THE Shepherds near Bethlehem had been quietly watching their flocks, and perhaps looking out anxiously for the dawn, when suddenly, without any warning, an Angel came down to them from heaven, and the Glory of the Lord surrounded them with a great and wondrous light.

The Shepherds were very frightened at first, but the Angel quickly reassured them by saying that he had brought very good news, which would be a great joy to all people! For a Holy Babe was born in Bethlehem that night, Who had come to this earth to be the Saviour of the World!

Then the Angel told them that they would know his words were true, by finding the little Babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

And, suddenly, a multitude of the heavenly host were with the Angel; and they all praised God, and said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Then the Angels all went back to heaven, and the Shepherds turned to each other in solemn awe, and they said, "The Lord has made known to us a wonderful thing—let us go to Bethlehem and see for ourselves what has come to pass."

So they left their flocks and hurried to the town.

And there in a lowly stable, they saw the Holy Babe who was sent to Mary on the morning of Christmas day!

Months before this the Angel Gabriel had been sent from heaven to tell Mary that she was to be the most blessed of all women, for the Holy Child who was to be given to her, was to be called the Son of God.

Now He had come! And she laid Him—the Son of God—in a manger, "because there was no room for them in the Inn." The town was so full of travellers at that time, that Mary and Joseph were given a shelter in the stable. And so the Baby Jesus had a manger for His cradle.

Now I am going to tell you a little true story which happened where I live.

There was a Children's Service, and the clergyman asked the children if they could remember what he had begged them to do the Christmas before?

Then a little girl stood up, and gently and bravely answered, "You asked us to say—"

"Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus,

There is room in my heart for Thee!"

And he answered "Yes, that was it and you are a kind little girl to tell us!"

So to-day, with this sweet prayer in our minds, we can remember that there is a place in the heart of each one of us, which we can keep for Jesus!

We can think of His love to us; we can love Him in return; and worship Him every day we live.

And if we make room for Jesus in our hearts here, we shall find by and by, that He will give us "a crown of glory, that fadeth not away."

[II. THE GOOD SAMARITAN]

[LUKE 10.30]

THERE was once a lonely man walking in Palestine on the long mountainous road between Jerusalem and Jericho.

But suddenly a band of thieves sprang out of their hiding-place and robbed him of everything he had, and then cruelly wounded him and made off, leaving him by the roadside half dead.

Sad indeed was his plight, lying there in the glaring sunshine, aching with pain and consumed with thirst. Would no one come and help him? he thought.

Then some footsteps came close to him, and as he lifted his weary eyes, he saw one of the Jewish priests standing, arrested by the sight; but he only passed by on the other side of the road, and went away.

Then a Levite came along the road, and catching sight of the wounded man, he came over and looked at him; but he, too, passed by on the other side.

But at length there was a traveller who was making the same journey; and he saw the poor man lying there dying, and when he saw him he had compassion on him, and a great pity filled his heart. So he quickly went to his side, and bound up his wounds; and then he lifted him on to his donkey, and walking by his side, he brought him at length to an inn, and stayed with him all night.

At length the morning came, and the traveller was obliged to proceed on his journey.

So he called the master of the inn, and gave him some money, and told him to take care of the stranger, and promised to repay the innkeeper when he returned, whatever he had spent in caring for the sick man.

And now, I think, our Lord Jesus, who looks down from heaven at all that is happening here, says to each one of us, as we pass on our journey through this world: "Go thou, and do likewise."

I think that means, doing little kindnesses for everyone who seems to need help; and then we shall be like the good Samaritan whom Jesus praised.

[III. A MAN WHO BELIEVED IN JESUS]

JOHN 9.37

"And Jesus said unto him, 'Thou hast both seen him,

and it is he that talketh with thee.'" John 9.37.

ONE day, as the Lord Jesus passed by, He saw a man who had been blind ever since he had been born.

And His disciples asked Him whether this was the poor man's fault, or that of his parents.

And Jesus told them that it was no one's fault, and that He was going to work a great miracle; and He reminded them that He Himself, while He was in the world, was the Light of the world.

