Daisy in the Field

first at Ain Feshkah and then at Ain Jidi,we spent another couple of weeks; without Mr. Dinwiddie itwould have been impossible, but his society kept papa fromwearying and made everything as enjoyable as could be to bothof us. It was the middle of February when we returned toJerusalem.

  The rainy season was not of course at an end yet; but a changeof beauty had come over the land. We found fruit trees inblossom, almond and peach; and apricots just ready to bloom.Corn up and green; and flowers coming and come. I had my ownplans, made up from the experience and counsels of my Englishfriends; but papa wanted to see Jerusalem, and I waited. Ofcourse I wanted to see Jerusalem too; and here again Mr.Dinwiddie was our excellent friend and guide and instructor.Papa was quite in earnest now; and went about the cityexamining walls and churches and rock-tombs and all theenvirons, with a diligent intentness almost equal to mine; andhe and Mr. Dinwiddie had endless talks and discussions, whileI mused. The words, "Constantine," "Byzantine," "Crusaders,""Helena", "Saracenic," "Herod," "Josephus;" with modern namesalmost as well known; echoed and re-echoed in my ears.

  "Daisy!" said papa suddenly in one of these talks, - "Daisy!you are not interested in this."

  "Papa, it is so uncertain."

  Mr. Dinwiddie laughed.

  "But the question, child; don't you care about the question?how is it ever to be made certain? I thought this questionwould engage all your attention."

  "How can it ever be made certain, papa? After those hundredand fifty years when there were no Jews allowed here, who wasto remember the spot of the Sepulchre? Few but Christians knewit, in the first place."

  "Oh, you _have_ thought about it!" said papa. "But are you notinterested in a _probable_ site, Daisy?"

  "No, papa."

  "All these old churches and relics then do not concern you?"

  "Papa, I only go to see them for your sake."

  "Well," said papa, "now I will go to the Mount of Olives foryour sake."

  That was my plan; following the advice of the English party,who said they had enjoyed it. We hired for a time a littlestone dwelling on the Mount of Olives, from which we had afine view of the city; and to this new home papa and I moved,and took up our quarters in it. Of all my days in the HolyLand, excepting perhaps the time spent at Jericho and Engedi,these days were the best. They are like a jewel of treasure inmy memory.

  The little dwelling to which we had come was rougher inaccommodation than our tents; but the season was still early,and it gave better shelter to papa. It was a rude stone house,with a few small rooms at our service; which I soon madecomfortable with carpets and cushions. The flat roof abovegave us a delightful view of the country and abundant chanceto examine and watch all its points and aspects. I spent thehours up here or at the window of our little sitting-room;using my eyes all the time, to take in and feast upon what wasbefore them. Only when papa would go out with me, I left mypost; to take up the survey from some new point of view. I hada great deal to think of, those days; a certain crisis in mylife had come, or was coming; I was facing it and gettingready for it; and thinking and looking seemed to help andstimulate each other. It was wonderful to watch the lightschange on Jerusalem; from the first sunbeam that came over thehills of Moab and touched the city, to the full glare of themidday, and then the sunset colours on land and rock andbuilding, transforming the dull greys and whites with a flushof rosy beauty and purple splendour. The tints that hoveredthen upon the red hills of Moab were never to be forgotten. Iwatched it, this change of light and shade and colour, fromday to day. I learned to know Jerusalem and her surroundinghills and her enclosing valleys; and the barrier wall of Moabbecame a familiar line to me. All this while, as I said, I hada great deal to think of, and was thinking. Past, present andfuture chased each other in and out of my head; or rather, itseems to me, dwelt there together.

  "Daisy!" - papa called to me when I was on the roof one day. Iran down.

  "What are you doing up there?"

  "I was looking, papa. I was studying topography."

  "Let us go out and study it a little by actual survey. I thinka walk would do me good."

