Hebrew Heroes: A Tale Founded on Jewish History

  CHAPTER VIII.

  HADASSAH'S GUEST.

  In no place were the tidings of the rising at Modin received withgreater exultation than in the lonely dwelling of Hadassah. The Hebrewwidow could hardly refrain from taking down the timbrel from the wall,and bursting, like Miriam, into song. "_Sing unto the Lord, for Hehath triumphed gloriously! He hath dashed to pieces the enemy!_"

  Constant information of what was occurring, every rumour, true orfalse, whether of victory or of failure, was brought to Hadassah by herson-in-law, Abishai, who little dreamed that every word which heuttered was overheard by the wounded Athenian, from whom he was dividedbut by the partitioning curtain!

  In one of his visits to Hadassah, Abishai told how Judas had in themountains raised a standard, which bore the inscription, "Who is likeunto Thee among the gods, O Jehovah!"

  "It is said," observed Abishai, "that from the initial letters of thisinscription the word MACCABEUS is formed, and that by this new titleJudas is commonly called; it is a name which the Syrians will soon havecause to dread."

  "It is a well-chosen name!" cried Hadassah. "Let the Asmonean becalled _Makke-baiah_ (a conqueror in the Lord), for doubtless the Godwhom he serves will give to him the victory!"

  The triumphant joy of the patriotic Hadassah received a painful checkwhen she heard some time afterwards from Abishai of the grievoussacrifice of the lives of a thousand faithful Hebrews, who had takenrefuge in a cave at no great distance from Jerusalem. Being attackedthere on the Sabbath-day by the Syrians, these Hebrews had actually letthemselves be slaughtered without resistance, rather than incur sin (asthey thought) by breaking the Fourth Commandment! Grieved at thiswaste of precious life, it was a relief to Hadassah to learn that sucha sacrifice to a mistaken sense of duty would not be repeated; for whenthe tidings had reached Mattathias and his sons, they had bitterlymourned for their slaughtered countrymen, and had said one to another,"If we all do as our brethren have done, and fight not for our livesand laws, against the heathen, they will quickly root us out of theearth." A decree, therefore, was sent forth from the camp in themountains, that to Hebrews attacked on the Sabbath-day, self-defencewas lawful and right.

  In the meantime, under the care of Hadassah, the wounds of Lycidas weregradually healing. Never to any man had confinement and suffering beenmore sweetened, for was he not near to Zarah; did he not hear the softmusic of her voice, breathe the same air, even see her light formgliding past the entrance of his hiding-place, though the maiden neverentered it? The necessity of concealing the presence of Lycidas, aboveall from the blood-thirsty Abishai, compelled the closing during thedaytime of the door at the back of the dwelling which opened on thesmall piece of ground behind. Peasants or travellers wouldoccasionally, though rarely, come to fill their pitchers or slake theirthirst at the little fountain gushing from the hill, and had the doorof what Lycidas playfully called his "den" been open, there would havebeen nothing to prevent strangers from seeing or entering within. Thewhole ventilation of the confined space occupied by the invaliddepended therefore during the day-time on its communication with thefront room, which might be called the only public apartment, and inwhich not only food was now prepared and taken, and the occasionalguest received, but in which the Hebrew ladies pursued their dailyavocations. Here Zarah would pursue her homely occupation of spinning,and Hadassah copy out on rolls of vellum portions from the Law and theProphets. This latter occupation was fraught with peril; and hadHadassah been discovered in the act of transcribing from the sacredpages, it might have cost her her life. Antiochus had eagerly soughtto destroy all copies of the Scriptures, or to profane them by havingvile pictures painted on the margins. To possess--far more to copyout--God's Holy Word was now a capital offence. But the faith ofHadassah seemed to raise her above all personal fear; the perilconnected with her pious labours made her but more earnestly pursuethem. The presence of the young Gentile in her dwelling was a sourceof far greater uneasiness to the widow, than any danger whichthreatened herself.

  Had Hadassah been able to seclude her patient entirely, she wouldwillingly have discharged the duties of hospitality towards him; butsuch seclusion the scanty accommodation of her dwelling would haverendered impossible, even had Lycidas been willing to submit to perfectisolation. But this was by no means the case. Not only did he requirethe curtain frequently to be drawn back to enable him freely tobreathe; but the Greek, as his strength increased, was eager to be seenas well as to see, and to speak as well as to listen. No anxiouswarnings of danger to be apprehended from the sudden entrance ofAbishai could prevent Lycidas from dragging his languid limbs beyondthe limits which the curtain defined, and joining in social converse.Lycidas resolutely shut his eyes to the fact that, to his hostess atleast, his presence was unwelcome. He deceived himself into the beliefthat he was rather repaying the kindness which he had received, bylightening the dulness of the secluded lives led by the Hebrew ladies.The young Athenian drew forth for their amusement all the rich storesof his cultivated mind. Now he recited wondrous tales of other lands;now gave vivid descriptions of adventures of his own; poetry flowedspontaneously from his lips like a stream--now sparkling with fancy,now deepening into pathos; Lycidas had in Athens been compared toApollo, as much for his mental gifts as his singular personal beauty.

  To the brilliant conversation of the stranger, so unlike what she everhad heard before, Zarah listened with innocent pleasure. She was everobedient to her aged relative, and often did Hadassah's bidding in theupper rooms of the dwelling, even when it seemed to the maiden that shewas sent on needless errands; but the light form, in its simple bluegarment, with the long linen veil thrown back from the graceful head,was always returning to the apartment, to which it was drawn by a newand powerful attraction. If Hadassah sometimes appeared irritable andimperious towards the fair young being whom she loved, it was becauseher mind was disturbed, her rest broken by anxieties which she couldimpart to no one. The aged lady scarcely knew which evil she mostdreaded: the discovery of Lycidas by Abishai--a discovery which wouldinevitably stain her threshold with blood--or the long sojourn underher roof of the dangerous stranger, whom she had unwillingly admitted,and now more unwillingly retained in her home.