Then the Lord Jesus made clay, and put it on the eyes of the blind man; and told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.

So the blind man did what Jesus had told him, and he went to the Pool of Siloam, and washed, and came back quite cured.

You can imagine how the people who knew him gathered round him, with endless questions.

"How was it that he could see?" "And was he the very blind man who had sat all his life, and begged?"

And he answered very simply, "A man named Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and told me to go and wash in Siloam; and I washed, and came back able to see!"

Then the Pharisees, hearing of all this, came and questioned him again, even calling his father and mother to answer them, as to whether this was their son, and if so, had he been born blind?

So the parents answered that this was quite true.

And then the Pharisees argued that the man who cured him must be a sinner, for he had healed him on the Sabbath day!

At last the blind man lost all patience, and exclaimed indignantly: "Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes! Since the world began, it has never been heard that any man opened the eyes of one that had been born blind! If this man were not of God He could do nothing!"

Then the Jews were so angry that they cast him out of the Synagogue, and would have nothing more to do with him.

When Jesus heard that they had cast him out, He found him in the Temple, and in His great tenderness He cheered him with most glorious assurances.

The blind man had believingly obeyed the Lord Jesus when He told him to wash in the Siloam Pool; and he had defended his belief that this Man must be a Prophet if He could do these wonderful things.

And now our Lord revealed to him something which was above all other beliefs—and He said to him, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?"

And the healed man answered, "Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?"

And Jesus answered him, "Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee!"

Then the man who had been blind, and now could see, said adoringly:

"Lord, I believe!" and he worshipped Him.

[IV. ZACCHAEUS]

LUKE 19

OUR Lord Jesus was journeying towards Jerusalem, where He was going to die for us.

On the way He came to Jericho, and passing through it, numbers of people followed Him, and when He came out of the gate there was quite a crowd of those who wanted to see Him.

There was one man who specially wished to catch sight of Jesus, but he was such a short man that he felt sure he would not be able to see Him in the midst of the crowd.

So thinking about what he should do, he saw before him a low tree which could be easily climbed.

This pleased Zacchaeus very much, for now he made sure that he should see this wonderful Man whom everybody was talking about.

Zacchaeus was a chief of the Publicans, and was very rich; but he was not thinking about his riches just then, but just about seeing Jesus!

He did not know that that sight of Jesus, and that look from His holy eyes, and the cheering words which He would utter, would completely change the whole of his life!

So he sat on the bough of the sycamore tree, and looked to see Jesus come through the gate.

At length He came, among the thronging multitude pressing round Him, and Zacchaeus thought he was quite hidden by the branches, and that no one would think of his being there!

But when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said to him: "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must abide at thy house!"

And Zacchaeus made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.

That look from the eyes of the Son of God had gone straight into the heart of the rich, avaricious Publican; and though the crowd was offended, and said that Jesus had gone to be with a man that was a sinner, Zacchaeus did not trouble at all as to what they said! He had seen the face of Jesus, and he had felt in his own heart that he was a sinner, and he was longing to ask the forgiveness which he believed Jesus would give him.

So he stood before them all, and he told Jesus, in a few simple words, that he wished to make up for what he had taken wrongfully, and would make up four-fold if he had accused anyone without cause.

And Jesus said to him, "This day is salvation come to this house ... For the Son of Man is come to seek, and to save, that which was lost!"

When any of us remember past sins, as Zacchaeus did, the best thing we can do is to go to Jesus and tell Him all about it, and ask Him to forgive us; and He will say to us, as he did to Zacchaeus, and to all who heard him: "The Son of Man is come to seek, and to save, that which was lost!"

[V. THE INVITATION TO THE FEAST]

[LUKE 14.16]

OUR Lord Jesus tells us this story, with its great warning.

A certain man made a great supper, and invited a great many to come to it, and when all was ready, he sent his servants to tell the guests.

But to the astonishment of the servants, the guests all made excuses that they could not come!

