,illustration - ,the ,other ,wise ,man  
,had ,found the ,king  ,,the ,,story    
,,of ,,the ,,other ,,wise ,,man         
,by ,henry ,van ,dyke   ,,new ,,york    
,,and ,,london ,,harper  ,,brothers     
,copyright #ahie1 #ahii1 by ,,harper    
,,brothers                    ---       
,all rights reserved    ,who seeks for  
heaven alone to save his soul1 ,may keep
 the path1 but will not reach the goal2 
,while he who walks in love may wander  
far1 ,yet ,god will bring him where the 
blessed are4            ,contents       
,,preface ,,the ,,sign ,,in ,,the ,,sky 
,,by ,,the ,,waters ,,of ,,babylon ,,for
 ,,the ,,sake ,,of ,a ,,little ,,child  
,,in ,,the ,,hidden ,,way ,,of ,,sorrow 
,a ,,pearl ,,of ,,great ,,price         
,,preface   ,it is now some years since 
this little story was set afloat on the 
sea of books4 ,it is not a man-of-war1  
nor even a high-sided merchantman2 only 
a small1 peaceful sailing-vessel4 ,yet  
it has had rather an adventurous voyage4
 ,twice it has fallen into the hands of 

pirates4 ,the tides have carried it to  
far countries4 ,it has been passed      
through the translator's port of entry  
into ,german1 ,french1 ,armenian1       
,turkish1 and perhaps some other foreign
 regions4 ,once ,i caught sight of it   
flying the outlandish flag of a         
brand-new phonetic language along the   
coasts of ,france2 and once it was      
claimed by a dealer in antiquities as a 
long-lost legend of the ,orient4 ,best  
of all1 it has slipped quietly into many
 a far-away harbor that ,i have never   
seen1 and found a kindly welcome1 and   
brought back messages of good cheer from
 unknown friends4  ,now it has turned   
home to be new-rigged and fitted for    
further voyaging4 ,before it is sent out
 again ,i have been asked to tell where 
the story came from and what it means4  
,i do not know where it came from--out  
of the air1 perhaps4 ,one thing is      
certain1 it is not written in any other 
book1 nor is it to be found among the   
ancient lore of the ,east4 ,and yet ,i  

have never felt as if it were my own4   
,it was a gift4 ,it was sent to me2 and 
it seemed as if ,i knew the ,giver1     
though ,his name was not spoken4  ,the  
year had been full of sickness and      
sorrow4 ,every day brought trouble4     
,every night was tormented with pain4   
,they are very long--those nights when  
one lies awake1 and hears the laboring  
heart pumping wearily at its task1 and  
watches for the morning1 not knowing    
whether it will ever dawn4 ,they are not
 nights of fear2 for the thought of     
death grows strangely familiar when you 
have lived with it for a year4 ,besides1
 after a time you come to feel like a   
soldier who has been long standing still
 under fire2 any change would be a      
relief4 ,but they are lonely nights2    
they are very heavy nights4 ,and their  
heaviest burden is this3  ,you must face
 the thought that your work in the world
 may be almost ended1 but you know that 
it is not nearly finished4  ,you have   
not solved the problems that perplexed  

you4 ,you have not reached the goal that
 you aimed at4 ,you have not            
accomplished the great task that you set
 for yourself4 ,you are still on the    
way2 and perhaps your journey must end  
now1--nowhere1--in the dark4  ,well1 it 
was in one of these long1 lonely nights 
that this story came to me4 ,i had      
studied and loved the curious tales of  
the ,three ,wise ,men of the ,east as   
they are told in the ,golden ,legend of 
,jacobus de ,voragine and other         
mediaeval books4 ,but of the ,fourth    
,wise ,man ,i had never heard until that
 night4 ,then ,i saw him distinctly1    
moving through the shadows in a little  
circle of light4 ,his countenance was as
 clear as the memory of my father's face
 as ,i saw it for the last time a few   
months before4 ,the narrative of his    
journeyings and trials and              
disappointments ran without a break4    
,even certain sentences came to me      
complete and unforgettable1 clear-cut   
like a cameo4 ,all that ,i had to do was

 to follow ,artaban1 step by step1 as   
the tale went on1 from the beginning to 
the end of his pilgrimage4  ,perhaps    
this may explain some things in the     
story4 ,i have been asked many times why
 ,i made the ,fourth ,wise ,man tell a  
lie1 in the cottage at ,bethlehem1 to   
save the little child's life4  ,i did   
not make him tell a lie4  ,what ,artaban
 said to the soldiers he said for       
himself1 because he could not help it4  
,is a lie ever justifiable8 ,perhaps    
not4 ,but may it not sometimes seem     
inevitable8  ,and if it were a sin1     
might not a man confess it1 and be      
pardoned for it more easily than for the
 greater sin of spiritual selfishness1  
or indifference1 or the betrayal of     
innocent blood8 ,that is what ,i saw    
,artaban do4 ,that is what ,i heard him 
say4 ,all through his life he was trying
 to do the best that he could4 ,it was  
not perfect4 ,but there are some kinds  
of failure that are better than success4
  ,though the story of the ,fourth ,wise

