Evening star., 1926-10-28

fully at work on ner new TODH
and tunic and head scarf.
Il She baked wheat bread in
the oven behind her house,
cooked a lamb that she bought from
Aaron, the shepherd. and, in the
mornings, sitting in her doorway, she
entertained herself by drawing black
tines on the edges of her eyelids and
aIone her brows with an ivory pencil
dipped in kohl.
Her only visitor was an olive ped
GIer, from whom she bought jar of
his wares.
In the Summer travellers toiled up
the sun.baked slope daily on their way
across Palestine. Now, because the
Jlain below was boggy, dangerous to
the wayfarer with It's many little
streams edged with deep mud in which
strangers often We're suffocated. only
tbe,toWnspeopie moved back and forth
between the fields and the village.
The plain. Sown to barley in OctO-
Der. was green, and SO were the hills
that had been Drowned with the sun
in Summer.
The last figs still were on the trees.
Most Of the people of Jezreel had laid
In their Winter supply of fruit, dried
ON the roofs OF their houses, but Laila
had no fig tree and no store of the
sweet, shriveled food that was a sta.
Rle of her neighborS' tables.
Indeed, she had no table, but ate
upon the ground, as the shepherds
did, and others who We're poor.
On the third day after Antonius
was borne away. Aaron came past
again with his flock. bound for the
distant hills. She stepped out of her
door and he halted.
Aaron she said, ''you are II good
man and kind
He rested upon his staff and waited
for her to continue.
IT need q friend to tell me how l
may save myself" she went on. 81
have made myself new garments and
I have Just enough money 10 provide
my food on a long journey. I fear
60 stay here-the publican Will return
and cast me into prison. So l hope
20 take my way to Jerusalem and
thence to SeerSheba and down into
1dumea, where I may find a tribe
that may wish me well.
''The way Is very periloVs." he said.
'"The pits are filled with water and
YOU may stray into them. You may
drown in the muddy places. You may
Tall into the hands of robbers"
'I know" Laila said. but know
rhat Jezreel is more dangerous for
me than that. ! must go.
Aaron bowed his head in thought.
Have you means to buy Il donkey!
he asked. at length.
II have-a little money! she re-
piled, hesltatingly.
Perhaps l can buy the animal for
YOU more cheaply than YOU will be
able TO" he said.
The woman looked at him intently'
for a moment. Then sne turned, went
into her dwelling and. from the hid
ing place In the roof drew forth the
fragment Of linen belt, in which the
money was stored. She reflected for
a time and then dropped three pieces
.lf silver. into her hand. Putting the
remainder Of her horde back into the
6.saw, she came out again To Aaron.
Here Is all that ! have she said,
except one Roman silver coin. Buy
ne the animal as cheaply as you
can."
- took the three pieces and drop
peA them into the shepherds scrip
tint hung a, hia belt.
(7lancing over his flock. he saw that
they all were together, nibbhng the
nrsen ghoo.n that grew upon the
aAspa. A he started away, the sheep
hsEar otye1iently - follow him. He
drove them bhak With flourish of
his star and they fol- again ~ graz.
, NJ.
lie VAS gone 8. littis more than half
an t.s1ir. When 10 returned, II was
IN fhs tJank ~ small. plump dom
.ssy fhaa foppsd lts long ears AZ II
,isaAeG ihrr'3gh The mud.
ffs dysrspef ~ the ground ns he
sz<azpA T4iIa's hotisf. FuTGbling In
"a wtsuah, he dfsr forth two Of the
rSse shA keA gfv~D him. end = qosn-