Deborah: A tale of the times of Judas MaccabaeusLudlow, James M. (James Meeker)
History
Deborah: A tale of the times of Judas Maccabaeus
Ludlow, James M. (James Meeker)
Jewish fiction; Jews -- History -- 586 B.C.-70 A.D. -- Fiction; Maccabees -- Fiction
How much one can live in a moment! The two preceding years lay there
in Deborah's memory like a landscape under the lightning. She saw this
man in his sacrificial friendship. She thought that she resented his
personal affection; but, that being eliminated, he was the noblest of
souls: a Greek, yet respecting her nation's faith even by the altar in
the Temple where he raised his protest in the endeavor to protect her
dying father; defending this house because it was a home; more tender
to her Caleb than his own brother had been. She asked herself, "Could
even Judas have shown nobler manhood? Would he befriend a household of
his enemies whose only claim should be their piteous need?"
With all hauteur gone, she extended her hand and said:
"Forgive me, Captain Dion! I have wronged you. I have been blind! I am
blind still!"
She thought she had looked him frankly in the face, and that she had
pronounced these words very calmly; she was unaware that she had
blushed, that tears came into her eyes, and that her hand trembled in
his.
Dion was more astute. Like an expert soldier he detected the favorable
turn affairs had taken at this critical juncture, and sought words to
press his advantage. But before he could speak Deborah had lapsed into
reserve. Was it her woman's pride that felt somewhat of resentment? or
was it the remnant of her former resolution which came as a forlorn
hope to her rescue? She said:
"You, sir, should be with your soldiers; and I--I have much to think
of."
"But pledge me, Deborah, that you will not go again to the army."
At this she stood erect and haughty, as a captive queen before her
captor might have done. She forced severity into her tone:
"I am a Jewess, sir, and must not take orders from the enemy."
"I do not command, I entreat," replied Dion. "By your own God, Deborah,
I swear to you that the slaughter of all the King's host is less to me
than that harm should come to a hair of your head."
"A very pretty speech," rejoined Deborah, with simulated sarcasm, "but
it is scarcely a speech befitting a Greek soldier. Is your faith like a
helmet which can be changed at will, that you can swear by a stranger's
god?"
"My faith! My faith!" exclaimed Dion. "We Greeks have no such faith as
yours. But a single faith have I--that all gods are one, or rather, as
your heroism has made me feel, that one God is all. The God of Israel
is the God of all nations. That you have taught me. I have found my
prophetess, if Israel has none."
"It is the true faith," said Deborah, "but how should you know it? Is a
girl's belief more to you than all your boasted philosophy?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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