Hebrew Heroes: A Tale Founded on Jewish HistoryA. L. O. E.
History
Hebrew Heroes: A Tale Founded on Jewish History
A. L. O. E.
Bible. Old Testament -- Fiction; Biographical fiction; Jews -- History -- Fiction; Judas Maccabaeus (Judah Maccabee, יהודה המכבי)
Hadassah thrust a coin into the hand of seller of fruit. Hephzibah
turned it round and round, looking at it as if she thought that the
examination of the money would help her in giving her answer. It came
at last, but slowly: "Ay, I mind me that Joab said that he took the
stranger to the large house, with a court, on the left side of the west
gate, which Apollonius" (she muttered a curse) "broke down."
This was clue sufficient; and thankful at having gained one, Hadassah
with her attendant left the stifling precincts of Hephzibah's dwelling
to find out that of the Greek. Terrible were the glare and heat of the
noonday sun, and long appeared the distance to be traversed, yet
Hadassah did not even slacken her steps till she approached the
gymnasium erected by the renegade high-priest Jason. With difficulty
she made her way through crowds of Syrians and others hastening to the
place of amusement.
Hadassah groaned, but it was not from weariness; she turned away her
eyes from the building which had been to so many of her people as the
gate of perdition, and the merry voices of the pleasure-seekers sounded
sadder to her ears than a wail uttered over the dead. Precious souls
had been murdered in that gymnasium; the Hebrew mother thought of her
own lost son!
Almost dropping from fatigue, Hadassah reached at last the place which
Hephzibah had described. It was an inn of the better sort, kept by an
Athenian named Cimon, who had established himself in Jerusalem.
Hadassah had no difficulty in obtaining an interview with the host, who
received her with the courtesy befitting a citizen of one of the most
polished cities then to be found in the world. Cimon offered the lady
a seat under the shadow of the massive gateway leading into his
courtyard.
"Dwells the Lord Lycidas here?" asked Hadassah faintly. She could
hardly speak; her tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of her mouth from
heat, fatigue, and excitement.
"The Lord Lycidas left this place yesterday lady," said the Greek.
"Whither has he gone?" gasped Hadassah.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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