A Short Story: Real Strength

“Have you heard the rumors?”

Claudia leaned forward in the pew to catch the whispered conversation between the two men in front of her.

“The rumors about the spy?” responded the second man.

The first man cleared his throat and spoke so quietly that Claudia had to scoot to the edge of her seat to hear. “Yes. The pastor has reason to believe that someone has been leaking information about our meetings to the authorities.” The first man glanced quickly at the second man. “You know what that means.”

Sighing softly, the second man nodded. Claudia noticed him shift his gaze to a pretty woman and small child standing nearby. “Don’t know if Mary and I can afford to come anymore,” he murmured. “It’s just gettin’ too risky.”

Claudia leaned back and let her body slide into the back of the pew. Things were getting perilous. Ten years ago, the government outlawed Christianity. Five years ago, the federal police obliterated the last standing church building and executed its elders and pastors. Ever since then, not one believer had dared to start a church in the open. However, despite the danger, some bold believers began a secret, nationwide network of underground churches. Like the Roman Christians who sought refuge in the catacombs beneath the city of Rome, the members of these underground churches literally met underground. Claudia looked around at the cramped, damp, dimly-lit room that served as the place of worship for the Christians of the town. The light from the dying lamps traced eerie lines on the dirt walls, and she could hear the sound of water dripping from far down in the tunnel. Every man, woman, and child standing in quiet groups or sitting on the old, rotten pews looked scared. The number of believers in the country was small. The number of those who dared to join a church was even smaller. Only about twenty people regularly attended this church. The number used to be much higher, but some had been caught and killed, while others had simply stopped coming for fear of the danger involved. Being a Christian was not easy – and it certainly wasn’t safe.

Not safe. Claudia’s heart began pounding crazily. She was scared. She loved God and she truly believed in what Jesus had done for her, but she didn’t know if she would be willing to face the consequences of simply answering “I do” to the dreaded question. Anyone caught professing belief in salvation through Jesus Christ was brought to trial. Unless they chose to renounce their faith in trial, the government executed them within the week.

Christianity had been outlawed when Claudia was only five. She remembered the years before the government passed the law like a vague and beautiful dream – a dream of a life she wished could come back. She remembered sitting on her father’s lap every evening as he read her a true story from the Bible. She remembered her mother praying with her every night before she went to bed. But those days were gone. The change in the laws had distorted her life.

Her father had been one of the elders at the last existing church above ground. During the trial of the elders and pastors, her father had answered “I do” to that horrifying question and had been shot like a deserter. Every one of the pastors was executed as well. All but one of the elders met the same fate. The one elder who recanted watched as his former friends collapsed like felled trees. He then returned to his comfortable home, carrying with him a reward from the government for obeying the law.

Claudia didn’t blame him. She didn’t think she could ever be as brave as her father. Sometimes she wished he hadn’t answered the way he did. Sometimes she wished he had recanted like the one elder. But she always hit herself afterwards for thinking such a thing. God had given her father the rare strength to say those two, deadly words. As her mother told her the day they heard of father’s trial and execution, “It wasn’t your father who answered with those words, but the Holy Spirit in him.”

Claudia leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder as she watched the shadows of the moving people dance across the dirt walls. The worship service and preaching had ended, but everyone was still there. They were waiting for the sentinel to tell them that the exit was clear for them to make their way home. Everyone there knew it wasn’t safe for them to be there in the first place, but they still wanted to be as safe as possible.

At that moment, the sound of running feet came rushing through the passage. Every head turned toward the opening to the tunnel. The same thought flitted through each person’s mind. Soon, the sentinel appeared beneath the arched roof of dirt, covered with mud and panting frantically.

“We’ve been discovered!” He exclaimed. “We’ve gotta make a run for it!”

Run. That’s all they could do. As soon as the sentinel had appeared beneath the arch of the tunnel and panted the frightening news, the two dozen people in the room had begun frantically filing out into the tunnel. They were now making their way as quickly as possible through the dark, damp underground maze to the safest exit – the one that emerged in the middle of the forest. According to the sentinel, police had discovered the main entrance and were preparing to descend into the underground passageway when he had sprinted off to warn the congregation. In only a matter of minutes, the police would arrive at the little, damp room where the congregation had been worshiping only moments before. Their only chance was to take the secret exit into the woods.

As Claudia rushed through the passageway, desperately clinging to her mother’s hand, she could sense the fear and desperation she felt in the people around her. Some of her friends were crying. Others simply looked stunned. Young mothers held tightly to their babies. The men constantly glanced over their shoulders, waiting for a glimpse of the light from the police flashlights. Young children screamed. Their parents tried to quiet them, but Claudia could tell that it was all they could do to keep from screaming themselves. 