One said he had bought a piece of land, and he must go to look at it. Another said he had married a wife, and therefore could not come; and another that he had bought five yoke of oxen, and he must go to prove them: till at last all of them made excuses that they could not come!

Then the master told his servants to go to the highways and bring in all the lonely and homeless, and wandering ones, and compel them to come in, that his house might be filled.

And the master of the house said very sorrowfully that none of those who had refused could taste of his supper.

And the meaning of this great feast seems to me to be like one of the glimpses of Heaven which we get in the Bible. They tell us of the joys which those who are willing to accept "God's invitation" will have for ever and ever.

I knew a little girl, years ago, who heard a sermon which changed all her life.

We were listening to a great preacher, and he was saying, "God's Holy Spirit is here, and He is asking you to come to Jesus, and be saved. The Holy Spirit seems to say, 'Yet there is room.' Let us pause in silence for a few minutes, while you answer this question: Will you come to Jesus, now?"

In the solemn silence that followed, I found my little girl's arm gently put into mine, with a little squeeze: and I guessed that all was right.

When we were going home, I whispered, "What did you answer?"

And she said softly, "I said, 'Yes.'"

Children, there comes to us a great choice to-day! Shall we accept the invitation to take the Lord Jesus into our hearts?

If we do, we shall try to please Him, and our lives here will be filled with blessing; and Eternal Life will be ours.

[VI. "MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE"]

JOHN 10.27

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,

and they follow me." John 10.27.

THIS is a picture of an Eastern shepherd, leading his sheep on the mountains.

He loves his sheep, he knows every one of them; he leads them, and they follow him.

He chooses the green pastures for them, and they rest beside the still waters.

He guards them from their enemies, and if any wild beast comes against them, he is ready to give his life to protect them.

If the shepherd is away, and a hired man has to take care of them, the hireling runs away if he hears the roar of a wild beast, or even if he sees a storm coming.

But our Lord Jesus says to us, "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep." And Jesus wants the little lambs too, and "He carries them in His bosom."

In the 15th of Luke our Lord tells us about a shepherd who had a hundred sheep, who, when he counted them before he put them into the fold, found there was one missing.

But the shepherd would not lose his sheep for anything!

So he left his ninety-nine in the fold, and hastened away into the wilderness to find the one which was lost.

Over the rugged mountains; through the tangles and the briars; through the deep waters of the rushing stream, on he passed; and as he went, perhaps these words seemed to dwell in his very heart: "Until I find it!"

On he went, weary and worn, till at last he heard a faint cry.

Then the shepherd called, and stood listening for the answer. And again came that faint cry, and the shepherd knew that somewhere near him, his lost sheep was lying—lonely, helpless, and hopeless.

Then the shepherd saw beneath him, just at the edge of an awful precipice, the poor sheep caught in a tangled briar.

So the shepherd leaned over the abyss and stretched out his hands, and, regardless of the tearing thorns, he grasped his sheep, he disentangled the briars, and lifted it into safety.

But the sheep was so weary and faint, that it could not walk; so the tender shepherd put it on to his shoulders, and brought it home rejoicing!

And then the shepherd called his friends together, saying:

"Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost!"

This is a word-picture of what our Lord Jesus is. "The Good Shepherd, Who giveth His life for the sheep!"

If we feel that we have wandered away, we can go and tell Jesus, and He will forgive us.

Or if we are in any trouble or danger, He is ever near us, to help us and guide us, and do us good.

And when the little lamb comes to Jesus, and says, "I am sorry," or the big sheep comes back and asks forgiveness, then Jesus rejoices, and says to us all: "I say unto you, That likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth."

[VII. THE DRAUGHT OF FISHES]

[LUKE 5.4]

THE DRAUGHT OF FISHES

WHEN our Lord Jesus was on earth, He did so many kind and loving things, and made so many people well who were sick, that the multitude followed Him about everywhere, so that sometimes Jesus and His disciples had not even time to eat.

One day when He was by the Lake of Gennesaret (which is sometimes called the Sea of Galilee) the people pressed so close to Him that seeing two small ships drawn up on the shore, Jesus entered one of these, and asked the owner to put his ship a little way from the land, so that He might speak to the people where they all could hear.

