"Dost thou mean Jesus—our Jesus?" and Mary lay hold of her brother's sleeve with tight fingers.
"Jesus? The Galilean Rabbi that doth abide under our roof?" and
Martha came hastily to the side of Lazarus.
"Yea—yea, verily. It is even this same Jesus!"
"My brother," and Mary stepped in front of him and looked into his eager smiling face, "what strange thing is this thou sayest? Ah, it is too strange that after the long, long years of Israel's bondage the King of the Jews hath come! And stranger far than this if it should be the Jesus we love."
"But I do swear to you I speak the truth. Thou shouldst have seen
Jerusalem this day. Thou shouldst have heard the glad hosannahs to the
King, shouted from ten thousand throats!"
"Thou makest my ears to burn!" Martha said, her face glowing with excitement.
"Nay, rather doth my heart burn with a fire of wondrous and holy joy,"
Mary said in trembling voice.
"And glad I am that our home hath been his stopping place and that I,
Martha, have baked him sparrow pies."
"Rather thank Jehovah that we have been blessed with quiet hours of teaching ere all Israel doth make demands on his wisdom, as did our fathers on the wisdom of Solomon. But, Lazarus, what of the day? Last night he sat with us at meat and no word was spoken of a king. And this morning when thou and Jesus did turn thy faces to Jerusalem, was naught said of so grave a matter."
"Thou speakest the truth, Mary. This morning the Master had no thought of the near coming of the Kingdom, though twice had the people of Galilee called him to be King. But as we journeyed toward Jerusalem, as if it had been well planned, throngs came out from everywhere waving palms and tossing olive branches. Aye, it seemed a forest of olive branches moved along the road and children threw flowers, and mighty was the shouting. As we drew near the city, Jerusalem, hearing the glad shouting, came forth to meet us and as the great gate was neared did the men of Israel spread their garments along the way as when the army of Jehu made a carpet of its coats. With victorious shoutings entered the procession beneath the city gates and with wild waving of palms was the King of the Jews heralded. Not in a hundred years hath the City of Zion witnessed such a sight and the noise of shouting was at times like thunder. Near mine own ear did a zealot shout until methought the top of my skull was tumbling in. And with his shouting did he wave an old red rag which he shook fiercely, as he roared out, 'Thou art the King!' And with him was a woman, young and comely who likewise shouted saying, 'Hosannah! Praise his name!' keeping tight hold of the coat of the man, meantime, because of such a run of joyful tears as blinded her eyes. And these were but two of the multitude. Think ye, my sisters, that the Roman soldiers stood not aside when such a following did pass?"