Oh Lord, please help us! Claudia prayed silently. Her heart was beating frantically. Her breathing was uneven, and she was constantly gasping for air. Suddenly, she stumbled over an unseen root that stuck out from the dirt floor. She winced at the sharp pain that stabbed her left leg as she collapsed to her hands and knees. Her leg had landed on a jagged rock. She could tell something was broken.

Her mother was bending down beside her, trying to help her up, but the others rushed past them. There was no time to lose. Claudia knew she should stand up, that she should keep running. But her leg was throbbing. She knew it would not be able to bear her weight. She reached down and felt the large gash the rock had made. There was blood – plenty of it.

“Claudia, can you stand up? We have to keep moving! Let me help you up.” Her mother’s voice was steady, but Claudia could hear the panic behind it. Claudia forced herself to her feet as her mother pulled her off the ground. “Wrap your arm around my shoulder, dear.” Claudia clung to her mother’s shoulders and stood firmly on her right leg. Desperate to keep moving, Claudia took a step with her left leg. Instantly, pain shot up her leg and her knee crumpled under her.

“Mom, I – I can’t. I can’t do it,” Claudia gasped. She felt tears streaming down her face. She knew she would never make it out. She knew they would catch her and kill her. The others were still running. The last few people had just passed them by and were disappearing farther into the tunnel. Claudia knew her mother couldn’t stay.

Trying to act strong and determined, Claudia looked straight into her mother’s beautiful, honest eyes. “Mom, you – you have to keep going. You have to leave me.”

Claudia could see the tears slowly creeping down her mother's cheeks, but her mother's voice was strong and firm. “I’m not leaving you.”

Just then, arms scooped Claudia up from behind. It was the sentinel. He had been bringing up the rear. He looked just as frightened as the others had, but Claudia commended him for his strength and willingness to help her. “We just have to make it to the secret exit,” the sentinel panted. “Then we’ll be fine.”

Claudia caught her breath at the thought of that exit. She had never been in that segment of the underground maze before, but she had heard about it. The emergency tunnel diverged from the main passageway about a quarter of a mile away from the church room. The tunnel was concealed by a cleverly designed door that, when covering the entrance to the tunnel, looked like a part of the dirt walls of the main passageway. The door could be opened by pulling a latch hidden on the walls of the main tunnel and closed by pushing a similar latch on the inside of the secret tunnel. It all sounded nice in theory, but Claudia knew that, once they all entered the tunnel, the going would get tough and slow. The tunnel was only big enough to crawl through. Since they were in the back of the line, they would be the last ones to go through the tunnel. Being in the back meant that the police would arrest them first.

Claudia looked at her mother, running beside the sentinel. Her eyes were filled with fright. She knew she and her mother were thinking the same thing…

Will we ever make it?

“We’re almost there,” the sentinel gasped. 

Claudia turned her head, and her eyes probed the darkness of the tunnel ahead of her. Yes. There they were. She could just see the other people of the congregation forming a line against the dirt wall of the tunnel. She could barely make out the figure of the pastor uncovering the secret latch in the wall. They were preparing to crawl, one at a time, into the small, covert passageway that would lead them to safety. 

Almost there. Claudia clenched her teeth and willed herself to hold on just a little longer. Even though the sentinel was carrying her, the pain that gripped her left leg as she bounced up and down in his arms was unbearable. Her mother read the pain in her face. She caught her daughter’s hand in her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze as she ran next to the sentinel and Claudia. Claudia squeezed her hand back and tried to smile.

Soon, they joined the line to enter the tunnel. Claudia was thankful that the sentinel was still willing to hold her. She knew she couldn’t even stand on her own. If she couldn’t even stand on her own, how would she ever make it through the tunnel? They would have to enter the tunnel one person at a time. She would basically be on her own. She looked down at her leg. It was caked with blood and dirt, and it was bent slightly in an abnormal direction. She shut her eyes tight and shuddered. Lord, give me strength.

People were already ducking, one by one, into the dark hole. All the women and children were being ushered to the front of the line, but Claudia refused to move from the back of the line. If she went in front, she would only slow down the people behind her. Claudia looked at the pastor, who was kindly offering to help her into the tunnel next. She shook her head. “Best to leave me in the back.” The pastor hesitated, but only briefly. Then he simply nodded and proceeded to help a young mother and child into the tunnel. 

Within less than a minute, the twenty people in front of Claudia had entered the passageway. Only the pastor, the sentinel, Claudia, and her mother were left. The sentinel nodded to the pastor. “Go,” he urged. “I’ll go last and close it behind me.” Claudia watched as the pastor helped her mother into the tunnel. Hesitating, her mother looked back at her injured daughter in the sentinel’s arms, her eyes filled with tears of fright and sadness. Claudia gave her mother one last smile. Then the pastor and her mother disappeared into the small, dark hole. 

