ervant came forth with the water-vessels to fill them at the
fountain. He wondered to see the crowd of men gathered together, and he
drew near to ask them what was stirring. He could read upon their dark
scowling faces that something moved them exceedingly; but what it was he
could not gather. He could not tell why they would scarcely speak to
him, but looked on him with angry faces, and spoke under their breath,
and said, "This is one of them." "'Twere best to give them up." "They
will destroy us all." Then the man was altogether astonished; for his
master had been ever humble, and kind, and gentle; no poor man had ever
turned away without help when he had come in his sorrows to the prophet
of the Lord. And yet, why were they thus angry with him, if it were not
for his master's sake?

Broken sentences were all that he could gather; but, by little and
little, he learned what they feared and what they threatened; he saw,
also, the hosts of armed men gathered all around the city; and his heart,
also, was filled with fear. He believed that it was for his master's
sake that they were there; he saw that all around him were turned against
his master, and he trembled exceedingly. For some time he stood amongst
the rest, scarce knowing what to do, neither liking to remain nor daring
to go; until at last, as some more stragglers joined themselves to the
company, he slunk away like one ashamed, without stopping even to fill
the water-vessels he had brought.

And so he entered his own door, heavy-hearted and trembling; and he went
to the prophet's chamber, for he deemed that he still slept. But the man
of God was risen; and he knew, therefore, where he should find him--that
he would be upon the flat roof of his house, calling upon the name of the
Lord his God, who had made another morning's sun to rise in its glory.

{The Prophet's Guard: p156.jpg}

So he followed his master to the housetop; and there, even as he had
supposed, he found the holy man. It was a striking sight, could any one
have seen the difference between these two men. The one pale and
trembling and affrighted, like a man out of himself, and with no stay on
which to rest his mind; the other calm and earnest, as, in deep and
solemn prayer, with his head bowed and his hands clasped together, his
low voice poured forth his thanksgiving, or spake of his needs; he also,
as it seemed, was out of himself, but going out of himself that he might
rest upon One