He turned with an expression of the deepest affection to Helon, and said, "Greet thy mother from me - when the high-priest dies, carry my bones to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and lay them beside thy father's-wait on the Lord, and thou shalt obtain"—his words became inaudible. Helon held his cold hand, and bathed it with his tears; and all who stood around his bed in mournful silence, thought him already dead. But the dying eye opened once more,-gazed around on them all-then fixed itself on heaven. His head sunk back in Sulamith's arms. Twice the mouth was distorted in the bitterness of pain-then once again. The body became rigid — respiration ceased.

After a solemn pause, each reading in the countenance of the rest the confirmation of his fears, all uttered at the same moment a piercing shriek of grief. The men rent their upper garments, beat their breasts, threw their turbans on the ground, strewed dust and ashes on their head, put on sackcloth, covered their chins, and went barefoot. Helon was hurried away, lest, being a priest, he should contract pollution from the dead body.* The eyes of the corpse were closed, and it was carried into the Alijah by the nearest relatives. As it had been the custom in Judea, since the captivity, to bury very soon, the night was passed in making preparations. The body was wrapped in a large sheet, the head bound with a napkin, and then the whole from head to foot swathed with a broad bandage, and each foot, each hand, each finger separately. At midnight came the Levites with their musical instruments: the female mourners began their office by lifting up their voices and lamenting, strewing ashes on their heads and singing a dirge. On the following morning the house was filled with neighbors and friends, expressing their sympathy. Sulamith ran about weeping and wringing her hands above her head. The men sat in another apartment upon the ground and mourned in silence. Sulamith was conducted to the apartment of the women, where she placed

* Numb. xix. 14,

herself on a carpet in the middle, and the rest of the females
of the family sat round her. The hired mourners formed a
wide circle at a little distance. Each of the women held a
handkerchief in her hand by two of the corners. The
mourners, who knew a variety of funeral songs, began one
which expressed the virtue, and calamities of the deceased.
Sulamith gave them a sign and they ceased; and all the females
of the family began to weep along with her. They arose,
twisted their handkerchiefs together, and ran shrieking round
the room, while Sulamith, sitting motionless in the middle,
wrung her hands and tore her beautiful dark hair. When
she ceased, the mourners resumed their song, till she again
gave them a signal, the relatives renewed their lamentations.
This lasted till towards evening, when the inhabitants assem-
bled at the door, and the corpse was carried to the grave.
Those who carried the bier proceeded with such hasty steps
that they seemed rather to run than walk-
an usage which
was said to bear this meaning,that death is the most terri-
ble punishment of sin. Every one who met the procession
joined the mourners, and bore a part in the cries of the

women,

Before the gate of the city, in a garden planted with trees, stood the sepulchre of Elisama's host, hewn out of the rock; and in this the corpse was deposited; for burning was deemed dishonorable by the Jews, and regarded with abborrence. The bearers threw aloes, myrrh, and other fragrant substances, upon the body, so as to cover it, and the sepulchre was closed with a stone, which was annually whitened with lime. The friends and relatives having remained standing awhile before the closed sepulchre, bowed themselves thrice to the earth and prayed; then taking up a sod threw it behind them, and said, "Remember, O man, that dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return." The procession returned with a repetition of the funeral lamentations.

On reaching home they washed their hands, and the neighbors brought them the bread of mourning; a beautiful and

humane custom in Israel! No victuals were prepared in the house which death had visited, but the neighbors and friends came with delicate viands and invited the mourners to partake of them, to recruit their strength and spirits. This was called the bread of mourning; and the cup which was handed round, the cup of consolation. The mourning lasted seven days, during which it was held indecorous to wash the garments, to bathe or anoint the body, or to wear the sandals or the turban. Every day Sulamith went with the women of the family to lament, at the tomb of the deceased, his true affection and his calamitous fate. When the days of mourning were ended, suitable presents were made to the friendly host, and Helon, Sulamith, and Selumiel returned from the Peræa over the Jordan to Jericho. The bones of Elisama were to repose in the precincts of Ramoth Gilead till the death of the high-priest, when they should be transferred to the valley of Jehoshaphat, to rest there till the joyful morning of the resurrection.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE WATER OF

JEALOUSY.