 ,man came to me suddenly and without   
labor1 there was a great deal of study  
and toil to be done before it could be  
written down4 ,an idea arrives without  
effort2 a form can only be wrought out  
by patient labor4 ,if your story is     
worth telling1 you ought to love it     
enough to be willing to work over it    
until it is true1--true not only to the 
ideal1 but true also to the real4 ,the  
light is a gift2 but the local color can
 only be seen by one who looks for it   
long and steadily4 ,artaban went with me
 while ,i toiled through a score of     
volumes of ancient history and travel4  
,i saw his figure while ,i journeyed on 
the motionless sea of the desert and in 
the strange cities of the ,east4  ,and  
now that his story is told1 what does it
 mean8  ,how can ,i tell8 ,what does    
life mean8 ,if the meaning could be put 
into a sentence there would be no need  
of telling the story4                   
,,henry ,,van ,,dyke4   ,you know the   
story of the ,three ,wise ,men of the   

,east1 and how they traveled from far   
away to offer their gifts at the        
manger-cradle in ,bethlehem4 ,but have  
you ever heard the story of the ,other  
,wise ,man1 who also saw the star in its
 rising1 and set out to follow it1 yet  
did not arrive with his brethren in the 
presence of the young child ,jesus8 ,of 
the great desire of this fourth pilgrim1
 and how it was denied1 yet accomplished
 in the denial2 of his many wanderings  
and the probations of his soul2 of the  
long way of his seeking1 and the strange
 way of his finding1 the ,one whom he   
sought--,i would tell the tale as ,i    
have heard fragments of it in the ,hall 
of ,dreams1 in the palace of the ,heart 
of ,man4    ,,the ,,sign ,,in ,,the     
,,sky   ,in the days when ,augustus     
,caesar was master of many kings and    
,herod reigned in ,jerusalem1 there     
lived in the city of ,ecbatana1 among   
the mountains of ,persia1 a certain man 
named ,artaban1 the ,median4 ,his house 
stood close to the outermost of the     

seven walls which encircled the royal   
treasury4 ,from his roof he could look  
over the rising battlements of black and
 white and crimson and blue and red and 
silver and gold1 to the hill where the  
summer palace of the ,parthian emperors 
glittered like a jewel in a sevenfold   
crown4  ,around the dwelling of ,artaban
 spread a fair garden1 a tangle of      
flowers and fruit trees1 watered by a   
score of streams descending from the    
slopes of ,mount ,orontes1 and made     
musical by innumerable birds4 ,but all  
color was lost in the soft and odorous  
darkness of the late ,september night1  
and all sounds were hushed in the deep  
charm of its silence1 save the plashing 
of the water1 like a voice half sobbing 
and half laughing under the shadows4    
,high above the trees a dim glow of     
light shone through the curtained arches
 of the upper chamber1 where the master 
of the house was holding council with   
his friends4  ,he stood by the doorway  
to greet his guests--a tall1 dark man of

 about forty years1 with brilliant eyes 
set near together under his broad brow1 
and firm lines graven around his fine1  
thin lips2 the brow of a dreamer and the
 mouth of soldier1 a man of sensitive   
feeling but inflexible will--one of     
those who1 in whatever age they may     
live1 are born for inward conflict and a
 life of quest4  ,his robe was of pure  
white wool1 thrown over a tunic of silk2
 and a white1 pointed cap1 with long    
lapels at the sides1 rested on his      
flowing black hair4 ,it was the dress of
 the ancient priesthood of the ,magi1   
called the fire-worshippers4  ,welcome6 
he said1 in his low1 pleasant voice1 as 
one after another entered the           
room--welcome1 ,abdus2 peace be with    
you1 ,rhodaspes and ,tigranes1 and with 
you my father1 ,abgarus4 ,you are all   
welcome1 and this house grows bright    
with the joy of your presence4  ,there  
were nine of the men1 differing widely  
in age1 but alike in the richness of    
their dress of many-colored silks1 and  

in the massive golden collars around    
their necks1 marking them as ,parthian  
nobles1 and in the winged circles of    
gold resting upon their breasts1 the    
sign of the followers of ,zoroaster4    
,they took their places around a small  
black altar at the end of the room1     
where a tiny flame was burning4         
,artaban1 standing beside it1 and waving
 a barsom of thin tamarisk branches     
above the fire1 fed it with dry sticks  
of pine and fragrant oils4 ,then he     
began the ancient chant of the ,yasna1  
and the voices of his companions joined 
in the beautiful hymn to ,ahura-,mazda3 
,we worship the ,spirit ,divine1        
all wisdom and goodness possessing1     
,surrounded by ,holy ,immortals1        
the givers of bounty and blessing1 ,we  
joy in the works of ,his hands1         
,his truth and ,his power confessing4   
,we praise all the things that are pure1
                        for these are   
,his only ,creation2 ,the thoughts that 
are true1      and the words and deeds  

