Show A A LL day long they had been going going going go- go ing by the inn camels and donkeys donkeys donkeys don don- keys stirring up dt di t t weary men and women resting by the stream outside the inn yard The little country country coun coun- try maid had never seen so much travel Just outside the city of Jerusalem near by the village of Bethlehem there were plenty of people who stopped slopped for refreshment And J Jeremiah Jeremiah Jere Jere- ere ere- miah kept a good inn He was a good man too But Buthe Buthe 5 5 he was hard sparing sparing sparing spar spar- ing neither man nor nort t beast And his leis niece P Rebecca was hard r put to do the tasks that were set before beCore her I Wh Why Y Yr are there solers so r J many trave travelers lers today today to to- wr l' l day she asked the J little slave girl who helped her prepare the evening meal The tribesmen replied Fatima are going to Jerusalem to be numbered numbered numbered num num- so that they may pay their taxes And this will continue for days These are not times of rejoicing rejoicing rejoicing re re- re- re and feasting for us Rebecca looked up as a bearded man leading an ass on which a ayoung ayoung ayoung young woman rode entered the courtyard Is the inn keeper here he asked gently My wife wiCe and I seek shelter I There are no rooms left II Fai Fa Fa- i tima told him going on with her work But Rebecca looked up at the woman whose face was weary and andI I touched with painI painI pain I UI will see what provision can ean be I made the little maid exclaimed Her eyes never left the young woman's womans womans woman's womans woman's wom wom- ans an's sweet face The woman smiled at t Rebecca and her husband smiled too Rebeccas Rebecca's face lightened eagerly eagerly eagerly ea ea- gerly and even Fatima found herself herself herself her her- self softening I Rebecca Rebeeca had some difficulty finding finding finding find find- ing her uncle busy as he was with many things Then it was hard to tom tomake tomake m make ke him listen I There must be some place un un- un- un cle That new stable with the clean straw would be warm and comfort comfort- able She cannot go farther I know So be it he answered Then as they neared the group he too was impressed by the young woman's womans womans woman's wom worn ans an's beauty and the lovely warmth of her smile There is naught but the stable he told them but Re becca w will ll seek seck to make you comfortable comfortable com com- comfortable there Even after she had done everything everything everything every every- thing she could and had crept into I her own dark corner for Cor the night Rebecca found she could not forget the couple in the stable Mary the theman man had called his wife There was such a radiance about her I UI wonder wonder wonder won won- der what makes her so different rent Rebecca thought And she opened her eyes In amazement she saw light inthe in inthe the courtyard so much that it I seemed the dawn must have come But the light came from Crom a star that j shone just about the stable Out into the yard the girl crept and suddenly sudden sugden- ly she heard a childs child's cry a cooing happy sound I Rebecca looked ed about No one was stirring Far off on the hillside hillside hillside hill hill- side she saw what looked like Jike a group of men shadowy indistinct seemingly moving toward Bethle Bethle- I hem It must be her imagination Possibly it was Ephraim's vineyard I she saw Soon she stood in the stable doorway There lighted by a lantern was Joseph bending over the young woman and holding in his arms a tiny baby her baby her firstborn At Rebecca's Rebeccas Rebeccas Rebecca's Rebec Rebec- cas ca's exclamation he turned and in into into into in- in I to her outstretched arms he handed the little figure and showed her the snowy lengths of swaddling cloth Tenderly the maid clothed the in infant infant infant in- in fant and laid it beside the mother Thank you Mary whispered For the childs child's sake and in His name I thank you OU for what you have done We thank he her I dont don't we Jesus The baby opened his eyes and smiled H He e s smiled mil e d a at atme t me Rebecca ex ex- claimed I shall shaU I I never forget a n new newborn newborn w tt jf born babe smiled into in- in in m. 1 f to my face to say thank you E oJo I Mary a y drew the l I child into the shelter G I i 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 returned returned re- re turned to the manger and settled re-I re down beside Mary and the sleeping Jesus |