The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-12-19

and then followed dull, snort, low uloNS-He ucalu
how the sharp nail was entering the soft
wood.
One hand II was not too late yet
The other hand. 1t was stlll not too late yet
One foot the other foot-is 1t possible that all
was ended? He opened his eyes irresolutey and
saw how the cross was lifted and placed In
hole. He how how the hands OF Jesus contracted
conyuslvely. and how they relaxed painfully and
how the wounds growing larger.
The hands we're stretching, stretching, they be-
came thin. white dslocated at the shoulders, and
the wounds under the nails turned reddcr-it
seemed though the hands would tear soon.
hut everything stopped. Only ribs were NOV
ing, lifted by quick, deep breathing.
On the top of the earth stood the cross and
upon 1t Jesus cruched
The horror and the dreams of lscariot had been
realized-he and looked about him with
cold glance. And suddenly Iscariot saw as clearly
as his terrible victory, also its ominous uncer-
tanty. What II the people should suddenly I'M
derstand? 1t not too late yet. Jesus was
still alive There he was calling with his
rowful eyes.
What was it that prevented the thin covering
obstructing the eyes of the people from bursting?
And suddenly they would understand. Suddenly
they would all move forward In stern mass OF
men, women and childrcn-silently, without any
outcries and they would wipe out the soldiers
sink them In their own blood tear out OF the earth
the accursed cross, and the hands Of those who
would remain among the living would lift high
over the crown OF the earth the free Jesus! Ho-
sannah! Hosannah
Hosannah? No. Judas would rather lie down
on the ground and gnashing his teeth like n dog,
he would watch and wait until the people would
rise But what has happened with Time? Now
It almost stopped, so that he felt like pushing 1t
with his hands striking It with his feet as a lazy
: nd dIv
tain, taking his breath away, and his hands
sought some support in vain There Mary OF
Magdala was crying. There the mother OF Jesus
was crying Let her cry. What mattered her
tears now. the tears Of all mothers. of all women
EARTH
Jesus was dying. Is 1t possible? Yes, Jesus
was dying. His pale hands were motonless but
quick commissions ran over his face his chest
and his feet. Yes he was dying. His breathing
grew fainter Then 1t stopped No there came
another sigh-Jesus still on earth And then
another one? No. No No. Jesus died
II was all over. Hosannah Hosannah,
Judas stopped and surveyed with cold eyes the
new, small earth. II had become small and he
felt as thought II was all under his feet he looked
at the small mountains. quietly reddening In the
last rays Of the sun. and he felt the mountains
were under his feet; he looked at the sky, which
opened its blue mouth wide; he looked at the
round little sun, which vainly trying to scorch
and to blind-and he felt the sky and the sun UNI
der his feet.
Judas had long selected n place where
he would XIII himself after the death OF Jesus. II
was Oh mountain. high above Jerusalem. ant
there stood only one tree, bent, half decayed ant
tossed by the wind, which tore it on all sides
One OF It's crooked branches was outstretched to
ward Jerusalem, as If blessing or threatening 1t
and Judas chose that branch for fastening tn,
moose upon IT. Within two days Jesus O.
Nazareth and Judas Iscariot the Traitor, left tn,
earth.
All night Judas was dangling upon the tree lk,
some monstrous fruit over Jerusalem; and tn,
wind turned his face now toward the city now to
ward the desert as though 1t wanted to shoy
Judas both to the city and to the desert .