The City of Delight

He retired to his camp and in a short time soldiers appeared with

tape, stakes, sledges and spades and laid out an immense circle, all

but compassing the great city of Jerusalem.

The Maccabee saw all this. He stood on the wall above the roar and

frenzy and looked across bleached stretches of sunny, rocky earth

toward the orderly ranks of soldiers, the simple business, the

tranquil speed of Rome making war, and understood that peaceful

despatch as deadly.

He saw the young general ride down to this circle, dismount and,

catching a spade from the nearest legionary, drive it into the earth.

When he tossed out the first clay, each of the men in the visible

segment of that great cordon struck his implement into the ground. And

even as the Maccabee watched, he saw grow up under his eyes a wall!

He understood. Titus was walling against a wall; turning upon the Jews

that same thing which they had reared against him. As the Maccabee

stood gazing transfixed at this grim work, he heard beside him an old

voice say, with terrible conviction: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest

them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy

children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her

wings, and ye would not!... For the days shall come upon thee, that

thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round,

and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the

ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee

one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy

visitation."

The Maccabee, shaken with the culmination of Rome's resolution and

afraid in spite of himself, whirled angrily upon that voice speaking

doom at his side. There in the old ragged tunic bound about him with

rope, stood the old man he had rescued and had sheltered persistently

for many days.

The old man faced the young man's rage with supernatural composure and

strength. With clenched hands, the Maccabee stood away from him and

felt that he threatened with his fists a hoary citadel that armies had

beaten themselves against in vain.

The Maccabee did not speak to his old pensioner. He felt the futility

of words against this thing which seemed to be a revelation, denying

absolutely all of his ambitions. He dropped from his position and,

pushing his way through the distress upon the city, turned toward the

house of Amaryllis. It was a climacteric hour, when men should look

well to the protection of all that was near and dear to them.

When he was gone a strange, bent figure with long white hair and a

gray distorted face came from the shadow of one of the towers and

plucked the old Christian's tunic. The Christian turned and seeing who

stood beside him said with intense surety in his tones: "It is proven. Accept the Lord Jesus while it is time, my son, for

behold the hour of the last day of this city is fulfilled!"