I should like to have been with them then.
I wish that his hands had been placed on my head,
That his arms had been thrown around me,
And that I might have seen his kind look when he said,
“Let the little ones come unto me.”
8. THE MAID AWAKENED
(Matthew 9:18-26)
Once there was a girl twelve years of age who lived in a beautiful country house with her father and mother, who loved her dearly. Her father was one of the chief men of that place, a ruler, the president of Synagogue College, and very rich.
One day this little girl became ill, and day by day she grew weaker and weaker, until everybody feared she would never be well again. One morning she lay very white and still with her eyes closed and scarcely breathing. Her father had left his business that day to sit by her bedside and watch her. Tears filled his eyes as he thought he must lose his darling daughter. All at once the little girl opened her eyes and seeing her father’s tears said: “Father, there’s a good man who loves children. I saw him one day in town, and he looked at me and spoke to me so kindly, I just loved him. His name is Jesus. He heals the sick. I think he would make me well.”
The father had thought of him several times, but as some of his friends didn’t want to have anything to do with him, he did not go to him. But when his daughter whispered, “Please, father, tell him I’m sick,” the father determined at once to go and get him. He hastened to the town where he was dining in a friend’s house. He fell at the feet of the great Teacher, crying out: “My little daughter is dying! Please come quickly and lay your hand on the child, and she shall live!” At once the Teacher arose and followed the father, a great crowd of people following, each person trying to get near him and to look up into his face or to hear his wonderful words. As they were on their way a poor old woman that had been ill as many years as the little girl had been on the earth, with a disease that no doctor could cure, came up quietly behind Jesus in the crowd. She thought, “If I can only touch his garment, I shall be healed.” And as soon as she put out her finger and touched the hem of his garment, she felt new life, and she was healed. “Who touched me?” said the great Teacher, turning around and looking straight at her. Then he spoke kind and comforting words to her. All this took so much time the father was worried and said, “O Sir, please hasten, or my little daughter will be dead before we get there!” But this great man was never in a hurry, having time to help everybody. They were not much farther on the way when they saw a man running toward them. It was the rich man’s servant, who said, “Thy daughter is dead. Don’t trouble the Teacher any further!” You should have seen the sorrow written on that poor father’s face. Jesus saw it and said, “Do not be afraid. Only believe in me!” When they reached the house the doors were wide open and they heard the sound of pitiful wailing and weeping, accompanied by the flutes and other instruments of mourning-minstrels, who did not feel sad, but merely did this because they were paid for it. “Why make ye this ado and weep?” said Jesus. “The maid is not dead, but she is asleep!” After Jesus had passed, these weepers laughed and mocked him, saying, “We know she is dead.”