Without a warning, the sounds of barking dogs and gruff voices burst from only a small distance behind them in the main tunnel. The sentinel immediately placed Claudia on her knees in front of the tunnel and helped her crawl into the darkness. Her leg could hardly handle the crawling position, but she tried to ignore the pain and crawled as fast as she could. The sentinel jumped in right after her and pushed the latch in the wall, shutting the entrance and enveloping them in darkness.

Claudia could hardly see her hands under her. She could hardly see her hair that fell around her face and into her mouth. But she could feel the dirt under her fingers and the pain throbbing in her leg. 

The tunnel soon began to slope slightly upward, making the crawling even harder on her arms and legs. She winced with each move she made and almost cried out once. Her movement was slow, and she knew she was forcing the sentinel to match her slow pace behind her. There wasn’t much more she could do, though.

Whispers and soft cries traveled back at Claudia and the sentinel from farther up in the cramped darkness. She crawled on and on, listening to her own labored breathing and the quiet panting of the sentinel behind her. Soon, she heard the sound of rustling leaves coming from only a short distance up the tunnel. Soft clumps of dirt and crusty leaves rained down on her head. The next moment, the tunnel was flooded with light. The people in the front had made it to the surface. Claudia could now see the shoes of the pastor a few feet in front of her. She heard a soft exclamation of excitement from the sentinel behind her. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t go any faster,” she whispered back at him. 

“No worries,” he answered, reassuringly. “We’re gonna make it either way.”

With each second, Claudia was getting closer and closer to the light. She could hear sighs of relief and cheers of excitement coming from the people in front of her as they stepped into the fresh air of the woods. Hope began to fill her heart.

Then she heard a gunshot. Screams pierced the air. Who fired? What is going on up there? Before she knew it, Claudia felt rough hands seizing her wrists. The hands pulled her violently out of the hole and threw her to the ground next to a group of frightened women and children from her congregation. She landed on her leg and screamed from the pain. The throbbing blinded her, and she hardly knew anything but the pain and blood flowing from her left leg. But she could make out a harsh voice yelling something above the cries of the children around her. 

“Lawbreakers! Rebels! Did you really think you could escape the law? How stupid of you! You will all get what you deserve!” Claudia’s head began to clear up. She could see the speaker: a rough-looking policeman, dressed all in black and heavily armed. He was standing next to the exit of the passageway. Claudia looked around. About three dozen other police officers encircled her entire congregation. The men of the congregation were tied up, and some of them were gagged. Surrounding her, the women and children were crowded together in a disorderly heap. 

Mother! Where’s Mother? Claudia thought, as her eyes frantically searched the crowd for her mother’s beautiful face. She still didn’t know what had resulted from the gunshot, and she feared for her mother’s life. But she finally spotted her mother among the crowd of women and children, hugging a sobbing woman. Their eyes met, and Claudia noticed that the fear that had filled her mother’s eyes earlier was now gone. A powerful strength was in its place. Claudia knew that this strength she saw in her mother could only be from the Holy Spirit. 

Tears of terror and pain were streaming from Claudia’s eyes, and her leg hurt more than ever. But the sight of her mother, strong and overflowing with faith, filled her with real strength. She wiped her eyes and nodded at her mother, then turned her head just in time to see the policeman kick a young child sitting next to her.

“Rebels!” the policeman yelled again as he kicked the child. The child cried loudly, but the policeman only kicked him again. Whimpering helplessly, the child crumpled up in a little heap.

“Stop it! Don’t hurt my child!” yelled one of the men from the congregation as he tried to loosen his bonds. Claudia could see it in his eyes – he longed to protect his child, but he was powerless. An officer punched him in the stomach, and the man doubled over, groaning. 

Claudia could feel the strength rising in her. She crawled over to the helpless child, dragging her leg behind her, and pulled him onto her lap. Stroking his hair, she whispered, “It’ll be ok. God is with us.” Suddenly, the policeman’s rock-hard fist smashed against her right cheek, and she fell backward, her ears ringing. Then his hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to her feet, nearly dislocating her shoulder in the process. Claudia cried out, overcome by the pain that covered her entire body. But the strength of the Holy Spirit still filled her whole being. She knew that, no matter what they did to her, they could never truly defeat the Holy Spirit’s strength that protected her. 

“What did you say?” the policeman yelled into one of her ringing ears. He was still tightly gripping her shoulder. Her right cheek was beginning to throb excruciatingly, and the pain in her leg was worse than ever. Claudia blinked twice to clear the remaining tears from her eyes. My Lord God, she prayed silently. Give me the words to say. Then she looked straight into the policeman’s black eyes and said, loudly, “God is with us.”

