A. L. O. E.

“ Good for nothing!" exclaimed the Persian.
"Listen before you say so. In this mushak is water of such wonderful virtue, that if but a few drops fall on good soil, a spring of surpassing sweetness bursts forth, sometimes spreading and spreading: till first a brook; then a wide stream; then a glorious river—appears. The most learned cannot calculate, nor ages on ages limit, the effects of a few living drops from that blessed mushak!"
The Persian and Afghan uttered exclamations of surprise; but a thoughtful inquiring look was on the face of the aged Sikh. ”

“ Percival continued: "Joseph may—it is not improbable—have felt himself bound by the chain of his iniquities. But, on such a man as Joseph, a hope inspired by the words of an angel would shine like Bethlehem's star. I fancy I hear the dying one exclaiming, 'Oh, Jesus, I am a sinner! But it was told me before Thy birth that Thou, even Thou, wouldst save Thy people from their sins.' I have sought to depict the holy joy awakened by the answer, coming in the familiar words of Scripture, from the lips of the Lamb of God—'I have found a ransom!'"
Seyton. ”

“ Percival. None for Him, the Lord of Creation. But notice yon small hole in the side of the sandy bank. The little fox of Palestine finds its home there; the fierce storm will not reach it. The wild creature knows more of comfort than does the Master! Seyton, when I had drawn this feeble picture of One who was homeless on the earth which He had made, I felt humbled and ashamed at ever having felt impatient under the slight annoyances which, cheerfully borne, will be found amongst the all things which work together for good to them that love God. ”

“ When I paused at last, Percival remarked, "Will you think me a Goth or a Vandal, Seyton, if I own to you that there seems to me a good deal of sameness in these subjects chosen by Italian artists: so many 'Madonnas' clad as Mary of Nazareth never was dressed; so many 'Saints' with haloes round their heads; so many 'Holy Families' and pictures of the 'Last Supper,' where none of the accessories convey to the mind a true idea of the actual scene. If I were an artist—"
"You are one," I interrupted; "if artists, like poets, are born—not made. ”

“ It was only the eye of Faith that saw any special value, in that which a miracle had produced.
"Did my eyes deceive me when I read verse after verse of God's Word from that coin?" said Michael to himself, as he raised from the earth his shekel, quite undimmed by the dust. "No, for another Psalm is commenced. Blessed shekel! I desire to keep thee to my dying day, and then have thee buried with me in my grave." ”

“ It needs something infinitely more precious to redeem one guilty soul."
"Wouldst thou bid me despair?" cried the king; cold drops of agony starting from his brow—whilst still, he gazed on One on the Cross.
"There is but one means of salvation," said the angel. "The price of a world's redemption must be the blood—the sacrifice of One body, perfect, divine. He of whom thou hast wonderingly written, 'The Lord hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son!' He who sitteth at God's right hand—He alone can offer that sacrifice; be that Sacrifice; and become the Saviour of the world. Down on thy knees, O David ”

“ At school Percival fell into many a scrape from scribbling faces over the margins of books—not always his own; and from making curious illustrations in dictionaries and grammars. We saw our own likenesses, unmistakable ones, drawn in charcoal on the whitewashed walls. Every Panel of the door served as a canvas: and the young artist was sometimes rewarded for his skill by long impositions of Latin verses, which he learned with the book in one hand and the pencil in the other. ”

“ Perhaps you did wisely, Percival. One is often pained by the lifeless, soulless countenances given as representations of Christ! Who could depict "the heaven of His eyes," the unearthly sweetness of the lips that spake as never man spake?
Percival. You see the accessories by which I have endeavoured to make the picture tell its own story.
Seyton. There is Mary, dressed in simplest Eastern garb; she has sunk on the floor, exhausted, as it seems, with night after night of watching. Sleep has stolen over her at last. The thin pale countenance shows how much it was needed. ”