The ships were empty, for the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets in the lake.

The fishing-boat that Jesus entered, belonged to Simon Peter, whose wife's mother had been healed by Jesus, a very short time before. Peter loved Jesus very much, and he had already been chosen to be His disciple.

So when the Lord had done talking to the people, He told Simon Peter to launch the ship out into deep water, and to let down their nets to catch some fish.

But Simon told Him that they had been up, working hard all the night, but it had been all for nothing, as they had not caught a single fish—!

But Simon did not stop there; he added—what has been a comfort to hundreds and thousands of people since then—"Nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net."

Do you think they caught nothing this time?

Ah, if you do, you have not thought what it is to be in the boat with Jesus!

When He commands, He makes it possible for us to obey. You will find that out, children, the more you love and trust Him.

So they let down the net; and now they enclosed such an immense number of fishes that their net began to break, and they were obliged to beckon to their partners, who were in the other ship, to come and help them.

And they filled both of the ships so full that they began to sink.

Then Simon Peter fell down at the feet of Jesus, and told Him that he felt himself to be too sinful to be near Him.

But Jesus never turns away because we are sinful; He comforted Simon Peter with the loving words we so often read in the Bible; He said, "Fear not!"

Then Jesus told Simon that he should be a fisher of men; that meant, that he should draw people into the Kingdom of Heaven.

And when Simon Peter and his partners, James and John, had brought their ships to land, they left everything, and followed Jesus.

And they became, very soon, His three chief disciples; and were privileged to be with Him on the mountain when He was transfigured, and heard God speak from heaven: "This is My beloved Son, hear Him."

[VIII. THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND THE LOST SHEEP]

[LUKE 15.4]

IN this story we have a peep of what happens on earth, and another peep of what happens in Heaven.

Think of that, children! For Jesus says that when anyone is sorry and comes back to God to be forgiven, the angels in Heaven rejoice!

Jesus tells us of a shepherd in that Eastern land who had a hundred sheep—and everybody who heard Him tell this beautiful parable of the Good Shepherd, would instantly recognize it as true of what happened all around them—of the shepherd, who on counting his sheep at night, might find one of them missing.

He tells us how that loving shepherd would leave the ninety and nine of his flock in the wilderness, and go to seek the lost one.

Over the mountains wild and bare, the shepherd sought the wandering one. The thorns pierced his tired feet, and his loving hands, as he looked here and there until he found it, perhaps caught in a thicket of thorns, or fallen into a pit from which it could not extricate itself!

He would disentangle the thorns from the imprisoned sheep, he stooped low, regardless of his own life, to reach it from the miry pit.

And then, when the shepherd had reached it at last, and had grasped it in his loving hands, he laid it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he got home he called together his friends and neighbours, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost!"

And our Lord Jesus adds these words; and it is here we get a peep into Heaven:

"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance."

THE ANGEL CHOIR.

Jesus says that He is the Shepherd—the Good Shepherd—Who giveth His life for the sheep!

Little children are the lambs; and the Bible says, "He shall gather the lambs with His arm."

He sees them wandering, He loves them; He goes after them; He seeks them.

And when He finds them, even the angels in Heaven rejoice!

[IX. "JESUS CALLED A LITTLE CHILD UNTO HIM"]

MATTHEW 18.2

"And Jesus called a little child unto him,

and set him in the midst of them." Matthew 18.2.

OUR Lord Jesus loved the little children. He took them up in His arms, and blessed them. He rejoiced to hear their glad hosannahs as He entered Jerusalem.

One day there was a crowd round Him, and the disciples were asking Him who should be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Among the crowd there was a little child, and the Lord called him, and set him in the midst, close by Him; and then He explained to His disciples, that if they wanted to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, they would have to be as humble as this little child!

Then He went on to say to them, that they must be careful not to hurt or wrong one of these little ones who believed in Him; and that anyone who received such a little child, was receiving Jesus Himself.

