But Joseph, the Christian, turned into the high grass of the meadow
with bowed head and clasped hands.
"Lord Jesus, what may I do for Thee?" he asked impulsively.
He stopped suddenly. At his feet lay the silent sleeper in the grass.
On the tall growth upstanding about the prostrate form were clear
shining scarlet drops. The little shepherd turned white and threw
himself down on his knees beside the still figure and put his hand
over the heart. Then he lifted his face to the skies.
"_I was sick and ye visited me_," he whispered radiantly.
[Illustration: He threw himself down by the still figure.]
Chapter VIII
GREEK AND JEW
Julian of Ephesus, now the presumptive Philadelphus Maccabaeus, rode
up the broad brown bosom of a hill that had confronted him for miles
to the south, and the sun had sloped until its early spring rays
struck level from the west. At the summit, he drew up his horse
suddenly with a quick intaking of the breath.
Below him lay Jerusalem.
South and east the barren summits of brown hills shaped a depression
in which the city lay. North, clean-white and regular, the wall of
Agrippa was printed against the cold blue of the sky. Below on three
lesser mounts and overflowing the vales between was the goodliest city
in all Asia.
About it and through it climbed such walls, planted on such bold
natural escarpment, that made it the most inaccessible fortification
in the world.
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