and set him on his own beast, and
brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he
departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said
unto him, 'Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I
come again I will repay thee.'"

[Footnote 6: St. Luke, chapter x. verses 30-37.]

The point of the story is very plain, and when Jesus asked the lawyer
which one of the three passers-by was a neighbor to the wounded man,
he was forced to reply, "He that shewed mercy." Then said Jesus
simply, "Go, and do thou likewise."

Though the scene of the story is laid in Palestine, it is the sort of
incident which one can imagine taking place in any country or period
of time. So it seems perfectly proper that Rembrandt, in representing
the subject, should show us an old Dutch scene. The etching
illustrates that moment when the Good Samaritan arrives at the inn,
followed by the wounded traveler mounted on his horse.

The building is a quaint piece of architecture with arched doors and
windows. That it was built with an eye to possible attacks from
thieves and outlaws, we may see from the small windows and thick walls
of masonry, which make it look like a miniature fortress. This is a
lonely spot, and inns are few and far between. The plaster is cracking
and crumbling from the surface, and the whole appearance of the place
does not betoken great thrift on the part of the owners. On the
present occasion, during the working hours of the day, doors and
windows are open after the hospitable manner of an inn.

The host stands in the doorway, greeting the strangers, and the Good
Samaritan is explaining the situation to him. In the mean time the inn
servants have come forward: the hostler's boy holds the horse by the
bridle, while a man lifts off the wounded traveler.

[Illustration: THE GOOD SAMARITAN
_Museum of Fine Arts, Boston_]

About the dooryard are the usual signs of life. In the rear a woman
draws water from a well, lowering the bucket from the end of a long
well-sweep, heedless of the stir about the door. Fowl scratch about in
search of food, and there is a dog at one side. Some one within looks
with idle curiosity from the window into the yard. It is little
touches like these which give the scene such vividness and reality.

There is also a remarkable expressiveness in the figures which tells
the story at a glance. You can see just what the Good Samaritan is
saying, as he gest