The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-12-18

shadows which Iscariot soul, but he could
not penetrate into the bottomess depth. Judas
Is it with a kiss you betray the Son of NAM"
And he saw how that monstrous chaos trembled
and stirred Speeches. and stern like death in
its naughty majesty stood Judas Iscariot and
within him thousand impetuous and fiery voices
groaned and roared
Yes! We betray thee with the kiss of love.
With the kiss of love we betray thee to outrage.
to torture, to death! With the voice of love we
call together the hangmen from their dark holes.
and we place cross-and high over the top Of
the earth we lift lover crusiied by love upon a
cross"
Thus stood Judas, silent and cold like DEATH
and the shouting and the noise about Jesus an
swered the cry of his soul With the rude ir-
resoluteness of armed force, with the awkward
ness of a vaguely understood purpose, the soldiers
seized him and dragged him somewhere-their
irresoluteness they mistook for resistance their
fear they mstool for derision and mockery over
them. Like herd of frightened lambs the dis
ciples stood huddled together not interfering with
anything, yet disturbing everybody and even
themselves. Only few of them resolved to walk
and act separately Jostled from all sides. Peter
drew out the sword from its sheath with difficulty.
though he had lost his strength and family
lowered it upon the head of of the priests
without causing him any harm. Jesus who no
ticed it, ordered him to throw down the unneces-
sary sword, and. clankng family. the sword fell
to the ground.
Thus it remained there until many days later
children at play found it and made toy of it.
When Jesus was led away Peter who
had hidden himself behind the trees came out and
followed his Master in the distance. Noticing an
other man in front of him, who walked silently
he thought that it John, and he called him
softly:
John, is that you?"
And is that you Peter" answered the other
pausing, and by the voice Peter recognized the
Traitor Peter, why did you not run away to-
gether with the others?"
Peter stopped and said with contempt:
Leave me- Satan!"
Judas began to laugh and paying no further at
tention 10 Peter, he went farther there where the
torches were flashing dimly and where the clank-
ing of the weapons mingled with the footsteps
Peter followed him cautiously, and thus they en-
tered the court of the high priest almost stimuli
taneously and mingled in the crowd of the priests
who were warming themselves at the bonfires.
Judas warmed his bony hands morosely at the
bonfire and heard how Peter said loudly some
where behind him:
NO, do not know him"
But it evident that they were insisting
there that he was one of the disciples of Jesus
for Peter repeated still louder, But do not I'M
derstand what you saying"
Without turning around, and smiling inyolun-
tarily Judas shook his head afirmatvely and
muttered:
That's right Peter! 10 not give up your place
near Jesus to anybody"
And he did not how the frightened Peter
walked away from the courtyard And from that
night until the very death of Jesus Judas did not
single one of the disciples of Jesus near
him, and amid all that multitude there were only
two, inseparable until death strangely bound to-
gether by sufferings-he who had been BETRAYED
to abuse and torture and he who had betrayed
him. Like brother. they both, the betrayed and
the traitor drank out of the same cup OF suffer
ngs, and the fiery liquid burnt equally the pure
and the impure lips
He saw how the soldiers led Jesus away. Night
passing, the bonfires dying out and were
becoming covered with ashes, and from the sentry
house came dull cries, laughter and abuses. They
were beating Jesus AS though lost, Iscariot was
running around the deserted yard, now stopping
lifting his head and then starting to run again
stumbling upon the bonires and the walls. Then
he chung to the wall of the sentry house and
stretching himself chung to the windows to the
crevices in the doors, and looked greedily to see
what was going on within He saw a narrow
sitting room, like all the sentry houses in the
world, with filthy floors and walls And he saw
man being beaten They beat him on the face
on tire head, they hurled him like soft bale from
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