great breath of mist blew over her, and it seemed to her that she drew away from herself and walked without guidance, as a dreamer walks in her sleep — as though she were running in search of Jesus; and when she came upon him, sitting beneath the shady tree among his sleeping companions, she heard him lamenting over
Jerusalem:
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem... slayer of the prophets and of those sent to her... how often would I have gathered your children as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings, and you would not... Behold, your house is left to you desolate!!!..."
The hour was too pressing for her to wait; she cast herself before him, imploring him, saying:
"The Jews are upon you, Master,
the Jews are upon you... They ask after you of every comer and goer, and seek you in every place... Rise, my Lord, let us go from here... before the day breaks forth and the shadows flee... to the valley of the Jordan... to the forests of Carmel... to Mount Hermon..."
She waited for a word from the mouth of Jesus; but he looked at her long, as though he saw in her face the legend of his life and heard in her voice the echo of his days, and said, as he woke the sleeping companions:
"Behold, my hour has drawn near... and a little while and you shall not see me... Let not your hearts be troubled, neither be afraid... for I shall return with the coming dawn..."
But a clamor and a confusion of voices troubled the calm of the moment. Jesus turned — and behold, a man drew near to Jesus and embraced him, and another shouted to the crowd:
"This is he... seize him... seize him..."
And behold, the multitudes turned about her, crying:
"Stone him... stone him..."
And they plaited for him a crown of thorns and set it upon his head, and clothed him in a torn purple robe, and fell to striking him and spitting upon him, guffawing in mockery and scorn:
"Save yourself, if you are the Christ!!!..."
And behold, he staggered under the burden of his cross, his back bent, the sweat streaming from his brow drop by drop... And behold, he writhed upon the wood of the cross, tasting the bitterness of torment, the pure blood flowing from his brow and running down, carving its channel across his pallid face and drooping neck... thus...
until he shuddered with a violent
Rouge Baiser lipstick
completes your beauty
Before you buy, look for the new 1949 case
General distributor in Lebanon and Syria
Shukri Khairallah — Souk al-Tawileh
Important Notice
The agents for "Rouge Baiser" lipstick have found that certain shops are putting their old stock of the said brand into new cases of unknown origin. Since by doing this they deceive consumers, giving them old products as though they were new, then, to protect the interest of the public, a stamp bearing the name of the distributor and the agents will be affixed to every genuine case.