that have won approbation2 ,these are   
supported by ,him                       
and for these we make adoration4  ,hear 
us1 ,o ,mazda6 ,thou livest             
in truth and in heavenly gladness2      
,cleanse us from falsehood1 and keep us 
from evil and bondage to badness2 ,pour 
out the light and the joy of ,thy life  
on our darkness and sadness4  ,shine on 
our gardens and fields1                 
,shine on our working and weaving2      
,shine on the whole race of man1        
,believing and unbelieving2             
,shine on us now through the night1     
,shine on us now in ,thy might1 ,the    
flame of our holy love                  
and the song of our worship receiving4  
,the fire rose with the chant1 throbbing
 as if it were made of musical flame1   
until it cast a bright illumination     
through the whole apartment1 revealing  
its simplicity and splendor4  ,the floor
 was laid with tiles of dark blue veined
 with white2 pilasters of twisted silver
 stood out against the blue walls2 the  

clearstory of round-arched windows above
 them was hung with azure silk2 the     
vaulted ceiling was a pavement of       
sapphires1 like the body of heaven in   
its clearness1 sown with silver stars4  
,from the four corners of the roof hung 
four golden magic-wheels1 called the    
tongues of the gods4 ,at the eastern    
end1 behind the altar1 there were two   
dark-red pillars of porphyry2 above them
 a lintel of the same stone1 on which   
was carved the figure of a winged       
archer1 with his arrow set to the string
 and his bow drawn4  ,the doorway       
between the pillars1 which opened upon  
the terrace of the roof1 was covered    
with a heavy curtain of the color of a  
ripe pomegranate1 embroidered with      
innumerable golden rays shooting upward 
from the floor4 ,in effect the room was 
like a quiet1 starry night1 all azure   
and silver1 flushed in the east with    
rosy promise of the dawn4 ,it was1 as   
the house of a man should be1 an        
expression of the character and spirit  

of the master4  ,he turned to his       
friends when the song was ended1 and    
invited them to be seated on the divan  
at the western end of the room4  ,you   
have come to-night1 said he1 looking    
around the circle1 at my call1 as the   
faithful scholars of ,zoroaster1 to     
renew your worship and rekindle your    
faith in the ,god of ,purity1 even as   
this fire has been rekindled on the     
altar4 ,we worship not the fire1 but    
,him of whom it is the chosen symbol1   
because it is the purest of all created 
things4 ,it speaks to us of one who is  
,light and ,truth4 ,is it not so1 my    
father8  ,it is well said1 my son1      
answered the venerable ,abgarus4 ,the   
enlightened are never idolaters4 ,they  
lift the veil of the form and go in to  
the shrine of the reality1 and new light
 and truth are coming to them           
continually through the old symbols4    
,hear me1 then1 my father and my        
friends1 said ,artaban1 very quietly1   
while ,i tell you of the new light and  

truth that have come to me through the  
most ancient of all signs4 ,we have     
searched the secrets of nature together1
 and studied the healing virtues of     
water and fire and the plants4 ,we have 
read also the books of prophecy in which
 the future is dimly foretold in words  
that are hard to understand4 ,but the   
highest of all learning is the knowledge
 of the stars4 ,to trace their courses  
is to untangle the threads of the       
mystery of life from the beginning to   
the end4 ,if we could follow them       
perfectly1 nothing would be hidden from 
us4 ,but is not our knowledge of them   
still incomplete8 ,are there not many   
stars still beyond our horizon--lights  
that are known only to the dwellers in  
the far south-land1 among the           
spice-trees of ,punt and the gold-mines 
of ,ophir8  ,there was a murmur of      
assent among the listeners4  ,the stars1
 said ,tigranes1 are the thoughts of the
 ,eternal4 ,they are numberless4 ,but   
the thoughts of man can be counted1 like

 the years of his life4 ,the wisdom of  
the ,magi is the greatest of all wisdoms
 on earth1 because it knows its own     
ignorance4 ,and that is the secret of   
power4 ,we keep men always looking and  
waiting for a new sunrise4 ,but we      
ourselves know that the darkness is     
equal to the light1 and that the        
conflict between them will never be     
ended4  ,that does not satisfy me1      
answered ,artaban1 for1 if the waiting  
must be endless1 if there could be no   
fulfilment of it1 then it would not be  
wisdom to look and wait4 ,we should     
become like those new teachers of the   
,greeks1 who say that there is no truth1
 and that the only wise men are those   
who spend their lives in discovering and
 exposing the lies that have been       
believed in the world4 ,but the new     
sunrise will certainly dawn in the      
appointed time4 ,do not our own books   
tell us that this will come to pass1 and
 that men will see the brightness of a  
great light8  ,that is true1 said the   

