cannot be; it is impossible: it can
/ be and is. Horror seizes the onlooker;
/ his limbs tremble The spectators
clutch hold of each other. lest the
! cross fall on them and crush them.
/ The cross is coming-coming over the
whole world. Higher and ever higher,
! Hold tight and don't let it GO" Ii
stands, it is fastened; there hangs the
divine form. naked and bare The
nails go right through the bleeding
hands and feet and our eyes which
would be blind to the fact, are obliged
/ to witness it-our hearts, which long
TO make all undone, must bear it. But
we can control ourselves no longer. in
loud sobs our long restrained grief
bursts forth, and our trembling hands
are clasped in supplicant love Tn
utterable pity is poured out in uncon-
troIlable tears. forming a cloud of
sympathetic sorrow about the head of
the Crucified One. to tighten the agony
of death. And gradually the eye be-
comes accustomed to that which il has
never witnessed before. and is able to
gaze on the awful scene. Divine grace
spreads over the slender form. and as
sense of the beautiful eternally re-
comedies heaven and hell, and ennobles
even the most terrible. so our sorrow
harmoniously resolves itself into pious
admiration of perfect manly beauty.
such as is unfolded ts our gaze in
chaste calm and majesty.
1t grows dark-there is a rustling
and murmuring in the air which comes
I ~ a T-ar o11
the wings of the angels of death: or
is it flight of those sacred birds of
which the legend says. that they tried
to peck out the nails with which the
Savior was fastened to the cross until
they bent their weak little bills crook
ed, and to which the name of cross
bills was given. The sufferer up above
is quiet and still. His bright eyes
alone speak-speak to the invisible
powers, which reign and hover around
in this hour of consummation At
the foot of the cross the soldiers were
casting lots for his vesture-thc
priests are triumphant-the wild beast
cynicism is lurking with wolfish Gag
erness till its prey falls undisputed
and showing its teeth in anger. cries
IN fierce mockery: IF thou be the Son
of God come down from the cross" He
calls upon God, Let Him save Him
If He has found favor in his sight" He
would destroy the temple and build it
up again in three days-show now
thy power, proud King of the Jews"
Hereupon the tortured one in agony
turns his head: Lord forgive them.
for they know not what they do" And
the one thief even in his own dying
agony, mocks at him, but the other
rebuked him, saying: We received the
due reward of our deeds but this man
has done nothing amiss." and he be-
seeches: Lord remember me when
Thou comest into Thy kingdom"
when Christ utters the wonderful
words: Verify l say unto thee. today
shalt thou be with me in Paradise >
Fresh cries of mockery from the
! Pharisees: He saves others: himself
hears them. His senses are numbing
He bends his head TO Mary and John.
w oman, behold thy son: son behold
tiny mother, And now comes the
signs of approaching death He be-
comes restless, he struggles for
breath; his tongue cleaves TO the roof
Of his mouth. Il thirst" They hold
up to him a sponge filled with vinegar
at the end of a long spear He sips
hut il does not refresh him His an
guiSh has reached its highest point:
"Eloi, eloi. lama, sabachthani." groans
the breaking heart: wave of agony
passes over the noble form in its death
struggle. then deeply signing he