er; now and then
a spot of the black ink itself,--and the whole scene is made alive,
with Jesus standing in the midst, the light gleaming full upon his
figure.

[Footnote 8: Michel.]

IX

CHRIST AT EMMAUS

The picture of Christ at Emmaus illustrates an event in the narrative
of Christ's life which took place on the evening of the first Easter
Sunday. It was now three days since the Crucifixion of Christ just
outside Jerusalem, and the terrible scene was still very fresh in the
minds of his disciples. It happened that late in the day two of them
were going to a village called Emmaus, not very far from Jerusalem.

They made the journey on foot, and as they walked along the way, "they
talked together," says the evangelist[9] who tells the story, "of all
those things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they
communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with
them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he
said unto them, 'What manner of communications are these that ye have
one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?' And the one of them, whose
name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, 'Art thou only a stranger
in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass
there in these days?' And he said unto them, 'What things?' And they
said unto him, 'Concerning Jesus of Nazareth.'" Then followed a
conversation in which they told the stranger something of Jesus, and
he in turn explained to them many things about the life and character
of Jesus which they had never understood.

[Footnote 9: St. Luke, chapter xxiv. verses 13-32.]

"And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made
as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him,
saying, 'Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far
spent.' And he went in to tarry with them.

"And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and
blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened
and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said
one to another, 'Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked
with us by the way?'"

The picture suggests vividly to us that wonderful moment at Emmaus
when the eyes of the disciples were opened, and they recognized their
guest as Jesus, whom they had so recently seen crucified. The table is
laid in a great bare room with the commonest furnishings, and the
discipl