voice of ,abgarus2 every faithful       
disciple of ,zoroaster knows the        
prophecy of the ,avesta and carries the 
word in his heart4 ',in that day        
,sosiosh the ,victorious shall arise out
 of the number of the prophets in the   
east country4 ,around him shall shine a 
mighty brightness1 and he shall make    
life everlasting1 incorruptible1 and    
immortal1 and the dead shall rise       
again4'  ,this is a dark saying1 said   
,tigranes1 and it may be that we shall  
never understand it4 ,it is better to   
consider the things that are near at    
hand1 and to increase the influence of  
the ,magi in their own country1 rather  
than to look for one who may be a       
stranger1 and to whom we must resign our
 power4  ,the others seemed to approve  
these words4 ,there was a silent feeling
 of agreement manifest among them2 their
 looks responded with that indefinable  
expression which always follows when a  
speaker has uttered the thought that has
 been slumbering in the hearts of his   

listeners4 ,but ,artaban turned to      
,abgarus with a glow on his face1 and   
said3  ,my father1 ,i have kept this    
prophecy in the secret place of my soul4
 ,religion without a great hope would be
 like an altar without a living fire4   
,and now the flame has burned more      
brightly1 and by the light of it ,i have
 read other words which also have come  
from the fountain of ,truth1 and speak  
yet more clearly of the rising of the   
,victorious ,one in his brightness4  ,he
 drew from the breast of his tunic two  
small rolls of fine linen1 with writing 
upon them1 and unfolded them carefully  
upon his knee4  ,in the years that are  
lost in the past1 long before our       
fathers came into the land of ,babylon1 
there were wise men in ,chaldea1 from   
whom the first of the ,magi learned the 
secret of the heavens4 ,and of these    
,balaam the son of ,beor was one of the 
mightiest4 ,hear the words of his       
prophecy3 ',there shall come a star out 
of ,jacob1 and a sceptre shall arise out

 of ,israel4'  ,the lips of ,tigranes   
drew downward with contempt1 as he said3
  ,judah was a captive by the waters of 
,babylon1 and the sons of ,jacob were in
 bondage to our kings4 ,the tribes of   
,israel are scattered through the       
mountains like lost sheep1 and from the 
remnant that dwells in ,judea under the 
yoke of ,rome neither star nor sceptre  
shall arise4  ,and yet1 answered        
,artaban1 it was the ,hebrew ,daniel1   
the mighty searcher of dreams1 the      
counsellor of kings1 the wise           
,belteshazzar1 who was most honoured and
 beloved of our great ,king ,cyrus4 ,a  
prophet of sure things and a reader of  
the thoughts of ,god1 ,daniel proved    
himself to our people4 ,and these are   
the words that he wrote4 7,artaban read 
from the second roll37 ',know1          
therefore1 and understand that from the 
going forth of the commandment to       
restore ,jerusalem1 unto the ,anointed  
,one1 the ,prince1 the time shall be    
seven and threescore and two weeks4'    

,but1 my son1 said ,abgarus1 doubtfully1
 these are mystical numbers4 ,who can   
interpret them1 or who can find the key 
that shall unlock their meaning8        
,artaban answered3 ,it has been shown to
 me and to my three companions among the
 ,magi--,caspar1 ,melchior1 and         
,balthazar4 ,we have searched the       
ancient tablets of ,chaldea and computed
 the time4 ,it falls in this year4 ,we  
have studied the sky1 and in the spring 
of the year we saw two of the greatest  
stars draw near together in the sign of 
the ,fish1 which is the house of the    
,hebrews4 ,we also saw a new star there1
 which shone for one night and then     
vanished4 ,now again the two great      
planets are meeting4 ,this night is     
their conjunction4 ,my three brothers   
are watching at the ancient ,temple of  
the ,seven ,spheres1 at ,borsippa1 in   
,babylonia1 and ,i am watching here4 ,if
 the star shines again1 they will wait  
ten days for me at the temple1 and then 
we will set out together for ,jerusalem1

 to see and worship the promised one who
 shall be born ,king of ,israel4 ,i     
believe the sign will come4 ,i have made
 ready for the journey4 ,i have sold my 
house and my possessions1 and bought    
these three jewels--a sapphire1 a ruby1 
and a pearl--to carry them as tribute to
 the ,king4 ,and ,i ask you to go with  
me on the pilgrimage1 that we may have  
joy together in finding the ,prince who 
is worthy to be served4  ,while he was  
speaking he thrust his hand into the    
inmost fold of his girdle and drew out  
three great gems--one blue as a fragment
 of the night sky1 one redder than a ray
 of sunrise1 and one as pure as the peak
 of a snow mountain at twilight--and    
laid them on the out-spread linen       
scrolls before him4  ,but his friends   
looked on with strange and alien eyes4  
,a veil of doubt and mistrust came over 
their faces1 like a fog creeping up from
 the marshes to hide the hills4 ,they   
glanced at each other with looks of     
wonder and pity1 as those who have      