Enraged, the policeman threw her into the powerful arms of another officer and drew his gun from its case at his belt. Pushing her out of the circle of officers, the officer forced her to stand by a tall, slender tree. He then tied up Claudia’s hands behind the tree, intensifying the pain in her shoulder. The head policeman held up his gun and began to stalk slowly toward Claudia. Cries and shouts of protest erupted from the congregation. But the policeman continued to tread toward Claudia until the cold tip of his gun was pressed against Claudia’s temple. Then he asked the deadly question.

“Do you really believe that Jesus Christ can save you from sin and eternal death?” He snarled and laughed as if to mock the idea. He squinted his black eyes as they probed Claudia’s face.

The entire crowd went silent. The whole world froze. Claudia couldn’t speak. She didn’t know what to say. But then she remembered what her mother had said the day they had learned about her father’s execution: “It wasn’t your father who answered with those words, but the Holy Spirit in him.” Then she knew what to say. The Holy Spirit had given her the words, too. Just as he had given her father the words to say when he was asked the same question. Claudia found her mother’s face in the crowd and their eyes locked. Her mother was crying, but her eyes were still emanating the same strength that Claudia felt. Her mother gave a small nod. Standing up straight and tall against the tree, Claudia took a deep breath. Then, in a loud voice so unlike her own, Claudia declared,

“I do.”

“Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11).

  

– By Ashlyn Aura

An Epilogue: The Bronze Bow

In the days following Leah’s miraculous healing, Daniel went to Jesus and thanked him with all of his heart for healing Leah, and Jesus knew that it was sincere. Daniel continued to visit Jesus and learned many things from him, and Daniel would tell Leah all the things he learned so that she might know them as well. Daniel also learned not to hate the Romans. He began to understand that they weren't all bad people. He also went to Rosh and talked to him about his hatred towards the Romans. Although Rosh didn’t listen, Daniel felt like he had done the right thing. Soon after that, many of Rosh’s men were captured by the Romans, and Rosh’s whole band fell apart. 

  

Joel continued to go to school while his sister, Thacia, stayed at home, becoming very close friends with Daniel and Leah. Meanwhile, Daniel's band of men all became followers of Jesus and spread the word about him. Later, Jesus was crucified by the Romans. Daniel and many others mourned over his death, including Daniel's friend, Simon. Even though Jesus had died, Daniel had learned so much from him that he was prepared for whatever God had in store for him.

 
– By Alexandria Adelle Mcbeth

The World of Little Women: America's Little Women

The women who lived during the time of Little Women have affected the 21^st century in many ways.  From the women who stayed home to care for their children, as Marmee did, to the women who went out to get a job like Jo, the women of the 19^th century have had a significant impact on the modern world in many areas, such as education, work in the home, and work out of the home.

During the time of Little Women, women usually did much of their work in the home. Most women would care for their children, cook for their families, and clean their house.  They would also sew, wash, iron, and mend their families’ clothes.  Women who had a garden or animals would also tend the garden, milk the cows, and take care of the chickens.  Girls who were not in school would often work alongside their mothers and help with the chores as Beth did in Little Women.  Wealthy women, like Sally Moffat from Little Women, would often have servants to do the housework and cooks to make the meals.  The chores that the women did may not seem too hard in contemporary society, but without the modern appliances that make cooking and washing clothes easy, these tasks could take most of the day.  Just as in Little Women, the women of the 1860s worked hard throughout the day to make their house into a home.

Education for women during the time of Little Women helped more women to have successful careers.  Education in the early 1800s was mostly for boys, and, though there were a few schools for girls, they were all very expensive.  Later in the 19^th century, during the time of Little Women, most girls could go to school.  In 1837, the first women's only college was opened by Mary Lyon in New England, and, in 1855, the University of Iowa became the first coed college.  The better schooling for women during the later 1800s helped many women to get jobs and be successful in their careers.

In the 1800s, women began to play an important role outside the home as well as inside.  During the early 1800s, the role of most women was to stay in the home, care for children, and do house work.   As the number of well educated women grew, so did the number of working women.  At first, most women working outside of their homes were employed as teachers, housekeepers, or servants.  Some women served as governesses, like Meg did in Little Women.  When factories started hiring women, many women left the farm and moved to the city for a job.  Soon, women were working as nurses, doctors, lawyers, secretaries, shop keepers, journalists, and much more.  During the Civil War, many women, like Louisa May Alcott (the author of Little Women), served as nurses for wounded soldiers.  In these ways, women of the 1800s began to make an impact outside the home as they had been doing inside the home for generations.

Many women from the 1800s have impacted the way people in America live today.  The women who started to work outside the home in the late 1800s influenced many women to work not only in the home but also outside the home.  The work of women like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton helped women to gain the right to vote.  A women named Amelia Jenks Bloomer led a dress reform campaign.  Her introduction of Bloomers encouraged women's clothing to be more practical and comfortable.  The women who campaigned for better education for women helped women to become more successful in their carriers.  But the women who did work outside the home were not the only women who made a difference in America today.  The women who stayed home raising their children also have made an impact on everyone today, by teaching their children how to live, act, and follow God with all their hearts.  These women of the 1800s have surely impacted the lives of Americans each day.

