The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-12-20

ance of the scene with their plumes
and uniforms And so on down the
line the great and mighty were given
a place on this committee which was
to receive with the honor due him,
Jesus.
Was 1t any wonder that fevered in
tensity was everybody's mood when
the event that the world had ex-
pected from generation to generation
for almost two thousand years was
about to take place? Even the pure,
white beast, with his trappings of
beaten gold, who was to bear the
Master along the carpeted way, paved
the ground with restlessness.
But suddenly every form grew rigid
with expectancy. From the distance
the clear air brought the sound Of g.
shrill whistle, and around the curve
the train came speeding. The signal
was given and heads were barred all
down the line, the militia came to
present, and for a moment nothing
was heard but the heart-beats Of men.
It was as though all nature Joined
with every creature spontaneously In
an invocation upon the scene that
was about to be enacted.
And then upon the platform Of the
car there appeared the form Of a man.
A hand was raised and Immediately
every church bell rang out its song
Of frenzied Joy; the thousand voices
banked upon the side burst forth with
10y to the world, the Lord has
come: Let earth receive her King"
A mighty cheer swept down the limo
like a windstorm., but the cheer was
frozen in the threats of those who
stood near enough to see, for the man
who stood upon the platform of the
car had bleary eyes and dishevelled
hair and the face of the drunken sot,
and as they looked he staggered down
into their midst, and his feet were
just about to touch the carpet Of VEL
vet when he was seized by the strong
armed guards and hurled out into
the midst of the crowd, which pushed
him from side to side and Knocked at
his embarrassment. And those who
had seen it all shuddered as they real
lied how near the drunkard had come
to stopping upon the carpet of vel
vet kept for the Masters use:''
But now there appeared a foreign
era weaver in the mill-and when
those who lived in the village saw
him they jeered again but the lead
ers allowed him in silence to make
his way through the crowd, taking
care only that his feet did not touch
the sacred carpet. And following him
in quick succession came a woman
from the next town, notorious the
country wide as a public property, a
woman whose name was handled an
carelessly as one would brush the dirt
from his coat, whose face bore the
unmistakable signs of her trade; and
after her a convict just released, with
hair still cropped close and wearing
the prisOn-made suit and shoes to
remind him Of what he was-and is;
and last of all there came out through
the door man with ragged clothes
and face unshaven and shoes worn
to the uppers. And this trio were
taken in hand almost before their feet
touched the ground and carried to-
ward the little white ail-the only
place the hungry man can go; for tits
against the law for him to ask for
bread. Here they could be kept safe.
ly until after Jesus had come and
gone. For the shock that had come
to the crowd at first had given place
to wise looks and words. It was easy
to see why they were there. They
had come to take advantage Of the
crowd and ply their trade-the har-
lot to capitalize the passions of men;
the convict to steal their possessions,
and the tramp in his poverty and
rags to excite their sympathy.
The officers had forced their way
through the sea of scornful and in
different faces when a little woman
plainly dressed, flushed with excite
ment grasped the hand Of the harlot,
drew her face to hers and whispered
in her ear. What she said no one
knows save those two and the Father
who has the time and the thought to
watch even the sparrow as he falls.
But as she was dragged away. there
came over the haFlot's> face q smile
that was not the smile Of harlot-
and the same moment from the lips
of the little woman came a shout,
There he isl" For as she took her
place again in the crowd, in one Of
the windows Of the car she had seen
looking at her the radiant face of
Jesus!
But as she cried out the crowd,
startled at first, quickly remembered
that she was the woman who had
spoken to the harlot, and they smiled
the long-suffering smile that the wise
and great ones have for those whose
minds are feeble, and charitably con-
cluded that the excitement Of the day
had left her unbalanced.
The bell changed and the train
pulled out with one passenger left on
board. And the brakeman who was
passing through heard him say: They
didn't want to see me after all. They
expected some one else.''
The next morning the newspapers
of the world came out in black head
lines:
Tremendous Crowds Disappointed!
ThOnsands Stand All ,Chr3u<rro, q. po,,