Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 37, Number 302, Decatur, Adams County, 22 December 1939 — Page 8

Birth Os Christ Child Told In Interesting Story By Dr. Ellis

Ben-Obcd.Who Befriend* ed Holy Family, Lived To See Babe Become Saviour Os Mankind. By WILLIAM T. ELLIS It was evening by the Village spring It' Nazareth, at lh‘‘ hour when the women gather to fill their water Jara Their task was. and la. more than a dally chore. H Is a scxial occasion. Here all the small gossip of the <'immunity is >B*haug«d What the Forum and the Baths were to gilded Home this one tiling* spung has always

0 111 I GREETINGS May the joy and happiness of this Christmas season stay with you throughout the coming year and guide you to greater health, wealth and contentment than you have ever known. » w«««a»mmn™ismimmmßum Stucky & Co. Monroe. Indiana

ft i ■ I >• A la A Merry Christmas— Y II Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful New Year! I Fll ? * I '■ i . ENJOYING, AS WESHALL,CHRISTMAS CANDLES INSTEAD OF “BLACKOUTS," WE * I SHOULD BE MORE THAN EVER APPRECIATIVE OF THE SPIRIT AND MEANING OF CHRISTMAS. I FOR EVERY MEMBER OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND FOR ALL | i GOOD PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY, WE AGAIN SAY .. . 11 A Merry Christmas - - I* A Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful PHO 1I | i McMillen Feed Milk, Inc. Central Soya Co., Inc. Central Sugar Co, Inc. V---7 •■ ’ I of Indian* a Uirftnl Sorkltalf CryaUgl While Manter Mi* I’roceaoeom of Soy bean* riae GtihldolM Su<a» * iw c w 1 4

been to Nazareth, the community meeting place. It was woman's hour, and young and old lingered sociably about their chore, well content to wait their turns for access to the water Perhaps the girls — tall, oliveskinned. lustrous-eyed, with a carriage that a queen might covet — were not indifferent to the knot of young men loitering nearby The chatter of the women might be heard even to the hill top that | stood sentinel over the settlement. Slowly approaching along, the road from the East, which Joins the Great Highway that runs north

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1939

and south Just beyond Nazareth, came three laden camels, led by a brawny young man riding a donkey As the little caravan rounded the bend of the road a furlong from the spring, one of the Idlers cried. "There comes one of those cursed Hobronltes now!" "At him!" cried another. ‘We'll show those Hebron dogs that Naz areth men have good memories, and cun avenge their own.” Conversation at the spring fell silent of a sudden. All of the women turned to gaze at the approaching camel-driver, and at the group of men. who at once developed noisy excitement. Everybody present knew the meaning of the outburst, except the stranger, who continued onward with his ungainly charges, their necks bobbing in unison with the sound of the bells which hung from blue-bearded harness The driver bummed a tune carelessly, all unaware that he was the object of hostile eyes and voices. Two weeks previously, a party of Nazareth men aud women had gone to Hebron to pray at the tomb of Abraham. Isaac, Jacob and their wives: for the Cave of Mac h pelah. which Abraham had bought from Ephron. the Hittite, as the grave of his wife. Sarah, was held in reverence by all the Children of Israd An altercation had arisen with the Hebronlte*. who are the most quarrelsome folk in the Land, and the Nazareth pilgrims had been severely beaten. The Incident had become the village grievance. kept alive by much hot talk

Wishinx Ever) one A MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR EQUITY DAIRY STORE

of revenge. Now an opportunity tor retaliation bad Appeared As the man with the camels drew near, the Natareth youths made a rush for him. while the womc|h screamed, some In execration. I some In terror, most in sheer exj cltement. At the first onslaught, the- rider was thrown to earth from his donkey, and his camefs scampered awkardly away, to the risk of their c lumsy legs. As always and everywhere, the crowd grew as by magic. Old men. spluttering In their long beards, encouraged the ac tive assailants by such cries as. "Spare him not - tils people tore my Rebecca's lovely tresses Pull every hair from his head!" " Gouge out his eyes; for Neighbor Ephrlam lost an eye at Hebron!" "Kill him! Make him food for the dogs!" Indeed, the fury of the crowd might have been fulfilled despite the lusty struggles of the victim; had not a rescuer appeared from a near-by carpenter shop Fragrant ! chips from the yoke he had been modelling still clings to his long robe Younger than some- members of the mob. for he was only of middle age, with scarcely a trace of gray hi bis beard and hair, the newcomer yet had a singular dignity and self-possession, and a local prestige which small communities never bestow without reason Almost without effort he made- his way through the thick of the crowd and stooped over the prostrate form, the brutal assailants pausing st bis appearance. Raising the dusty, bleeding fig-'' | ure of the Hebronlte. and support ing it with one arm. he swept the ' muttering crowd with blazing eye. "Rhame upon you. to attack au innocent and defenseless stranger, who does not even know why you have beaten him! Must Nazareth's 1 h«4ior and rights be left in the hands of a mob of Idlers? Has a son of Israel no safety In our village? What of the Law of Moses? Yes, and what of the law of Rome? For, see. yonder, come the* soldiers. and there will be a price to pay for this day s doings ” I All eyes tunied as the carpenter pointed to the eagt. Bown the hill came marching a company of Roman 'egionnsires. tiw westering I sun reflected from the metal of their uniforms. At once the crowd scattered as q«i* kly as It bad gathered. The women turned again to their task of filling water Jars. 'Rescuer and rescued were left alon* . and the carpenter, supporting his sorely bruised charge, had almost reached bis shop and home, when the Romans arrived. ' What's ail this racket T' de manded th” officer. "Must n*eee .abig»ul Nawitos b» Uuahl wlUk ■ whips and crosses that the law of