“ But at that moment, the muscular arm of the strong soldier was seized by a Jew, who, unseen in the shade, had watched his movements.
"Madman! In Christ's name forbear!" exclaimed the Jew.
Marcus was startled at the word. "What! Are you one of the followers of Him who died on Calvary?" cried the soldier, drawing back, and surveying almost with fear one whom by a slight exertion of his giant strength, he could have dashed to the ground. "If you be a disciple of Christ, far from staying the execution of justice, you will slay me yourself, and trample my blood under your feet! ”

“ Michael was no loser by his free-will offering of love. All the words which had before been engraven on the shekel were now clearly written in his own heart, as if by the pen of an angel. A thousandfold blessed was the man who had given what he most prized to the Lord. ”

“ The sins of mortals are numerous as the hairs of their heads. How then can man stand justified before a pure and holy God?"
"We offer sacrifices, burnt offerings, and oblations," said David, his eyes still fixed on the visionary form on the Cross; for even the angel's presence and words could not draw his rapt attention from the pale face, crowned with thorns, from which slowly trickled the blood-drops. ”

“ The sage old Sikh rather incredulously shook his head, and muttered, "I should like to see such a bihisti."
Then spake a fine tall Afghan. "I could tell you of a bihisti," he said, "compared to whom your bihisti is but an emmet. I know one who can carry a mushak big as a mountain, and white as the snows on the Himalayas. This water-carrier can travel thousands of miles without stopping or feeling weary, sometimes whistling, and sometimes howling as he goes." ”

“ Percival continued: "Then I felt convinced that imagination could depict the Divine Youth far better than could my weak pencil: so I concentrated my efforts on the face of the dying Joseph, making it reflect, as it were, the brightness of the countenance of Him who bends over His foster-father."
Seyton. Even as artists, unable to give the blaze of the noonday sun, just indicate its presence by lights and shadows thrown on terrestrial objects. ”

“ How we had looked forward to a visit to Italy, to luxuriate amongst the treasures of art; which Percival's cultivated taste and knowledge of painting, would enable him so thoroughly to appreciate! I had however felt no serious anxiety regarding my friend; his letters had been cheerful, and contained little allusion to the state of his health. It was therefore with a shock of surprise that I heard that Percival was now a hopeless invalid, unable to rise from the couch on which he had suffered so long. ”

“ Seyton. You are the most long-suffering of men! But is not even your patience strained to the snapping point in a wretched lodging like this?
Percival. Very nearly, sometimes, I confess: at least it was so a little time since. Not great trials, but little ones, made it almost give way. It is not the heavy blow; but constant friction, that wears out the chain. I bore with tolerable fortitude the doctor's verdict which condemned me to a life of helplessness and pain, with no prospect of my sufferings ending on this side the grave; I saw before me a cross, and was given grace to take it up ”

“ Whatever Christ did, He did as unto God. In His workmanship no flaw could be found. What Christ made, He made to last. And He who was to purchase the redemption of a world, would deem it no disgrace to earn food by His daily toil. In all things, but sin, the Saviour was made like unto us. And this picture is designed to show the shadow of bereavement falling heavily on the Man of Sorrows; probably in the earlier part of His life.
Seyton. We know that Christ wept at the grave of His friend.
Percival. But here the Lord's tears are sacred—those caused by the anguish of bereavement. ”

“ The holy Jesus will be delivered into the hands of the Gentiles. He will be mocked, scourged, and slain. Yes, He who called my brother from the grave must Himself die! And they who murder Him will not, perhaps, suffer due honour to be paid to the holy corpse ”

“ Percival. Yes, many were earth's thorns which wounded Christ's mortal frame, before they—as a climax—crowned His sacred brow.
Seyton. You have written under your sketch, "The Son of Man hath not where to lay His head;" and the picture forms a comment on the words. The sky above is dark and louring, showing that a storm is about to burst: we see lightning already flashing in the background. The Wanderer has no heavy mantle to wrap around His slightly clad form: every heavy drop will penetrate and chill. Christ's eyes are raised towards the mass of threatening clouds above Him. ”