listened to incredible sayings1 the     
story of a wild vision1 or the proposal 
of an impossible enterprise4  ,at last  
,tigranes said3 ,artaban1 this is a vain
 dream4 ,it comes from too much looking 
upon the stars and the cherishing of    
lofty thoughts4 ,it would be wiser to   
spend the time in gathering money for   
the new fire-temple at ,chala4 ,no king 
will ever rise from the broken race of  
,israel1 and no end will ever come to   
the eternal strife of light and         
darkness4 ,he who looks for it is a     
chaser of shadows4 ,farewell4  ,and     
another said3 ,artaban1 ,i have no      
knowledge of these things1 and my office
 as guardian of the royal treasure binds
 me here4 ,the quest is not for me4 ,but
 if thou must follow it1 fare thee well4
  ,and another said3 ,in my house there 
sleeps a new bride1 and ,i cannot leave 
her nor take her with me on this strange
 journey4 ,this quest is not for me4    
,but may thy steps be prospered wherever
 thou goest4 ,so1 farewell4  ,and       

another said3 ,i am ill and unfit for   
hardship1 but there is a man among my   
servants whom ,i will send with thee    
when thou goest1 to bring me word how   
thou farest4  ,but ,abgarus1 the oldest 
and the one who loved ,artaban the best1
 lingered after the others had gone1 and
 said1 gravely3 ,my son1 it may be that 
the light of truth is in this sign that 
has appeared in the skies1 and then it  
will surely lead to the ,prince and the 
mighty brightness4 ,or it may be that it
 is only a shadow of the light1 as      
,tigranes has said1 and then he who     
follows it will have only a long        
pilgrimage and an empty search4 ,but it 
is better to follow even the shadow of  
the best than to remain content with the
 worst4 ,and those who would see        
wonderful things must often be ready to 
travel alone4 ,i am too old for this    
journey1 but my heart shall be a        
companion of the pilgrimage day and     
night1 and ,i shall know the end of thy 
quest4 ,go in peace4  ,so one by one    

they went out of the azure chamber with 
its silver stars1 and ,artaban was left 
in solitude4  ,he gathered up the jewels
 and replaced them in his girdle4 ,for a
 long time he stood and watched the     
flame that flickered and sank upon the  
altar4 ,then he crossed the hall1 lifted
 the heavy curtain1 and passed out      
between the dull red pillars of porphyry
 to the terrace on the roof4  ,the      
shiver that thrills through the earth   
ere she rouses from her night sleep had 
already begun1 and the cool wind that   
heralds the daybreak was drawing        
downward from the lofty1 snow-traced    
ravines of ,mount ,orontes4 ,birds1 half
 awakened1 crept and chirped among the  
rustling leaves1 and the smell of       
ripened grapes came in brief wafts from 
the arbors4  ,far over the eastern plain
 a white mist stretched like a lake4    
,but where the distant peak of ,zagros  
serrated the western horizon the sky was
 clear4 ,jupiter and ,saturn rolled     
together like drops of lambent flame    

about to blend in one4  ,as ,artaban    
watched them1 behold1 an azure spark was
 born out of the darkness beneath1      
rounding itself with purple splendors to
 a crimson sphere1 and spiring upward   
through rays of saffron and orange into 
a point of white radiance4 ,tiny and    
infinitely remote1 yet perfect in every 
part1 it pulsated in the enormous vault 
as if the three jewels in the ,magian's 
breast had mingled and been transformed 
into a living heart of light4  ,he bowed
 his head4 ,he covered his brow with his
 hands4  ,it is the sign1 he said4 ,the 
,king is coming1 and ,i will go to meet 
him4    ,,by ,,the ,,waters ,,of        
,,babylon   ,all night long ,vasda1 the 
swiftest of ,artaban's horses1 had been 
waiting1 saddled and bridled1 in her    
stall1 pawing the ground impatiently1   
and shaking her bit as if she shared the
 eagerness of her master's purpose1     
though she knew not its meaning4        
,before the birds had fully roused to   
their strong1 high1 joyful chant of     

morning song1 before the white mist had 
begun to lift lazily from the plain1 the
 other wise man was in the saddle1      
riding swiftly along the high-road1     
which skirted the base of ,mount        
,orontes1 westward4  ,how close1 how    
intimate is the comradeship between a   
man and his favorite horse on a long    
journey4 ,it is a silent1 comprehensive 
friendship1 an intercourse beyond the   
need of words4  ,they drink at the same 
wayside springs1 and sleep under the    
same guardian stars4 ,they are conscious
 together of the subduing spell of      
nightfall and the quickening joy of     
daybreak4 ,the master shares his evening
 meal with his hungry companion1 and    
feels the soft1 moist lips caressing the
 palm of his hand as they close over the
 morsel of bread4 ,in the gray dawn he  
is roused from his bivouac by the gentle
 stir of a warm1 sweet breath over his  
sleeping face1 and looks up into the    
eyes of his faithful fellow-traveller1  
ready and waiting for the toil of the   

