ichly
carpeted, and here a number of Jewish Rabbis--the doctors or teachers
of the Law--are sitting in a half-circle, facing the doorway. They are
grave men, with long beards and flowing robes. Many of them are old
and grey. The Rabbi nearest us has a specially withered face, and eyes
that have become sightless with age. The one next him holds in his
hand a little metal box with leather thongs hanging down from it. This
is a phylactery, containing texts of Scripture written on parchment,
and the thongs are for fastening it on the forehead. Another of the
group wears his phylactery in its proper position. The blind Rabbi
clasps in his arms a great roll of the Law, richly mounted and
carefully wrapped up. A little boy, with a brush to drive away the
flies, kneels beside him, and another boy behind him is reverently
kissing the covering of the roll, which he has raised to his lips. One
of the younger Rabbis holds a smaller roll spread out before him. An
attendant is pouring out wine from a jar under his arm, for one of the
older men to drink. The Temple musicians, with youthful faces, and
with various instruments in their hands, stand behind the Rabbis and
watch the scene with much interest. But the central figure in the
picture is the boy Jesus, who has risen from the place where He has
been sitting, and is preparing to go away with Joseph and Mary. He
stands just inside the doorway, tightening His girdle with one hand,
while the other hand clasps His mother's arm. His bright, earnest face
is turned a little away from her, and His eyes glance towards the
Rabbis as if He were eager to hear the last of their words. Mary is
smiling with gladness because she has found Him, and is drawing Him
gently and lovingly away. Behind her, Joseph, a powerful and
noble-looking man, holds with one hand the broad strap by which his
wallet is slung over his shoulder, while his other hand rests beside
Mary's on the shoulder of Jesus. Just above his head there is a large
sun-shaped design on the side of the doorway, around which run the
words, both in Latin and in Hebrew, _The Lord whom ye seek shall
suddenly come to His Temple_.[2]

Now there are at least two lessons which the story and the picture
teach us. There are two things in which the boy Jesus sets an example
to the boys and girls of to-day.

I

First of all, there is _Love of heavenly wisdom_. You can well
understand that there must have been many places and