Rome is to be obeyed?” Quietly, deprecatingly respectfully. the carpenter made reply | It is merely a matter having to do with our religion. Your Excellency. and there was some violence, in which my friend here suffered Hut It la all over; and we are heartily sorry that It happened •'Do you prefer c harges’ ' asked the officer of the wounde d man ■ None at all. Your Excellency It is as my friend here says Catch a Hebronlte appealing to the law to redreta his private wrongs! "Well, the next time we hear a fracas, religious or not. there will be something doiug." the officer replied, tn 111 humor, as he led his : soldiers back to barracks The men were as disgruntled as their commander. for they had welcomed the prospect of teaching these rebellious Jews a lesson. Ix-ft to themselves, the rarpenj ter and the man whom he had rescued, entered the house, where water was brought to bathe the wounds Wine and bread were given to the sufferer, and he was const rained to He quiet tor the uigbt. while a neighbor youth was sent off to bring in the scattered animals. • You were a loyal Israelite, and a magnanimous one, thus to avert Rome’s hand from our village." said the carpenter. • How could I do otherwise, when you bad saved my Ute?" replied the Hebronlte ”1 am Ben-Obed. a ’ man of the road, and 1 travel be ; tween Hebron aud Damascus 1j take my life from your band thia night." s>< Five years later. The scene baa < banged to the Great Road, wbkh * runs north and south through the • 1-and with the cities of Samaiu. She* hem. Sbilcb. Jerusalem. Betb | lehem and Hebron strung along it like beads upon a siring. To all the history of Israel this highway is central. The point al which our tal<- is taken up is four miles below Jerusalem Only a mile ahead clinging to the eastern face of the hill, is Bethlehem, the City of King Imvid, of his father. Jesse, and of his ancestress. Ruth cm the dusty road are two travellers One, a young woman, a mere girl, be riding a donkey. Her lovely face — and she was one of . I the fairest of hraei’e daughters — was t*-nse and constrained; and al - times a spasm of pain swept a-c-rosa it. Then she would grasp I tightly the brown band of the man . who walked by her side, as it rested og the saddle of the donkey His hand was bard and callous- - ed. the band of a loiter. His dress u was that of a wozkingmaa; but hid f face was that of a scholar and a

mystic His hsad was uncovered I .end his thick beard hung down below his neck. Al first glance, be might have been taken tor the father of the girl on the beast. Straight and strong he strode, with his stick urging the donkey to greater speed As he looked frequently into the deepening shad ow« of the Bead Sea Valley, an anxiety that was almost panic showed in his eyes. But the look of fear was always gone whenever he turned tenderly to his charge, with loving words ot assurance. "We are almost there, Little One*, the God of our fathers be praised, yonder are the houses of Bethle hem Your Uncle Eleaser's home is that one on the near corner of the hill. We shall be with him in a few minutes; so keep a heart of cheer, bravest of women." To himself he murmured. "God send that Eleazer have room for us. 1 Hke not the news we heard today In Jerusalem of the crowds thronging Bethlehem As ibey hurried on. the man. casting about tor objects to divert tbs mind of bls charge, made ar if to call attention to ths Tomb of Rachel, wbo had died in childbirth on this very road He cbecksd him self in time, realizing that the sub Juel was one to avoid under lbs

Hliny Good lllifbii Santes yee bns Mds this rest sas qf »• bswftol M am sw<* sees In Ms Ljiw—l • O«s*Mb - • Way ooqdVjbtw*?! fWy-* taftglgssiMigwP. !>.’■ GROCERY

|S.« st h* wCjMK Greetings I of the Season I One of the pleasures of th* Yuletide ” is to lay aside the routin*' «>f every- K day business and in real sincerity ■ wish our friends a Merry i hri-tina.-. ■ nf l Yost Brothers I Mte==== ~ I I I K' ■ to you our best wishes B-, for a Happy andProsptrow new year. * * < H| Delta Theta Tau V