And then He said these very wonderful words: "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say unto you, That in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in Heaven."

Many years ago, we had just moved into the country with our three little children.

A stranger kindly called on me, and having seen our children, she said gently to me, "Do you try to teach them about Jesus?"

I was an earnest Christian, and I said, "Are they not too young?" and I told her that I meant to do so when they were a little older.

And I never forgot her reply: "You cannot begin too soon!"

And then she went on to tell me of her own little boy, who had lately gone to be with Jesus in heaven.

She said, "I had always talked to him about Jesus, and though he was not much over two years old, he could repeat the verse, ending—

"In the kingdom of Thy grace

Give a little child a place!"

Then she told me that a sudden attack of illness had come on, and that he had kept on repeating, "In the kingdom of Thy grace, give a little child a place!"

But he grew weaker, and just before he died, he suddenly looked up with a lovely smile, and exclaimed: "White babies! Oh, white babies!" and so passed away to the home above the clouds.

* * * * *

I never forgot that visitor's words, and I began at once to teach our little ones about Jesus; and when, some years after, our most cherished darling came to die, he had a peep into Heaven too.

He had learned a little hymn also, and he used often to say—

"And oh what delight, in heaven so bright,

To see the dear Saviour's face—"

And just before he died, he raised his head, and pointed eagerly towards the ceiling, and a lovely smile overspread his face.

He, too, had seen the glory, which Jesus had spoken of, "Where their angels behold the face of My Father which is in Heaven!"

[X. THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM]

THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

WHEN the time was getting very close for the Lord Jesus to be crucified, He went up to Jerusalem, going among the Jews, whom He knew would take Him and kill Him. He did all this, because He loved us so much, and was going to die for us.

One day when He was at Bethany, Mary came with an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and as Jesus sat at supper, she poured the ointment on His head, and the whole room was filled with the sweet scent.

But Judas, the disciple who was going to betray Jesus, said it was a great waste to pour all that ointment on Jesus, for he said it might have been sold for the poor; but that was because Judas had the moneybag and was a thief.

Then Jesus told them all that Mary had done what she could for Him; that "she had anointed Him for His burial," and that in after years, all over the world, wherever the gospel should be preached, this should be told for a memorial of her!

Many of the Jews were at that supper, partly to see Jesus, and partly to see Lazarus, whom he had just raised from the dead.

When Jesus left Bethany, and drew near to the city, He sent on two of His disciples to find a colt for Him to ride on.

Our Lord knew everything beforehand, and He told them just where the colt was tied, and what they should say to the man to whom the colt belonged.

No one had ever ridden on this colt before, but Jesus, the Lord of Glory, did not have any trouble with it. They put their garments on the colt for a saddle, and so they set out towards Jerusalem.

Then the people ran before Him, casting down their clothes for him to ride over; others cut down branches of the trees, and strewed them along the path, crying out, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord!"

Some of the Jews were very angry, and asked Jesus to stop the disciples. But Jesus told them that "if they were to hold their peace, the very stones would cry out for joy!"

As they were coming down the hill towards Jerusalem, suddenly they turned a corner and came in view of the beautiful city, and when Jesus beheld it He wept over it.

Why did He weep? Why did the Son of God, Who was going there to obtain eternal salvation for us—why did He weep?

He wept because the people in that city would not have Him for their Saviour!

When the great rejoicing multitude reached Jerusalem, they all followed Jesus into the temple, and the blind and the lame came to Him to be healed, and all the city was moved at the sight of Him.

And the little children gathered round Him, crying out joyously, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!"

[XI. THE LABOURERS IN THE HARVEST-FIELD]

[MATTHEW 20]

THERE was an Eastern householder, who had great vineyards, stretching far up on the hillsides. By and by the grapes were ready for picking, and the householder went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard; and when he had agreed with them, he sent them into his vineyard.

By and by, he went out again; and seeing others standing idle, he said to them, "Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will pay you."