The women of the 19^th century made a large impact on education, the home, and work.  They changed the way that women lived their lives then and how they live them now.  Just as the women in Little Women made a difference in the lives of those around them, the strength, determination, and character of the women of the 1800s has greatly influenced the world today. 

                                   
 

Bibliography

Macdonald, Fiona. Women in 19th-century America. New York, New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1999. Print.

Silber, Nina. Daughters of the Union: Northern Women Fight the Civil War. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2005. Print.

Strange, Matthew. Guardians of the Home: Women's Lives in the 1800s. Broomall, Pennsylvania: Mason Crest Publishers Inc., 2011. Print.

 

An Epilogue: The Secret Garden

It had been one year since Master Craven and Colin had left the garden that day. So much had changed in this one year, and yet, it seemed as if it was only a few days. Misselthwaite Manor had started changing as soon as Mary had come, but after Mr. Craven’s return, it changed entirely. The general look of the house was much more cheerful, and the moor was a beautiful sight, for the first time in their lives. They may have lived there for a good many years, but they would never have described it as beautiful – until now. The occupants of the house were just as cheerful – maybe because of its new cook and her family. 

When Mr. Craven and Colin entered the manor the day of Mr. Craven’s return, everyone was in a state of great elation. All the servants rushed up to the entrance hall. They arrived just as Pitcher was opening the door for Mr. Craven and Colin. Mr. Craven looked toward Elizabeth, head of housekeeping, and Elizabeth curtsied. He nodded his head and surprised everyone with his next words. “Elizabeth, since you are the head of housekeeping, I give you this order. I want every window in this house opened. They will never be closed again until boggarts and elves sneak into the house through them!” Of course, Mrs. Medlock gasped, and all the housemaids where so surprised that they stood there like posts. “Are you deaf? I ordered every window in this house to be opened immediately!” All the maids woke from their daze and scurried around to open every window in the house. Mr. Craven and Colin walked through the house soaking in the sunlight and fresh air as the maids dusted and cleaned. 

A few weeks later, while Mr. Craven sat in his library reading, Pitcher came into the room. “Master, if you have a moment, our head cook would like to have a word with you.” “Alright then, send her in,” he replied as he stood to greet her. A moment later, the cook meekly walked in and curtsied. Mr. Craven nodded and she began her rehearsed speech. “Master Craven, I have just received a letter from my brother. He writes that my mother is ill. He says I must come to help her indefinitely,” she said as she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away a tear. “Yes, yes of course you must go.” Mr. Craven stood pondering this. He nodded his head as a signal for her to leave. As she disappeared behind the big oak door, Mr. Craven sat back down on his chair. Pitcher came back into the room and asked Mr. Craven if there was anything else he could do for him. “Yes, send me Martha the maid.” 

And so, that is how Mrs. Sowerby became the new cook at Misselthwaite. A few days later, the whole family moved into the huge house and finally those empty, sad rooms where filled with the joyful noises of playing children. All day long Dickon, Colin and Mary worked in the garden; on occasion Mr. Craven even came to help them. One day, Colin laid his spade on the grass and rolled back on his heels. “Now you and I really are brothers.” Dickon smiled and the world seemed like it was the most perfect place to be at that moment.

– By Colleen Cooper Cook

The Final Chapter: The Bronze Bow

The soldier blinked, confused. “But – but – I’m a Roman! It is against your customs to let a Roman soldier into your house.” Daniel nodded, unable to speak. “Why do you want me in your house?” Marcus challenged. “You hate me.” Daniel cleared his throat and spoke gruffly.

“I know – and – and I was –” Daniel forced himself to finish the sentence in a level tone. “I was wrong. About you, I mean. You have done my sister great kindness.” Daniel could barely speak the words. “Before you leave, I would be very much honored if you would step inside and talk to Leah.” Marcus stood unsure a moment as Daniel opened the door. Then, removing the helmet, Marcus swiftly strode into the house, his eyes searching for Leah.  As Marcus stepped into Leah’s room, she opened her eyes. Daniel, standing behind Marcus, saw a soft light creep into the once sorrowful eyes. The tenderness and emotion that clearly expressed itself hurt Daniel. He caught his breath and went outside. He fought back the rising emotions. “Remember what Jesus would want,” he repeated. A cool hand slipped into his. It was Thacia. “Thace? You’re still here?”