  We went down first to the valley of the Kedron, and wanderedabout there; sometimes sitting down under the shade of theolive trees to rest; speculating upon localities, recallingscenes of history; wondering at the path which descends intothe valley from St. Stephen's gate and goes on over the Mountof Olives to Bethany. Above all things, that path held myeyes. No doubt the real path that was travelled eighteencenturies ago lay deep beneath many feet of piled-up rubbish;but the rubbish itself told a tale; and the path was there.After a long stay in the valley, we mounted the hill again,where our temporary home was; and passing that, went on to theheight of the hill. There we sat down. The westering sun wascasting lines of light all over the landscape, which would besoon floods of colour. Papa and I sat down to look and wait.

  "It certainly is worth coming for," said papa. "Our journeyrealises more than all I had hoped from it, Daisy."

  "I am so glad, papa!"

  "But you, Daisy, how is it with you? You seem to me a little,and not a little, _distraite_."

  "I have so much to think of, papa."

  "More than I have?"

  "Why, yes, papa," I said, half laughing. "I think so."

  "You must have fields of speculation unknown to me, Daisy."

  "Yes, papa. Some time I want to talk to you about them."

  "Isn't now a good time?" said papa, carelessly.

  I was silent a while, thinking how to begin. It was a goodtime, I knew, and I dared not let it pass. I had been waitingtill Mr. Dinwiddie should have left us and papa and I be quitealone; and he was to join us again as soon as we started onour northward journey. Now was my best opportunity. All themore, for knowing that, my heart beat.

  "Papa," I began, "may I ask you a few questions, the better tocome at what I want?"

  "Certainly. Your questions, Daisy, I have always foundstimulating."

  "Then first, what is it you think of most, in looking overfrom this place to Jerusalem?"

  "Of course," said papa, rousing himself, "the prominentthought must be the wonderful scene that was acted thereeighteen hundred years ago; not the course of history beforeor after. Is that what you mean?"

  "I mean that, papa. I mean the death of Christ. Papa, what wasthat for?"

  "Why, as I understand it, Daisy, it was a satisfaction to thejustice of God for the sins of the world. Are you going to putme through a course of theology, Daisy?"

  "No, papa. But do you think it was for all the world, or onlyfor a part of them?"

  "For all, of course. The Bible words I take to be quite clearon that point, even if it were possible that it should havebeen otherwise."

  "Then it was for you and me, papa?"

  "Yes."

  "And for those ignorant Moslems that live in the city now?"

  "Yes, of course it was; though I think they will not have muchgood of it, Daisy."

  "Never mind that, papa. Then it was for my old June, and forMaria and Darry and Pete and Margaret, and all the rest of ourpeople at Magnolia?"

  "Yes," said papa, rousing up a little. I did not look at him.

  "Papa, don't you think the Lord Jesus loves the people forwhom He died?"

  "Certainly. It is inconceivable that He should have died forthem if He did not love them. Though that is also a greatmystery to me, Daisy."

  "Papa, don't you think that, having died for them, He holdsthem precious?"

  "I suppose so," said papa slowly.

  "Every one?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you think He loves one man less than another because hisskin is darker?"

  "Certainly not, Daisy."

  "Then papa - should we?"

  "I do not know that we do," papa said, after a pause.

  "Papa, think. What would you say to our, or anybody's, holdingwhite men in slavery - making them work without wages - andforcing them to obey under the lash?"

  "They are an inferior race, Daisy," papa answered
again aftera pause. His voice showed he did not enjoy the conversation;but it was needful for me to go on.

  "Papa, they have been kept down. But suppose they wereinferior, - since Christ died for them, does He not lovethem?"

  "I have no doubt of it."

  "Then, papa, what will He say to us, for keeping those whom Heloves and died for, at arms' length or under our feet? andwhat will He say to us for keeping them out of the good Hedied to give them?"

  "We do not, Daisy! They have their religious privileges."

  "Papa, I have lived among them as you never did. They