verybody
to be--what is it you call it? I forget;--to have their names put down,
in a list of all the families and tribes, so that they might be taxed--"

"Taking the census?"

"I don't know; maybe it's that. And so, Joseph and Mary had to go to
Bethlehem to have their names put down there, because it was David's
city, you know, and they were of the house of David. And while they
were there, Jesus was born. But after a while they went back and lived
in Nazareth."

David looked dark, and eager; he made no answer.

"And it says in the first chapter of Matthew, David, that the prophet
said, 'they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us.'"

"It is true," said David. "So spoke the prophet Isaiah. But how then
did he speak also of Messiah's sufferings? how could that be?"

"Where, David? and how?"

The boy turned over gloomily the leaves of the book which he held, and
began to read at the fifty-third chapter.

"'Who hath given credence to that which we heard? and the arm of
Jehovah, on whom hath it been revealed?'"

"What chapter is that?" Matilda asked; and he told her. She turned to
the place.

"'_Who hath believed our report?_' that is it exactly, David. Don't you
see? You do not believe it, and all the Jews do not believe it, when it
is told to them."

"What?" said David.

"Why, that Jesus is the Messiah; and all about him. 'He is despised and
rejected of men'--see how it goes on."

"What does this mean, I wonder," said David as he looked over the
chapter--"'He is pierced for our transgressions, Bruised for our
iniquities, The chastisement of our peace is on him, And by his bruise
there is healing to us'?"

"This is what it means, David; 'the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for
many.' That is in Matthew. And here in Romans--'God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much
more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through him.' And in Corinthians--'He hath made him to be sin for
us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him.' Don't you see?"

"O hush! stop!" said David; "you bewilder me. Here Isaiah goes on

"'Each to his own way we have turned,
'And Jehovah hath caused to meet on him
'The punishment of us all.

'It hath been exacted, and he hath answered.
'And he openeth not his mouth,
'As a