And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly. And when he had entered in, he saith unto them:-- { 114}
"Why make ye a tumult, and weep? The child is not dead but sleepeth."
And they laughed him to scorn. But he, having put them all forth, taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with him, and goeth in where the child was. And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto her:--
"Talitha cumi," which means in the language of the country, "Little girl, I say unto thee, Arise."
And straightway the little girl rose up, and walked.
[Illustration] EGYPTIAN TEMPLE ON THE ISLAND OF PHILAE
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.
This is one of the beautiful temples of Egypt on an island in the river Nile. This island has lately been covered by the waters of the great artificial lake formed by the dam built by the English government across the Nile to control the flow of the river. In the foreground is seen a "dahabiyeh," one of the peculiar boats for sailing upon the Nile. [End illustration]
Flags Plants which grow in the water at the edges of ponds and rivers.
Bulrushes Plants which were used for the weaving of baskets.
Pitch A sticky substance daubed on the basket to keep out the water.
Once upon a time a little boy was born to some poor Hebrew people who were slaves in Egypt. The pharaoh, or king of that country, did not like the Hebrew people, and he said that all the little boy babies born to them must be killed. But the mother of this little boy wanted to save her pretty baby if she could. So she hid him three months. And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done with him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked { 118} along by the river side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it. And she opened it, and saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."