“ He appears to be under the immediate influence of inspiration, there is such intense earnestness in his upward gaze. The reed-pen has dropped from his hand; and one would think that Heaven was opening before his eyes, save for the pained—almost terrified—expression on his countenance, an expression which could come from no vision of bliss. Why have you represented the prophet thus?
Percival. A legend of King David formed itself out of some thoughts which came into my mind, while meditating over the Twenty-second Psalm. ”

“ Such horses, such fruits, such cities, he described—that to hear him, one might think that Persia, of all the lands of earth, was the most beautiful and most blest."
"And our men are unmatched for size and strength," pursued the speaker, using a good deal of gesticulation. "I am one of a family of ten sons; and not one of my brothers but is taller and stronger than I am. What would you say to our bihisti? He is some eight feet in height, and carries a mushak made of the hide of an ox, which, when full, five of your ordinary men could not lift!" ”

“ No one made any objection: the Persian listened with curiosity, and the Afghan with some attention; but it was on the old Sikh that the holy words fell like the rain from Heaven. This was not the first time that he had drunk from the precious mushak of inspired Truth, and its water became to him as a stream of life which should never fail him till time should be lost in eternity.
CHAPTER VIII. The Legend of the Shekel.
"IT is your turn now, Percival," said my aunt.
"Give us the Legend of the Shekel," I rejoined. "It is getting too dark to examine your picture: but I remember it well. ”

“ Mary perhaps saw in the resurrection of Lazarus a type and pledge of that of her Lord. If so, her joy must have been yet more intense than that of Martha, even as her gratitude took a more palpable form.
Seyton. It is interesting and refreshing to the spirit thus to meditate over Scripture characters. What to some are merely like ancient statues, when we gaze on them thus, become human beings instinct with life.
Percival. And such meditation makes us realize the tie which binds Christians of to-day to saints of the olden time ”

“ Percival. Is the skeleton the only object seen in the sketch?
Seyton. No, no; let me examine more closely. Here, to the left, I dimly trace the heads and fore-parts of two horses; the animals, with distended nostrils and ears turned back, evidently starting in fear at suddenly coming on such an object of grisly horror lying right in their path.
The horses appear to belong to some Egyptian of rank: they wear the cumbrous trappings with which the antiquities at the Museum make us familiar. ”

“ Seyton. There are two male figures in the background of your picture, represented as just about to enter the room. One, the elder, appears to be struggling to retire: he is unwilling to intrude on the sacredness of grief.
Percival. Can you not read sorrow and shame on his half-averted face?
Seyton. His younger companion is using loving persuasion to draw him forward: his arm is thrown around the elder, and his face expresses compassion and love. The two figures must represent John and Peter.
Percival. Such was the idea in my mind. ”

“ I have been trying in vain to recall any incident in Scripture which would correspond with the picture."
"Surely," said my aunt, "Percival must have represented St. Peter with the money found in the mouth of the fish."
"I thought of that at first," I observed. "But the man in the picture, thin and weak in appearance, does not at all suit our idea of a hardy fisherman: he looks more like a worn-out mechanic. Percival, you must tell us what meaning you intended to convey."
Percival. The shekel is meant for that brought by the fish; but the man in the picture is certainly not the Apostle. ”

“ Bond, in her black lace cap and false front, would hardly serve as one," laughed Percival. "She is the only specimen of the fair sex that I ever see; except, indeed, the red-haired maid of all work, who is only remarkable for the number of cups and glasses which she breaks. I have to do without models, Seyton; or rather to content myself with the forms which I see in my dreams."
"In your dreams?" I repeated enquiringly.
"I mean waking dreams," said my friend. "I often cannot get rest at night; or at least, till—
"'Yon dull steeple's drowsy chime—'
"has struck one or more of the small hours. ”

“ Seyton. This is doubtless a representation of the interior of the humble abode in Nazareth, in which for many years Christ found a home. The youth whose back is turned towards us, so that scarcely any of his face is seen, is doubtless intended for the Saviour Himself. But why should only the outline of the cheek be given; and even that, be half-hidden by the auburn locks that fall downwards as the Lord stoops, as if to catch the faint utterance of the dying man by whose couch He stands?
Percival. ”