day4 ,surely1 unless he is a pagan and  
an unbeliever1 by whatever name he calls
 upon his ,god1 he will thank ,him for  
this voiceless sympathy1 this dumb      
affection1 and his morning prayer will  
embrace a double blessing--,god bless us
 both1 and keep our feet from falling   
and our souls from death6  ,and then1   
through the keen morning air1 the swift 
hoofs beat their spirited music along   
the road1 keeping time to the pulsing of
 two hearts that are moved with the same
 eager desire--to conquer space1 to     
devour the distance1 to attain the goal 
of the journey4  ,artaban must1 indeed1 
ride wisely and well if he would keep   
the appointed hour with the other ,magi2
 for the route was a hundred and fifty  
parasangs1 and fifteen was the utmost   
that he could travel in a day4 ,but he  
knew ,vasda's strength1 and pushed      
forward without anxiety1 making the     
fixed distance every day1 though he must
 travel late into the night1 and in the 
morning long before sunrise4  ,he passed

 along the brown slopes of ,mount       
,orontes1 furrowed by the rocky courses 
of a hundred torrents4  ,he crossed the 
level plains of the ,nisasans1 where the
 famous herds of horses1 feeding in the 
wide pastures1 tossed their heads at    
,vasda's approach1 and galloped away    
with a thunder of many hoofs1 and flocks
 of wild birds rose suddenly from the   
swampy meadows1 wheeling in great       
circles with a shining flutter of       
innumerable wings and shrill cries of   
surprise4  ,he traversed the fertile    
fields of ,concabar1 where the dust from
 the threshing-floors filled the air    
with a golden mist1 half hiding the huge
 temple of ,astarte with its four       
hundred pillars4  ,at ,baghistan1 among 
the rich gardens watered by fountains   
from the rock1 he looked up at the      
mountain thrusting its immense rugged   
brow out over the road1 and saw the     
figure of ,king ,darius trampling upon  
his fallen foes1 and the proud list of  
his wars and conquests graven high upon 

the face of the eternal cliff4  ,over   
many a cold and desolate pass1 crawling 
painfully across the wind-swept         
shoulders of the hills2 down many a     
black mountain-gorge1 where the river   
roared and raced before him like a      
savage guide2 across many a smiling     
vale1 with terraces of yellow limestone 
full of vines and fruit trees2 through  
the oak groves of ,carine and the dark  
,gates of ,zagros1 walled in by         
precipices2 into the ancient city of    
,chala1 where the people of ,samaria had
 been kept in captivity long ago2 and   
out again by the mighty portal1 riven   
through the encircling hills1 where he  
saw the image of the ,high ,priest of   
the ,magi sculptured on the wall of     
rock1 with hand uplifted as if to bless 
the centuries of pilgrims2 past the     
entrance of the narrow defile1 filled   
from end to end with orchards of peaches
 and figs1 through which the river      
,gyndes foamed down to meet him2 over   
the broad rice-fields1 where the        

autumnal vapors spread their deathly    
mists2 following along the course of the
 river1 under tremulous shadows of      
poplar and tamarind1 among the lower    
hills2 and out upon the flat plain1     
where the road ran straight as an arrow 
through the stubble-fields and parched  
meadows2 past the city of ,ctesiphon1   
where the ,parthian emperors reigned1   
and the vast metropolis of ,seleucia    
which ,alexander built2 across the      
swirling floods of ,tigris and the many 
channels of ,euphrates1 flowing yellow  
through the corn-lands--,artaban pressed
 onward until he arrived1 at nightfall  
of the tenth day1 beneath the shattered 
walls of populous ,babylon4  ,vasda was 
almost spent1 and he would gladly have  
turned into the city to find rest and   
refreshment for himself and for her4    
,but he knew that it was three hours'   
journey yet to the ,temple of the ,seven
 ,spheres1 and he must reach the place  
by midnight if he would find his        
comrades waiting4 ,so he did not halt1  

but rode steadily across the            
stubble-fields4  ,a grove of date-palms 
made an island of gloom in the pale     
yellow sea4 ,as she passed into the     
shadow ,vasda slackened her pace1 and   
began to pick her way more carefully4   
,near the farther end of the darkness an
 access of caution seemed to fall upon  
her4 ,she scented some danger or        
difficulty2 it was not in her heart to  
fly from it--only to be prepared for it1
 and to meet it wisely1 as a good horse 
should do4 ,the grove was close and     
silent as the tomb2 not a leaf rustled1 
not a bird sang4  ,she felt her steps   
before her delicately1 carrying her head
 low1 and sighing now and then with     
apprehension4 ,at last she gave a quick 
breath of anxiety and dismay1 and stood 
stock-still1 quivering in every muscle1 
before a dark object in the shadow of   
the last palm-tree4  ,artaban           
dismounted4 ,the dim starlight revealed 
the form of a man lying across the road4
 ,his humble dress and the outline of   

