The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-12-18

SllduVWS WHICH was ISCdrlOJS SOUL, Out he cOulQ
not penetrate into the bottomless depth. Judas!
Is it with kiss you betray the Son of MANI"
And he saw how that monstrous chaos trembed
and stirred SpeechleSs and stern like death in
its naughty majesty stood Judas Iscariot, and
within him a 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 or love we
call together the hangmen from their dark holes,
and we place a cross-and high over the top of
the earth lift lover, crdsifed by love upon
cross"
p 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-
resouteness of armed force, with the awkward
ness of vaguely understood purpose, the soldiers
seized him and dragged him somewhere-ther
irresoluteness they mistook for resistance, their
fear they mistook for derision and mockery over
them. Like a herd of frightened lambs the dis
clpes stood hudded 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,
as though he had lost his strength and family
lowered it upon the head of one of the priests
without causing him any harm. Jesus who no
ticed it, ordered him to throw down the unneces-
sary sword, and, clanking 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 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 was John, and he called him
softly:
John, is that your"
And Is that you Peter?" answered the other,
pausng, 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 to Peter, he went farther there where the
torches were flashing dimy 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 bonfres
Judas warmed his bony hands morosely at the
bonfire and heard how Peter said loudly some
where behind him:
mo, do not know him"
But it was evident that they were insisting
there that he was one of the disciples of Jesus
for Peter repeated still louder, But do not un-
derstand what you saying"
without turning around and smiling inVOun-
tarily Judas shook his head afirmatively and
muttered:
That's right, Peter! Do not give up your place
near Jesus to anybody"
And he did not see how the frightened Peter
walked away from the courtyard And from that
night until the very death of Jesus Judas did not
see a 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 suferings-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
ings, and the fiery liquid burnt equally the pure
and the impure lips
He saw how the soldiers led Jesus away Night
was passing, the bonfires were 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 bon1ires and the walls. Then
he clung to the wall of the sentry house. and
stretching himself clung to the windows, to the
crevlceS in the doors, and looked greedy 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 the head they hurled him like a soft bale from
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