40
L
America Atvisk Periodical eater
August 9, 1940
WERFEL
Continued from Page 1
pedant, but their gratitude did
not lead to greater friendliness.
Sometimes, when a company of
the guards had returned from a
period of duty on the bulwarks
and the men, wrapped in their
filthy cloaks, had thrown them-
selves down on the ground in
front of Jeremiah's open cell to
snatch a brief sleep, one or
other of them would start up
from an uneasy dream and
awaken the prophet with a
hoarse cry; "Prophet of the
Lord, what will become of us?"
Jeremiah would soothe the rest-
less sleeper with obscure and com-
forting sayings that allowed him
to go On hoping but did not
pervert the truth. Every day, as
he sat with the soldiers for hours
at a time during their periods
off duty, he was careful to avoid
saying anything that might ren-
der them faint-hearted. When he
first came among them they had
talked roughly and boastfully, but
as time passed they grew more
and more subdued,
Nebuchadnezzar had brought a
hundred new pieces of ordnance
with him from Babylon, together
with storming ladders of a novel
type that projected above the
walls of Jerusalem. A new attack
had been in progress for some
weeks, with heavy casualties
daily. Battering-rams and rocks
hurled by catapults thundered
incessantly against the walls, but
without success. Jeremiah only
half listened to what the men
were saying, whether they were
bragging of their deeds or giving
a gloomy account of the fighting.
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His thoughts returned again and
again to Anathoth. He could see
the defective nlace in the wall
that surrounded the estate, the
threshold of the house where his
mother's lamp had so often
waited for him, the dark passage
that led to his parents' bed-
chamber, and his own room where
the almond tree had spread its
branches on the night of his first
vision. Never again would he
journey to Anathoth!
But Anathoth came to him.
And it came, as was to be ex-
pected, in the person of Hana-
meel. The worthy farmer, who
usually presented such a neat ap-
pearance with his well-trimmed
beard and simple but spotless
garments, had for some reason
become slovenly and ragged. His
hair hung over his eyes, his beard
was long and tousled. The rents
and holes in his dirt-encrusted
clothes bore witness to the thorny
undergrowth and mud through
which he had made his way in
the attempt to reach Jerusalem.
Though the soldiers crowded
round inquisitively, he squatted
down on the ground beside Jere-
miah, and they both sat silent
for a long time, as befitted men
whose hearts were full of anxious
questions and answers to ques-
tions. Jeremiah was the first to
speak. .3 711'
"Hanameel, my cousin and
friend, I was thinking of my
father's house when you ap-
peared."
"Jeremiah, my cousin and
friend," nodded the faithful
Hanameel, "I knew well that
your thoughts were of your home
in Anathoth; there is every rea-
son why they should be. There-
fore, amid great peril and dis-
comfort, I have crept into this
city for the last time. Behold, I
bring you a last gift from the
land in Anothoth. It is but a
lean portion. A little sack of
lentils, a little sack of dried figs,'
and a pitcher of last year's wine.
More I could not bring."
"Distribute the lentils and the
figs and the pitcher of wine
among these brave soldiers, my
cousin! For there is famine in
the city and the men go hungry.
Then tell me the reason why my
thoughts are of my home in
Anathoth, and why you speak of
the last gift from Anathoth."
Hanameel did as Jeremiah bade
him and gave the things he had
brought to the soldiers. Then he
began to tell his ill news, relat-
ing one item after another with-
out any change in his calm voice.
"When Obadiah, your elder
brother," he began, "was dying
with agonizing pains in his
bowels, he sent for Hanameel.
for he was quite alone. The long
war and the wrath of the Lord
had scattered all his family. Only
the murderous screech-owl stil.
remained, whose voice could be
heard at night like a watchman
on his tower calling out the pass-
ing hours of God's vengeance.
In his last hour Obadiah spoke
thus to me: 'Joel, the traveller,
has been paid his due and has
gone. My sons have been torn
from me by the war. My daugh-
ters and my daughters-in-law
have taken their children and
have departed. I . have been struck
down by the Lord because of
Jeremiah. Gird up your loins and
go hence to speak to my younger
brother in my name. Tell him
that he, who has no children, is
now the father of the family and
the master of an empty house.'
. . . It is more than two months
since we buried your elder
brother. I had already gii'ded up
my loins to set out and come to
you when the great disaster be-
fell Anathoth. The men of Baby-
lon came and burned your house,
with the Hall of Abiathar, the
chamber of your parents, and
many good things that your
mother had accumulated. They
took everything that was of any
value. They drove away the cat-
tle, drank up the wine, devastated
the fields, and slew the peasants.
My own farm did not escape the
same fate. There too they pil-
laged and burned, as they did
throughout the countryside so
that there might be no place
from which Jerusalem could re-
ceive 'food and supplies. I hid
with some of my neighbors in
the mountains and was in great
fear, before I turned my feet „ to-
wards you for the last time.
Jeremiah had listened intently
without interrupting the tranquil
flow of Hanameel's story.
"'Verily, now am I the childless
father of my family and the mas-
ter of a house that has been
burned down,” he said after a
long silence. But Hanameel la i d
his large rough hand upon the
prophets knee and demanded:
"What will be the end? Tell
me! For in accordance with your
words shall I order the rest of
my days."
