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

and then followed dull, short low bows-he heard
how the sharp nail was entering the soft
wood.
One hand. 1t was not too late yet.
The other hand. 1t was still not too late yet.
One foot, the other foot-is it possible that all
was ended? He opened his eyes rresolutely and
saw how the cross was lifted and placed in a
hole He how how the hands of Jesus contracted
convulsively, and how they relaxed painfully and
how the wounds were growing larger.
The hands were stretching, stretching they be-
came thin white ,dislocateG at the shoulders and
the wounds under the nails turned redder-it
seemed as though the hands would tear soon.
But everything stopped. Only ribs were NOV.
ing, lifted by quick deep breathing.
On the top of the earth stood the cross, and
upon it Jesus crucitied . . .
The horror and the dreams of Iscariot had been
realized-he rose and looked about him with a
cold glance And suddenly Iscariot saw as clearly
as his terrible victory, also it's ominous uncer
tainty. What if the people should suddenly un
derstand? 1t not too late as yet Jesus was
still alive There he was calling with his sor
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 children-silently without any
outcries, and they would wipe out the soldiers
sink them in their blood tear out of the earth
the accursed cross, and the hands of those who
would remain among the living would lift higl
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 dog
ne would watch and wait until the people would
rise But what has happened with Time? Now
IL almost stopped, so that he felt like pushing ii
with his hands, striking it with his feet. as lazy
ass; now 1t rushed madly as though from noun
taln taxing 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 he1
tears now, the tears of all mothers, of all women
on earth!
Jesus was dying. Is it possible? Yes Jesus
was dying His pale hands were motioness, bu
quick convulsions ran over his face his chest
and his feet. Yes he was dying. His breathina
grew fainter. Then it stopped. No, there came
ahother slgh-Jesus was still on earth And ther
another one? No No. No. Jesus died
1t was all over Hosannah Hosannah!
JUDAS stopped and surveyed with cold eyes the
neW small earth 1t had become small and he
telt as thought it was all under his feet; he looked
a' the small mountains quietly reddenng in the
last rays of the sun, and he felt the mountains
were under his feet; he looked at the skv. which
opened ts Due mouth wide; he looked at the
round little sum- which was vainly trying to scorct
and to blind-and he felt the sky and the sun mn
der his feet.
Judas had long selected place where
ne would Kill himself after the death of Jesus. Il
was on mountain, high above Jerusalem, anC
there stood only one tree, bent, half decayed anC
tossed by the wind, which tore it on all sides
one OF its crooked branches was outstretched to
ward Jerusalem, as if blessing or threatening it
ana JUDAS chose that branch for fastening the
moose upon 1t. . Within two davs Iesus =,
Nazareth and Judas lscariot the Traitor. left the
earth. - ~
a.
All night Judas was dangling upon the tree like
some monstrous fruit over Jerusalem; and the
wind turned his face now toward the city now to
Ward the DESERT as though it wanted to show