“I’ve been here awhile. I left when I saw Marcus going in, because...” Thacia’s voice trailed off and Daniel finished her sentence. “Because Jewish law declares that you cannot be in the same house as a Roman.” Thacia nodded. “Daniel, what are you going to do?” Daniel sighed. “I suppose I’ll re-open the shop and keep working. There’s not much left for me to do –or work for.” Daniel gave a bitter, short laugh. Thacia shuddered slightly at the sound of it. “I meant about Jesus. He’s gone to Jerusalem. Joel said that some of his disciples said that Jesus talked about being put to death there. Daniel, if he is...” Daniel started. “What? Put to death? Thace, I need to go to Jerusalem. Can you take care of Leah?” Thacia looked reluctant and slightly annoyed. “Daniel, you know the Jewish law. And Marcus will want to see Leah.”

“Leah needs someone better than Marcus to take care of her. You can watch them from the garden – the garden isn’t the same as the house, is it?” Daniel pleaded.

“That’s stretching it, but it will have to do,” Thacia agreed halfheartedly.  Entering the house, Daniel strode into the front room, grabbing a walking stick and a cloak. “Daniel!” a soft voice called from the doorway into the other room. Daniel turned to see Leah. Daniel’s face hardened. “What?” he asked rather harshly.

“I brought you some food for your journey.”

“What?”

“You’re going to Jerusalem, aren’t you? To see the preacher Jesus?”

Daniel strode into the garden. “Thace, why did you tell Leah where I was going?”

“Because she needed to be told. You can’t just leave Leah without her knowing!” Thacia’s voice rose angrily. “She shouldn’t need to be told,” Daniel replied hotly.

“She’s not a child anymore – she needs to know!”

“Adults don’t need to know where other adults are going – only children need to be told,” Daniel replied cuttingly, but, before Thacia could reply, a voice called out from the front. “Is Daniel bar Jamin here?”

Marcus was inside, standing, unsure of what to do. “Slip out into the alley – you may come back tomorrow,” Daniel muttered to Marcus as he went to greet the caller. He stepped out the front door, shutting it carefully behind him. The man was a messenger, from his appearance.

“Is a young woman named Thacia here?” questioned the man. “If she is, what concern of yours is it?” Daniel demanded. “This is for her, if she is here – and I know she is. I was told I would most likely find her at this shack,” the messenger smirked as he handed Daniel a small scroll, shaking his robes as if shaking off some contaminated object as he strode arrogantly through the streets to be pelted with pebbles and names. Thacia came out and took the scroll from Daniel, unrolling it and reading it. She turned pale. “Father says I must return home at once. I am not to come here again. Daniel, I can’t take care of Leah, which means that Marcus must.” Daniel rushed into the alley, where Marcus was still waiting. “Marcus, you must look after Leah. Thacia is leaving and I am going to Jerusalem – no one but you will willingly look after Leah.” Marcus replied slowly. “Of course, you must realize that if I were to help with Leah, it would mean desertion from my legion.” Daniel was desperate. “Please? I’ll only be gone a few days and you’re the only one I can count on – if you leave she will never fully recover.”  

“Very well. I shall do my best to leave unnoticed.” Daniel hurried to the front to say goodbye to Thacia, only to discover that she was gone. Daniel kicked the dust angrily. “I may as well leave now.” Daniel set off for Jerusalem. 

The next day, instead of going around Capernaum, as he usually did, he went right through Capernaum – secretly hoping to bump into Joel – or better, Thacia. Daniel lingered around Joel’s house as long as he dared without making himself conspicuous. After an hour, he gave up and left the town. The landscape melted from city streets to vineyard covered hills. As Daniel was making a shortcut through a vineyard, he heard a shout. “Daniel!” Daniel turned to see Joel leaping like a young goat through the vineyard. The two met, clapping each other on the back. “I heard that you were going to Jerusalem. Thacia told me. I wish to come with you. Usually I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the house, but I told father I was going to the synagogue – Jesus is causing a stir and the Pharisees and Sadducees have been talking to him in the synagogue – perhaps I will see such a meeting.”

“Is Thacia coming?” Daniel inquired eagerly. Joel’s face fell. “No. Father has forbidden her to leave the house without parental supervision. He fears another meeting between you and Thacia.” Daniel shouldered his bag. “He need not fear. Thacia would not marry me – we argued before she left.” Joel began walking ahead. “We shall see what happens.” After a few more days of walking, the boys came to a winding road that led down into the road that led into Jerusalem. Joel pointed. “Look!” The walls of the temple rose, casting a black shadow against the setting sun which painted the sky with radiant reds and golds. “We’re almost there.” As Daniel and Joel approached the entrance to the city, they were stopped by two Roman guards. “Ho, there! What brings two little boys into the big city of Jerusalem?” one questioned with an amused look on his face. Daniel clenched his fists and tried to remember what Jesus told him. “Help me,” Daniel prayed. Joel spoke up. “We came to visit the temple. It is Passover time.”

