was the dwelling-place of the Most High, never to be
trodden, never to be seen, except upon the rarest occasions, by mortal
man. It was now bare and empty, since the loss years before, in the war
with Babylon, of the Ark with its Mercy Seat and two golden cherubim.

In the outer chamber, the Holy Place, lying to the east, stood the
golden candlestick bearing seven lamps, the golden table of shew bread
with its twelve loaves arranged in two rows, and the golden Altar of
Incense, having thirteen spices burning night and day to signify that
all the produce of the earth belongs to God. In the huge doorway of this
room, where only the priests might enter, and facing the sunrise, hung a
second curtain or veil of fine linen richly embroidered in blue and
scarlet, purple and flax. These colors were meant to be an image of the
world. The scarlet represented fire, the flax earth, the blue sky, and
the purple sea. Along the wall ran golden vines and clusters of the
grape, the typical plant of Israel.

All this Naomi could picture perfectly so often had she heard it
described, but she saw it with the eye of her mind only, for the women
of Israel had a court set apart for them many flights below the Temple
building itself and at the east of the men's Court of the Israelites, as
it was called.

Martha stood at the little girl's elbow, gazing about, too, but not with
the same eager interest that Naomi showed, since a visit to the Temple
was no great rarity to her.

"Thou shouldst see the Temple at Passover, Naomi," she murmured; "the
crowds of people, and the priests at sunrise upon the walls blowing a
thousand silver trumpets, and the long procession in the streets
carrying the lambs for the offering."

"Father hath promised to bring us all next Passover," Naomi answered
happily. "But now I long mightily to see the great Altar of Burnt
Offering in the Court of the Priests. It is made of unhewn stone, Ezra
says, and there, too, stands the bronze basin where the priests wash
hands and feet before entering the Holy Place. Ezra has learned all
about it at school. I long to see it."

Little Martha shook her head.

"Nay," she murmured reprovingly, "that is not a sight for me and thee. I
have seen the smoke rising--that is all."

Naomi stared up at the great group of buildings--courts, halls,
cloisters, terraces, and walls, topped by the splendid golden front of
the Holy Place, in silent awe.

"If once I should lose sight of Aunt