his haggard face showed that he was     
probably one of the poor ,hebrew exiles 
who still dwelt in great numbers in the 
vicinity4 ,his pallid skin1 dry and     
yellow as parchment1 bore the mark of   
the deadly fever which ravaged the      
marsh-lands in autumn4 ,the chill of    
death was in his lean hand1 and1 as     
,artaban released it1 the arm fell back 
inertly upon the motionless breast4  ,he
 turned away with a thought of pity1    
consigning the body to that strange     
burial which the ,magians deemed most   
fitting--the funeral of the desert1 from
 which the kites and vultures rise on   
dark wings1 and the beasts of prey slink
 furtively away1 leaving only a heap of 
white bones in the sand4  ,but1 as he   
turned1 a long1 faint1 ghostly sigh came
 from the man's lips4 ,the brown1 bony  
fingers closed convulsively on the hem  
of the ,magian's robe and held him fast4
  ,artaban's heart leaped to his throat1
 not with fear1 but with a dumb         
resentment at the importunity of this   

blind delay4  ,how could he stay here in
 the darkness to minister to a dying    
stranger8 ,what claim had this unknown  
fragment of human life upon his         
compassion or his service8 ,if he       
lingered but for an hour he could hardly
 reach ,borsippa at the appointed time4 
,his companions would think he had given
 up the journey4 ,they would go without 
him4 ,he would lose his quest4  ,but if 
he went on now1 the man would surely    
die4 ,if he stayed1 life might be       
restored4 ,his spirit throbbed and      
fluttered with the urgency of the       
crisis4 ,should he risk the great reward
 of his divine faith for the sake of a  
single deed of human love8 ,should he   
turn aside1 if only for a moment1 from  
the following of the star1 to give a cup
 of cold water to a poor1 perishing     
,hebrew8  ,god of truth and purity1 he  
prayed1 direct me in the holy path1 the 
way of wisdom which ,thou only knowest4 
,then he turned back to the sick man4   
,loosening the grasp of his hand1 he    

carried him to a little mound at the    
foot of the palm-tree4  ,he unbound the 
thick folds of the turban and opened the
 garment above the sunken breast4 ,he   
brought water from one of the small     
canals near by1 and moistened the       
sufferer's brow and mouth4 ,he mingled a
 draught of one of those simple but     
potent remedies which he carried always 
in his girdle--for the ,magians were    
physicians as well as astrologers--and  
poured it slowly between the colorless  
lips4 ,hour after hour he labored as    
only a skilful healer of disease can do2
 and1 at last1 the man's strength       
returned2 he sat up and looked about    
him4  ,who art thou8 he said1 in the    
rude dialect of the country1 and why    
hast thou sought me here to bring back  
my life8  ,i am ,artaban the ,magian1 of
 the city of ,ecbatana1 and ,i am going 
to ,jerusalem in search of one who is to
 be born ,king of the ,jews1 a great    
,prince and ,deliverer of all men4 ,i   
dare not delay any longer upon my       

journey1 for the caravan that has waited
 for me may depart without me4 ,but see1
 here is all that ,i have left of bread 
and wine1 and here is a potion of       
healing herbs4 ,when thy strength is    
restored thou canst find the dwellings  
of the ,hebrews among the houses of     
,babylon4  ,the ,jew raised his         
trembling hand solemnly to heaven4  ,now
 may the ,god of ,abraham and ,isaac and
 ,jacob bless and prosper the journey of
 the merciful1 and bring him in peace to
 his desired haven4 ,but stay2 ,i have  
nothing to give thee in return--only    
this3 that ,i can tell thee where the   
,messiah must be sought4 ,for our       
prophets have said that he should be    
born not in ,jerusalem1 but in          
,bethlehem of ,judah4 ,may the ,lord    
bring thee in safety to that place1     
because thou hast had pity upon the     
sick4  ,it was already long past        
midnight4 ,artaban rode in haste1 and   
,vasda1 restored by the brief rest1 ran 
eagerly through the silent plain and    

swam the channels of the river4 ,she put
 forth the remnant of her strength1 and 
fled over the ground like a gazelle4    
,but the first beam of the sun sent her 
shadow before her as she entered upon   
the final stadium of the journey1 and   
the eyes of ,artaban1 anxiously scanning
 the great mound of ,nimrod and the     
,temple of the ,seven ,spheres1 could   
discern no trace of his friends4  ,the  
many-colored terraces of black and      
orange and red and yellow and green and 
blue and white1 shattered by the        
convulsions of nature1 and crumbling    
under the repeated blows of human       
violence1 still glittered like a ruined 
rainbow in the morning light4  ,artaban 
rode swiftly around the hill4 ,he       
dismounted and climbed to the highest   
terrace1 looking out towards the west4  
,the huge desolation of the marshes     
stretched away to the horizon and the   
border of the desert4 ,bitterns stood by
 the stagnant pools and jackals skulked 
through the low bushes2 but there was no