At length, at the last hour before sundown, the householder went once more, and found others standing idle, and he said to them, "Why are you standing here idle, all the day?" And they answered him, "Because no one has hired us."

Then he sent them also into his vineyard, and said, "I will pay you."

* * * * *

There are many lessons for us in this parable, but I think the chief one is this:

The Vineyard spoken of belongs to the Lord God.

The Grapes represent the people all over the world, whom He wants to have in His Heavenly Home.

The Labourers are God's own people, whom He tells to go and get in the harvest.

God calls each one of us who love Him, to be a labourer in His Kingdom.

AN EASTERN PLOUGH

To each one, when the day is ended, the Lord will give us our own reward, and He gives us great promises to encourage us.

He says, if His workers are "Wise and turn many to righteousness—they shall shine as stars for ever and ever."

Does not this encourage us to do all we can to tell others of the love of Jesus, who died on the Cross that we might be saved.

We can all pray, that God will call us to work for Him; and surely, if He does call, and we listen to His Voice, He will teach us how to bring many to righteousness, and earn "the crown of glory, that fadeth not away!"

[XII. JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, "RISE"]

JOHN 5.8

Jesus said unto him, "Rise, take up thy bed

and walk." John 5.8

THERE was a Pool just outside Jerusalem, which was called Bethesda.

Here, numbers of sick people congregated, for there was a wonderful thing happened there, and the poor sick people watched eagerly to see if that wonderful thing was going to happen that day!

If you have never heard the story, you will wonder very much what that could be!

It was, that God sent an angel down at a certain season to stir the water in that Pool; and whoever was fortunate enough to step down first into the Pool, after the water was stirred, was made quite well of whatever disease he had.

One day, our Lord Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on His way, He passed this Pool of Bethesda.

Looking round on the sick people, He saw the man He had come to seek.

The Bible says: "Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been a long time in that case."

So He came close to him, and said, "Wilt thou be made whole?"

Ah! the poor man could not answer that question straight off! There was only one remedy he knew of, and that was impossible.

So he looked up into the face of Jesus, and gave a very pitiful and simple answer, in words like these:

"Sir," he said, "I am lying here helpless, and when the water is stirred, there are numbers of others who can step down into the water before me, and I am left behind!"

Then our dear Lord Jesus gave 'The Word of Command'—and when He, the Son of God, commands, He gives the power to obey—and He said to the poor man, "Rise! take up thy bed and walk!"

And immediately the man was made well; and without any hesitation, he rose straight up, took up the mat he had been lying on, and was able to walk away quite well.

Afterwards, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "Thou art made whole; go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

Jesus had seen how hopeless this man had been, and He healed him, but He wanted him to have a greater blessing still, even to have his sins forgiven.

And for us—He sees how we need to be healed of our sins, and from the remembrance of what we have done wrong; and He says to us, too: Wilt thou be made whole? Wilt thou have my forgiveness, and come to me and be saved? And then, like the helpless man in the story, we can look up into the face of Jesus, Who is in Heaven looking down on us now, and all at once we can realize His mighty power to save us! and we can yield ourselves to His love.

If we come to Him so, He will make life a different thing for us.

We shall go about our work, or our school, or our home, or our play, with a glad heart because we have Jesus, as our own Saviour.

[XIII. LET THROUGH THE ROOF]

MARK 2.4

LET THROUGH THE ROOF

MARK 2.4

THE poor man, who you see in this picture, had been very ill for a long time.

He had four friends who loved him very much, and who had heard that the Lord Jesus could heal those who were sick.

When these friends heard that Jesus was in their city, they were very anxious to get the sick man to Him. But he was so helpless that he could only lie on his bed, waited on by those around him.

But these four friends firmly believed that Jesus could heal the sick man, and they decided to carry him, just as he was on his bed, and ask Jesus to cure him.

But when they reached the house where Jesus was, there was such a crowd that they could not even get near the door.

You can imagine how they tried to persuade the people to make room for them to get in; but everyone was so anxious to see the Lord Jesus, and to hear Him speak, that they could not even get near the door.

What was to be done now? Should they turn back?