In the mean time the joyous season of the vintage, and the gathering of the olives and the fruit began. With shouts of joy they climbed the lofty palms, of which the plain of Jericho was full, and gathered the dates, which grew in large bunches of fifteen to twenty pounds in weight. They were afterwards divided according to their different degrees of ripeness; some were eaten fresh, others were pressed to obtain from them the celebrated palm-wine. This was done amidst festive shouts, and the praises of the tree were celebrated, of which every part is applicable to some use of man.

From the terebinths, some of which had seen the lapse of centuries and were still vigorous and verdant, they plucked the red and fragrant berries, or climed the pistachio to bring down its delicious nuts, or stored up the resin which spontaneously exudes from both. these trees. The figs and the pomegranates were gathered, the balsam scraped from the weeping tree, or expressed from its seeds. Later in the season the olive trees, some of which yielded a thousand pounds of oil, were stripped of their yet unripe berries, which were gently pressed that the virgin oil might run from them; or crushed in the press that they might furnish oil for the necessary purposes of food and anointing. Even the vintage was beginning here and there.

One morning Helon was walking with Sulamith and Abisuab through a vineyard and seeking the ripe bunches among the loaded trees. His mind was more cheerful and more composed than it ever had been since the death of Elisama. A slave of Selumiel came hastily to him and summoned bim to the house, saying, that a messenger from Gaza had arrived with letters that required a speedy answer. He had brought letters from Myron addressed to Selumiel and to Helon.

On the unfortunate evening when the homicide of Elisama had occurred, Myron had hastily taken the road to Gaza designing as speedily as possible to return to Alexandria. With all his levity he joined a great deal of good nature, and when he reflected on his conduct, his conscience found much to reproach him. He was compelled to wait at Gaza for an opportunity of conveyance to Egypt, and during his stay the news of what had happened in Jericho, soon followed by that of Elisama's death, was made public there, and excited a very general feeling against him, both among Jews and heathen. The first effect was to make him wish for a speedy departure — but then again the thought of his conduct towards the friend of his youth smote him to the heart, and he could not go, till he had sought his forgiveness. Thus he

allowed several opportunities of making the journey in company to pass by, and yet he could not summon courage to go to Jericho. At length he resolved on the following plan. He came to a place in the neighborhood of that city, and thence despatched a messenger to Selumiel, to whom he testified his sincere sorrow for what he had done, and earnestly requested his good offices in reconciling him to Helon. To him also he wrote a letter, which he entreated Selumiel to deliver to him.

Selumiel was much affected on reading the letter; he sent for Helon and gave him that which was destined for him. It was with difficulty that he could be prevailed on to receive it. Myron reminded him of their youthful friendship, and earnestly supplicated for an interview.

"That," said Selumiel, "would be an act of heroism well worthy of an Israelite."

"The heathen are threatened with Jehovah's curse," said Helon," and we reap nothing but misery from their friendship. I will not see him."

"Did not Solomon pray even for the heathen," "* said Selumiel; "and will not the Messiah be the light of the heathen? Thou must not be implacable, if thou wishest to fulfil the law of the fathers. Was not Joseph reconciled to his brethren? did not David show mercy to Saul his enemy? did not Jehovah himself on Sinai command, 'If thou seest the ox or the ass of thine enemy going astray thou shalt lead him back ;' and is not a heathen of more estimation than an ox or an ass?"

"Forgive Myron," said Sulamith, fondly laying her head. on his bosom," forgive him, priest of Jehovah! Leave vengeance to him who hath declared that he will repay; and think what joy thou wouldst feel, if through thy means he become a proselyte of the gate."

Helon's former spirit revived, and he resolved that he would perform the heroic act to which he was called. The * 1 Kings viii. 41.