The Coming of the King

o moved slowly about preparing the evening meal. She stopped beside a dingy little oven on one end of the bed platform, and bending stiffly to the floor gathered up a few handsful of stub

in the days of

young girl who had entered the room, until an armful of ch

t like a thief in the night. S

three score rents to mend and the day is done." She turned to the doorway and for a moment stood looking out, barefooted, meanly clad and unkept,

ad from the oven and placed it on a wooden ta

the small table. "Bread and u

other Rachael, as she poured the con

a stool at the table side, the aged woman

wn hard," Sa

Then there was plenty and each man sat under his own vine and fig tree, for b

e short skirt of his garment scarce reached his knees. His heavy dark hair was pushed back from his forehead and the dying

Jael," she cried, lo

l exclaimed, laughing. "The blessing of God on t

answered, "yet could I not swallow food i

?" Sara asked, con

tripped are our bodies of covering. Yet doth the tax ever increase that Herod may add to his vast stores. It is tax-tax-tax until at night the waves of the sea beat against the shore

thers," Grandmother Rachael muttered

the King even though her lips make much muttering," Sar

in the days o

That they should till the soil and be robbed of the increase that Herod might buy gold platters in which to serve good Jew heads to dancing harlots? It hath been and ever will be among men struggling for bread, as among

dropped the leather curtain hang

again the days of our

ael

est from the oppressor

st thou forgotten the

ousand followers rise u

wers hanged on two tho

ine broke their fas

n the flesh of thy Jael's father! Forget not shall I until the stone of my father's tomb be rolled against my bones, how he was hung

saw the curtain move. Fear even now doth

, the fisherman, nigh? Look thou at the strength of my arm and the kee

thing were thy fierce words heard by the dogs of Rome. Thy knife is long and ke

stay thy fear

ken only a step when the leather was t

ng arm! Thy kni

is sword. "Give me, else will I strike thy head from thy body and kick it l

's reply as he flung it t

of justice to answer the charge of sedition aga

ox whose brother's wife doth defile his

of a

of a

ed on each side by one of the soldiers, the first spittin

uth in the face of the soldier, who struck him across the cheek with h

p and was wringing her hands and muttering prayers,

oldier when the cross was mentioned.

r replied without looking at her, "el

ose to go if there my J

ring glances on Sara, said, "She is a

ont of her bodice and laying it open. "A fair maiden indeed. Not thine,

rs strike thee dead!"

no more power than yonder driveling granny. By Rome hath the

id to his companion, "of all the spoil that hath been taken between us,

mine. Then shal

your polluted lips pass back and forth? Is it the virgin i

dark the struggle continued, but when Sara returned with the knife she found Jael on the floor with blood running from a wound in the head. She screamed, but no attention was paid her until her lover had

against her breast she whispered, "If

her," the second soldie

"else will I tie thee in the fish net with the Jew

" she commande

nets, as he said, "Flame doth become thy cheek and fire thine eye! Come, nay-thou comest not? Then will Jael hang on a cross. Then will Jael's flayed back draw many stingin

ied Sara. "Wilt

ine, then Jael s

-Jael-Jael," she called, drawin

when thou art mine. Come," and the soldier lay hands upon her, bu

l-Jael-s

second, "thy sword. A live Roman is better

oldier, Sara caught the upraised

ou come

e I leave my home forever, let me have the blessing of my mother Racha

and pushing the other soldier in front of him, he stepped outside and stood where

ra whispered, "th

muttered and cursed, the aged woman fastened Sara's torn