Show nO Vv deeck u 5 91 11 lai I 1 ALL LL day long they had been go ing by the inn camels and donkeys stirring up dust weary men and women resting by the stream outside the inn yard the little coun try maid had never seen so much travel J just outside the city of jerusalem near by the village of bethlehem there were plenty of people who stopped for refreshment and jere miah kept a good inn he was a good man too but he was hard sparing neither man nor beast and his niece rebecca was hard put to do the tasks that were set before her why are there so many travelers to day she asked the little slave girl who helped her prepare the evening meal the tribesmen replied fatima are going to jerusalem to be numbered so that they may pay their taxes and this will continue for days these are not times of re joicine and feasting for us rebecca looked up as a bearded man leading an ass on which a young woman rode entered the courtyard Is the inn keeper herec he asked gently I 1 my wife and I 1 seek shelter there are no rooms left fa tima told him going on with her work but rebecca looked up at the woman whose face was weary and touched with pain I 1 will see what provision can be made the te little maid exclaimed her eyes never left the young woman s sweet face the woman smiled at rebecca and her husband smiled too rebecca s face lightened ea gerly and even fatima found her self seaf softening rebecca had some difficulty find ing her uncle busy as he was with many things then it was hard to make him listen there must be some place im un cle that new stable with the clean straw mould be warm and comfortable she cannot go farther I 1 know so be it he answered then as they neared the group he too was impressed by the young woman s beauty and the lovely warmth of her smile there is naught but the stable he told them but re becca will seek to make you corn com fordable for table there even after she had done every thing she could and had crept into her own dark corner comer for the night rebecca found she could not forget the couple in the stable mary the man had called his wife there was such a radiance about her I 1 won der what makes her so different rebecca thought and she opened her eyes in amazement she saw light i in the courtyard so much that it seemed the dawn must have come but the light came from a star that shone just about the stable out into the yard the girl crept and sudden ly she heard a child s cry a cooing happy sound rebecca looked about no one was stirring far off on the hill side she saw what looked like a group of men shadowy indistinct seemingly moving toward bethle hem it must be her imagination possibly it was ephraim s vineyard she saw soon she stood in the stable doorway there lighted by a lantern was joseph bending over the boung woman and holding in his arms a tiny baby her firstborn at rebec ca s exclamation he turned and in to her outstretched arms he handed the little figure and showed her the snowy lengths of swaddling cloth tenderly the maid clothed the in fant and laid it beside the mother thank you mary whispered for the child s sake and in his name I 1 thank you for what you ha hav have v e done we thank her he dont we jesus the baby opened his eyes and smiled NO he smiled at me rebecca rebecda exclaimed 1 I shall never forget a new born bom babe smiled in to my face to say thank you 11 mary drew the child into the shelter of her arms her eyes closed joseph walked to the doorway and watched rebecca as she returned to her room he too saw the clump of trees or vines or was it a group of men on the hillside then he re turned to the manger and settled down beside mary and the sleeping jesus |