WE watched them as they stood, | |
| One in the full broad sun, and sight of all, | |
| Broad Tallith-veil drawn tight o’er saintly brow, | |
| And garments bordered blue, | |
| And parchment texts twined over either arm: | 5 |
| And standing up he prayed; | |
| And every word was full of thanks to God, | |
| That he, from evil clear, | |
| Had trod the upward path, | |
| That he from sins of other men set free, | 10 |
| Adulterers, robbers, publicans, unjust, | |
| All fasts, tithes, alms, had strictly paid and kept. | |
| Yes, with clear voice and loud, | |
| He thanked God for the grace | |
| Which only gave him strength; | 15 |
| And we admiring heard and envied him, | |
| Were glad of greeting words, | |
| And kissed his garment’s fringe, | |
| And on the Sabbath morn in synagogue | |
| Gave him the chiefest place, | 20 |
| And at the Sabbath eve, | |
| When meeting at our feast, | |
| Asked him to break the bread and bless the wine. | |
| ’Tis good to honour thus the saints of God, | |
| Their light streams on to us, | 25 |
| And we, like clay with rose, | |
| Imbibe the odour of their saintliness, | |
| Sweet savour to the Lord. | |
| |
| And one we marked far back, | |
| Crouched in a corner, eyes fast fixed on earth, | 30 |
| Wringing his hands in woe; | |
| As one o’erburdened with the guilt of years, | |
| And haunted by dread memories of the past. | |
| He could not thank or praise, | |
| But evermore, half-bursting into sobs, | 35 |
| His bitter cry we heard, | |
| “O God, be pitiful | |
| To me of sinners chief;” | |
| And half we shuddered as we saw him there, | |
| And to our sons we said, | 40 |
| “See what they come to who the Law despise, | |
| Who make themselves the slaves of Heathen lords, | |
| And pass from bad to worse, | |
| All fasts and Sabbath scorned, | |
| Till man abhors them and their God forsakes.” | 45 |
| |
| Nay, trace them to their homes, | |
| See them in secret, as the Angels see, | |
| And God’s clear eye above; | |
| The Pharisee who acts his part abroad | |
| So well that half he deems | 50 |
| His own the part he plays, | |
| He, as he passes through his court-yard gate, | |
| Feels, he can scarce say what; | |
| It is not conscience piercing to the quick, | |
| But dull disquietude, | 55 |
| An inner voice of fear, | |
| The heart’s strings out of tune; | |
| And wife and children know the hour is come | |
| They dreaded all the day. | |
| Each slight neglect, the savoury food ill-dressed, | 60 |
| The rough red wine like that which poor men drink, | |
| These moved to bitter words; | |
| And children’s voices grated on his ear, | |
| And all their mirth was hushed, | |
| And he, with friends that came, | 65 |
| In judgment sat upon the neighbours round, | |
| How this had broken fast, | |
| And that had eaten bread with unwashed hands, | |
| Or on the Sabbath toiled; | |
| How one was thought to hold | 70 |
| To Hillel’s laxer creed. | |
| And one believed to turn with weary heart, | |
| To that new Rabbi named of Nazareth, | |
| Whom men despised as mad. | |
| |
| How went the other back? | 75 |
| Shrinking from scorning eyes and mocking word, | |
| He hurried through the streets, | |
| Through bye-ways of the town, | |
| And in poor suburb stopped at lowly house; | |
| But, as he passed along, | 80 |
| A new peace filled his soul; | |
| The vexing thoughts from out the guilty past | |
| Were lulled and hushed to rest, | |
| There came the thought that God was pitiful | |
| Nor kept his wrath for aye, | 85 |
| That he, though long rebellious, yet might turn, | |
| As from a country far, | |
| And find a Father welcome him at last. | |
| And so he entered in | |
| Where spreading fig and overhanging vine | 90 |
| Made a thick shade at noon, | |
| Where often he had wrestled with his woe, | |
| Until the sweat-drops streamed, | |
| In agony of soul, | |
| And then had passed to common life again, | 95 |
| With moody look and stern; | |
| But now he paused not there, | |
| But entered where his children’s faces met | |
| His look with loving smile, | |
| And with untaught, unconscious sympathy, | 100 |
| Felt that a change had come, | |
| The darkness past away, | |
| The new light shining clear, | |
| Their whole light brighter in the joy of his; | |
| While wifely glances keen | 105 |
| Searched out the marvel and the mystery: | |
| She too discerned the change, | |
| The new calm brooding o’er the vexed seas, | |
| And she rejoiced in soul; | |
| She saw him there at last, | 110 |
| No longer scorned and hated, self-condemned, | |
| No longer sick at heart, | |
| But blessing, being blest, | |
| Receiving freely, freely giving back; | |
| This found she there, and knew | 115 |
| The Lord had pardoned, and her joy burst forth, | |
| “Dear husband mine, thank God.” | |
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