Hebrew Heroes, A Tale Founded on Jewish History

e Hebrew home. The very danger of his position served to add to its charms; it was with keen gratification that the Greek marked the anxiety which Zarah felt on his account. Whenever

ommanded a long enough tract of road to render it impossible for any visitor to enter the house

e, when Abishai, breathless with excitement, rushed so suddenly into the house that Zarah was not aware of his coming in time to give her accustomed signal. It was Hadassah who heard the sound of rapid footsteps, though not till they had almost crossed the threshold. With great presence of mind the widow flung over Lycidas a lar

as he continued, "I bring you tidings of victory--glorious victory--achieved by our hero, Judas Maccabeus! Apollonius--may the graves of his fathers be polluted!--Apollonius, who tore down the dwellings near Mount Zion to make fortif

is back should be turned towards Lycidas. The Jew seated himself so near to the Greek that the folds of his upper garment touched the mantle under whic

eath her as she stood in the doorway. "You have no cause to fear; Maccabeus is not even wounded. Apollonius met him in fight, and fell by his hand. Henceforth Judas, it is sai

Athenian. Should any sound or movement betray his presence to her fanatic uncle, she knew that the doom of Lycidas would be sealed, for

, Hadassah motioned to her to come closer to her and take her seat at her feet. Zarah obeyed, taking care to be near enough to Abishai to catc

ifferent from the real one; "in his acts he is like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey. He has pursued t

ment in the hands of t

st us, of whom it is written, Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My fury, it upheld Me. And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My

, not that of Levi (Isa. xi. 1), shall be born at Bethlehem, not at Modin (Mic. v. 11). Nor have the prophetical weeks of Daniel yet run out. Know therefore and understand, that from the

lled him in knowledge and intellectual power, as he surpassed her in physical st

u are aware how Antiochus has sought out our holy writings to destroy or pollute them. Save the copy of the Scriptures which I occasionally see at the

and am making from it another," said Hadassah, int

angerous work!

of the heathen be near," said Hadassah, pointing to the door as she spoke. "If none of th

the dwelling, half clos

per; she was terrified lest the opportunity of retreat whi

it met no answering smile, the widow's features wore a sad, almost indignant expression, the sight of which shot a keen pang through the gentle heart of Zarah. What had she done, what had she said, that her

herewith to reproach her as concerned her conduct towards her grandmother's guest. So uneasy was the maiden, however, that on Abishai's return she did not stay to hear the conversation which ensued between him and Hadassah, but glided up the outer s