“I know when the Jewish holidays are – they make enough fuss over them. Jewish, eh? Are you related to the Jesus preacher by any chance?” The first soldier was doing all the talking.

“No.” Joel looked quizzical.

“They’re fine. Let them pass.” The first Roman soldier waved to his companion to let the two boys through. Daniel and Joel hurried through to the outskirts of the city. Daniel looked at the temple looming large and grand, towering over the city, and suddenly felt small and insignificant. He had never been to Jerusalem before. “How do we find Jesus?” he asked.

“Easy. Just head into the temple and there should be some great debate between the leaders of the synagogues and Jesus.” Joel gave a half grin. Making their way to the temple was not as easy as it sounded. The streets were packed with people who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Joel grabbed Daniel’s arm and pulled him into a side-street which was dark and nearly empty. They caught their breath before Joel tugged Daniel’s arm again and pulled him through a network of dark side-streets and alleyways before Joel stopped again. “Joel, what are you doing?” Joel shushed him and looked around. Daniel glanced to his left and froze. There was a dark shadow looming around the corner. “Joel!” Daniel croaked in a loud whisper, grabbing Joel’s arm.

“What?”

“Over there,” Daniel nodded. The figure walked forward, holding a clay lantern. Daniel squinted through the thickly falling darkness at the face which was covered by a rough hood. A delicate hand pushed back the hood to reveal:

“THACE?” Daniel had never been so surprised – or annoyed. All that worrying for a mere girl: and Thacia at that! Joel laughed at Daniel’s expression. “B-b-ut-but – aren’t you supposed to be at home?”

Thacia grinned as she handed the lantern to Joel. “Yes and no. I’m supposed to be at home but I got permission from Father to come to the temple. Aunt Martha and Aunt Mary live close to here so we can stay at their house. They’re also close friends with Jesus.”

Daniel tried to cover his annoyance by saying gruffly, “Well, that’s all very well, but how are we supposed to find our way back to the outskirts of the city in the dark? Jerusalem isn’t the safest city.”

“Grab my robe. I know the way to Aunt Mary and Martha’s house from here.” Joel offered his sleeve to Thacia. “Daniel, grab Thace’s cloak.” Joel took the lantern and led the way. After a half hour of stumbling through tiny alleyways and dark side-streets, Joel finally turned onto a larger street. Peering at the house fronts, Joel found the one he was looking for and knocked. The door opened a crack. “Who is it?” A hushed voice whispered. “It’s me, Aunt Mary – Joel. Thacia’s with me, and a friend, Daniel.”

The door opened wider. “Joel! Come in, come in – but who is this friend?”

“His name is Daniel. He’s a Jew,” Thacia replied quietly as if to dispel any doubt about Daniel’s character.

“He is welcome here.”

The three were led into a larger room. “Mary? Joel and Thacia are here.”

A woman came out of a smaller room. “Joel! Thacia! How wonderful it is to see you again! This is a pleasant surprise – but we were not expecting you. Your father forgot to send notice again, but that does not matter. Let me get you something to drink. I know it is a long way from Capernaum, and, knowing you two, you must have walked the whole distance in one day! You may have to sleep on the floor, I’m afraid, but we may be leaving this house and going into the country soon. How are your father and mother? I’m surprised that they did not come down here with you. You must read from the Torah on the Sabbath, Joel. Lazarus has gone with the disciples to accompany Jesus to the temple, and I fear he will not be back for some days. Thacia, dear, I hear that your dancing is getting on very nicely. You must dance for us very soon. Tomorrow night, perhaps?” Aunt Martha continued chattering as she set places for Joel, Thacia, and Aunt Mary at the small table.

Joel tried to break in politely. “Aunt Martha? This is our friend Daniel. He will be staying with us, if that is alright with you.”

“Oh! Well why did you not say so sooner? I shall fetch an extra plate.” Aunt Martha bustled off.

“Have you heard anything about Jesus?” Aunt Mary glanced hesitantly at Daniel.

“No, nothing other than that they will be having Passover together in a friend’s house.” Dinner was silent and uncomfortable – for Daniel especially. He rose at the end of the meal. “Thank you very much for the meal, Mrs. Martha, Mrs. Mary –” and strode out of the house, making sure not to slam the door behind him. Thacia excused herself and went out after him. Daniel was sitting on the doorstep. 

“I’m sorry about that Daniel. I did not know that Aunt Martha and Aunt Mary would be so suspicious towards you. Things must have gotten worse in the city.”

Daniel did not look at Thacia. “Why are you here?”

“To come to the temple. I did want to pray – also, I heard that Jesus might be put to death and I wanted to be here.”

“What are you going to do, after this is all over?”

“Return home, I suppose,” Thacia said reluctantly and slowly.

“Then I wish you all the happiness that I can offer.” Daniel replied in a monotone voice, as if rehearsing a script.