More and more soldiers had
joined the group, until there was
a dense ring round the two
cousins. Jeremiah kept his eyes
closed and, to his misfortune, he
forgot that they were not alone.
Though he spoke very softly and
almost tonelessly, yet his danger-
ous words were overheard and
understood by some of the listen-
ers.
"This city, this people, and this
whole land will be delivered into
the hand of the King of Baby-
lon."
"You have spoken", nodded
Hanameel, as if he had expected
to hear nothing less, "and I shall
order the rest of my days in ac-
cordance with your words. I shall
leave this country, as the wise
traveller Joel did long ago, and
shake off the burden of this peo-
ple and this God, But to you I
return that which is yours, since
I can no longer be responsible
for it. My own fields and my
pastures, moreover, I give to
you, though the soil lies fallow
and is worthless to you."
At the word "worthless" Jere-
miah sprang to his feet.
"May God forbid", he cried in
a ringing voice, "that fields and
pastures in the land of the Lord
should be considered worthless!
You should be rebuked for this
word, my cousin! Behold, I stand
before you as a buyer. There is
nothing to prevent you from cast-
ing off the burden of this people
and this God, that you may go
hence while there is yet time.
But I will buy your fields at their
full value, that I may further
increase my great inheritance in
this land. You must obey me in
this, for according to law the
right of redemption is mine
alone."
Jeremiah had spoken so loudly
that a murmur of surprise broke
from the crowd. His eyes warned
'Hanameel, who was about to pro-
test, to be silent. Gradually the
worthy cousin realized that it
was not a foolish offer made by
a madman, but a symbolic act
which the Lord had imposed on
His prophet when the word
'worthless" was uttered. Jere-
miah summoned the soldiers of
;he royal bodyguard who were
standing roundabout to be law-
ful witnesses of the transaction,
tn(i drew from his girdle the
;old that had once been given
dm by his mother, at his fa-
:her's wish, for his hour of
'dire affliction." The paymaster
if the bodyguard was called, and
le weighed Jeremiah's gold on
balance against shekels and
nieces of silver. Baruch, who had
;ucceeded in obtaining permission
to visit the prisoner every day,
lad to sit down forthwith and
)repare evidence of the purchase
according to ti l iaw and custom.
Hanameel, unclear about
vhat was happening, was paid
he full value of his land, the
amount being reckoned according
to the price obtaining during the
'ast years of peace. The sum total
vas seven shekels and ten pieces
if silver. Then Jeremiah told his
mwildered cousin to cast from
his mind his belated intention of
leaving the country, advising him
to return home, to build himself
a modest shelter on his old farm,
to wait, and to hope. With tears
in his eyes, Hanameel promised
to obey, and Jeremiah dismissed
him with the ringing words:
"For thus had said the Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel, Yet
again shall there be bought
houses and fields and vineyards
in this land."
Baruch was ordered to place
the sealed document, the evi-
dence of purchase, in an earthen
vessel and preserve it in a safe
place, that it might continue as
a token for future generations in
the years to come. The men
standing roundabout had seen
and heard all that was being
said and done, but their simple
minds were puzzled by the con-
tradiction bet w e e n Jeremiah's
prophecy and his action. Had the
prophet not expressly foretold
the end? Then why, if he was
convinced of the imminent down-
fall of Judah, had he purchased
with his last remaining money
a desolate and useless piece of
land? It was not only the simple
minds of the soldiers that found
the contradiction surprising. Jere-
miah himself was puzzled at the
sudden transaction into which the
Lord had prompted him to enter,
and which filled him with a
dreamy delight as if he surmised
a change in the divine plan.
Erich Pommer, now a Ilolly-
wood producer, was responsible
for many of the German film suc-
cesses of the 1920's.
7
ROOSEVELT
(Continued from Page 1)
"a little bit of heaven"
at
LEVIN'S RESORT
Only Swimming Pool in
ism as against Hitler and other
South Haven
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President Roosevelt's message It Is under auspices of State Health Dept.
The following facilities on our grounds
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dietary laws observed
ute immeasurably to the national finest meals .
strength by encouraging the lead- write or phone for further information
Phone 431
ers of all religious faiths to keep Route No. 1 M. 43
South haven, Mich.
in communication with each other
and to work together as citizens
to increase the moral tone of the
nation, to quicken the conscience
of our people with regard to eco-
nomic justice for all and to deep-
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a time when the values of West-
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ANNOUNCE
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All
Mr. Willkie, urging a "spirit
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Picnic on Aug. 18
Perfection Lodge No. 486, F.
& A. M., will hold its annual
summer picnic on Sunday, Aug.
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the general public, are invited to
pack their lunches and travel by
boat to the island picnic grounds
and participate in an interesting
athletic and social program for
young and old. There will be no
immigration inspection or citi-
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Tickets are priced at the regu-
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Woodward Ave. before sailing
time at 10 A. M. or by calling
M. W. Benjamin at Ra. 0246.
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Aesculapians Give
Moonlight Aug. 25
The Aesculapian Pharmaceuti-
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moonlight on Sunday, Aug. 25.
Details may be gotten by calling
Hy Margolis, Trinity 2-9390, who
also has charge of the sale of
tickets.
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