“No you don’t!” Daniel turned in surprise at the sharp exclamation.

“You don’t wish me all the happiness you can offer. If you did you’d do what we both know would be the best thing. We keep meeting and the same issue comes up and we never resolve it. Either you love me or you don’t. Choose now so I know how to treat you.”

“Treat me? You want to know how I feel so that you can treat me a certain way?” Daniel asked angrily.

Thacia flushed. “That’s not how I meant it.”

“Every time we meet we seem to argue about something.”

“That’s because you are so sensitive and take everything I say and twist it or misinterpret it.”

“It’s my fault then?”

“Yes! If you would try and be sensible and think about what I’m trying to say, then maybe we wouldn’t argue so much.”

“I think your decision is clear: you may treat me in the way you so long to!”

“And what way is that?”

“Disdain and scorn.”

“And how have you arrived at that conclusion?”

“Is that not always how you have wanted to treat me?

“No! When I first met you, I admit that my only thoughts were of scorn and distaste and disdain. But I’ve changed – as have you. Ever since that night with the Roman soldiers, I haven’t known how to behave around you. Everything about our relationship has been up in the air and tossed back and forth. I don’t know what to do around you: that’s what I meant about treating you.”

“We both know why you went home a couple days ago.”

“You also know what Father has promised.”

“It always comes back to this.”

“So choose. Which do you want: me, or Father’s approval?”

Daniel was silent. “You know I want you. But your father: we must have his blessing, as is tradition.”

“Father will give his blessing, and he must.”

“Then – I choose you, no matter what your father may say, since he has a promise to fulfill.”

Thacia smiled, and Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, a man came running up to the house, panting and disheveled.

“Who are you?” Daniel stood up.

“Friend… of Jesus... James son of Zebedee. Who are you?”

“Daniel bar Jamin.”

“The blacksmith? Simon... talked of you.”

“What’s the matter?” Thacia inquired nervously.

“Jesus… arrested… Roman guards... that traitor!”

“Who’s a traitor?” Daniel was confused.

“Judas Iscariot…. He betrayed Jesus and all of us. Jesus is being taken.... to the temple to be questioned... by the Sanhedrin and the... Pharisees.” 

– By Samantha Jennings

A Book Review: Little Women

Little Women was written by Louisa Alcott. The events in this book take place in Massachusetts in a cozy house. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are the four main characters in this book, and they are sisters that live during the Civil War in which their father is fighting.  

The story begins with the four sisters sitting around the fire and wishing life was the way it was before their father left for the war and before they became poor. The girls sit around their Marmee and listen to her read a letter from their father. After hearing the letter, each girl tells her faults. Meg hates to work, Jo has a bad temper, Beth envies after other girls’ pianos, and Amy is selfish. Marmee reminds them about how they used to play pilgrim’s progress when they were younger. She encourages them to not just play it but to live it out in their lives and overcome their faults. The girls wake up on Christmas morning, and each girl finds a present from Marmee under her pillow – a copy of Pilgrim’s Progress to help her on her journey.

The main characters in this book are Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Meg is the oldest and also my favorite character. Meg is proper and beautiful. During this book, Meg meets a young tutor. They fall in love and get married. Jo doesn’t approve at first because she isn’t ready for her sister to leave the home, but, since it happens anyway, Jo learns to adjust. Jo is a strong-willed but kind girl. Jo also has a bad temper. In one of my favorite chapters, Jo is going to a play with Meg and Jo’s friend and neighbor, Laurie. Jo doesn’t let Amy come, so Amy becomes angry and burns Jo’s notebook that contained all of Jo’s stories that the aspiring author had been working on. Jo has to learn to forgive and not let the sun go down on her anger.

Beth is the third sister. Beth is shy and doesn’t leave the house very often. Beth’s story is the saddest. First, she has a very caring heart. When the March girls’ father gets sick, Marmee has to rush to Washington to help him. She leaves the girls with the tasks of cooking, cleaning, and visiting a poor family to bring them food. She tells Beth not to forget about this family while she’s gone. Beth visits the family and catches scarlet fever. Meg and Jo had already had it when they were younger, but they have to send Amy to Aunt March’s house because Amy had never had scarlet fever before. Meg and Jo decide not to send word of Beth’s illness to their mother yet. Beth gets worse, however, and Laurie sends a telegram to Mrs. March, who comes at once. Beth does heal, but never completely gets all the way better. She is still very weak, and, at the end of the book, she dies.

I loved reading this book. It was my favorite of all the books we read this year. This book always made me smile every time I picked it up and even made me cry at times too. The family love and bittersweet moments were so heartwarming. I loved that there was a happy ending and each girl got married. They all had a family of their own, except Beth. However, we knew that she was in a better place. In the end, each girl learned to be a wise woman and a good mother. 

 
– By Jennifer Fuhrman