 sign of the caravan of the wise men1   
far or near4  ,at the edge of the       
terrace he saw a little cairn of broken 
bricks1 and under them a piece of       
parchment4 ,he caught it up and read3   
,we have waited past the midnight1 and  
can delay no longer4 ,we go to find the 
,king4 ,follow us across the desert4    
,artaban sat down upon the ground and   
covered his head in despair4  ,how can  
,i cross the desert1 said he1 with no   
food and with a spent horse8 ,i must    
return to ,babylon1 sell my sapphire1   
and buy a train of camels1 and provision
 for the journey4 ,i may never overtake 
my friends4 ,only ,god the merciful     
knows whether ,i shall not lose the     
sight of the ,king because ,i tarried to
 show mercy4    ,,for ,,the ,,sake ,,of 
,a ,,little ,,child   ,there was a      
silence in the ,hall of ,dreams1 where  
,i was listening to the story of the    
,other ,wise ,man4 ,and through this    
silence ,i saw1 but very dimly1 his     
figure passing over the dreary          

undulations of the desert1 high upon the
 back of his camel1 rocking steadily    
onward like a ship over the waves4  ,the
 land of death spread its cruel net     
around him4 ,the stony wastes bore no   
fruit but briers and thorns4 ,the dark  
ledges of rock thrust themselves above  
the surface here and there1 like the    
bones of perished monsters4 ,arid and   
inhospitable mountain ranges rose before
 him1 furrowed with dry channels of     
ancient torrents1 white and ghastly as  
scars on the face of nature4 ,shifting  
hills of treacherous sand were heaped   
like tombs along the horizon4 ,by day1  
the fierce heat pressed its intolerable 
burden on the quivering air2 and no     
living creature moved on the dumb1      
swooning earth1 but tiny jerboas        
scuttling through the parched bushes1 or
 lizards vanishing in the clefts of the 
rock4 ,by night the jackals prowled and 
barked in the distance1 and the lion    
made the black ravines echo with his    
hollow roaring1 while a bitter1         

blighting chill followed the fever of   
the day4 ,through heat and cold1 the    
,magian moved steadily onward4  ,then ,i
 saw the gardens and orchards of        
,damascus1 watered by the streams of    
,abana and ,pharpar1 with their sloping 
swards inlaid with bloom1 and their     
thickets of myrrh and roses4 ,i saw also
 the long1 snowy ridge of ,hermon1 and  
the dark groves of cedars1 and the      
valley of the ,jordan1 and the blue     
waters of the ,lake of ,galilee1 and the
 fertile plain of ,esdraelon1 and the   
hills of ,ephraim1 and the highlands of 
,judah4 ,through all these ,i followed  
the figure of ,artaban moving steadily  
onward1 until he arrived at ,bethlehem4 
,and it was the third day after the     
three wise men had come to that place   
and had found ,mary and ,joseph1 with   
the young child1 ,jesus1 and had lain   
their gifts of gold and frankincense and
 myrrh at his feet4  ,then the other    
wise man drew near1 weary1 but full of  
hope1 bearing his ruby and his pearl to 

offer to the ,king4 ,for now at last1 he
 said1 ,i shall surely find him1 though 
it be alone1 and later than my brethren4
 ,this is the place of which the ,hebrew
 exile told me that the prophets had    
spoken1 and here ,i shall behold the    
rising of the great light4 ,but ,i must 
inquire about the visit of my brethren1 
and to what house the star directed     
them1 and to whom they presented their  
tribute4  ,the streets of the village   
seemed to be deserted1 and ,artaban     
wondered whether the men had all gone up
 to the hill-pastures to bring down     
their sheep4 ,from the open door of a   
low stone cottage he heard the sound of 
a woman's voice singing softly4 ,he     
entered and found a young mother hushing
 her baby to rest4 ,she told him of the 
strangers from the far ,east who had    
appeared in the village three days ago1 
and how they said that a star had guided
 them to the place where ,joseph of     
,nazareth was lodging with his wife and 
her new-born child1 and how they had    

paid reverence to the child and given   
him many rich gifts4  ,but the          
travellers disappeared again1 she       
continued1 as suddenly as they had come4
 ,we were afraid at the strangeness of  
their visit4 ,we could not understand   
it4 ,the man of ,nazareth took the babe 
and his mother and fled away that same  
night secretly1 and it was whispered    
that they were going far away to ,egypt4
 ,ever since1 there has been a spell    
upon the village2 something evil hangs  
over it4 ,they say that the ,roman      
soldiers are coming from ,jerusalem to  
force a new tax from us1 and the men    
have driven the flocks and herds far    
back among the hills1 and hidden        
themselves to escape it4  ,artaban      
listened to her gentle1 timid speech1   
and the child in her arms looked up in  
his face and smiled1 stretching out its 
rosy hands to grasp at the winged circle
 of gold on his breast4 ,his heart      
warmed to the touch4 ,it seemed like a  
greeting of love and trust to one who   

had journeyed long in loneliness and    
perplexity1 fighting with his own doubts
 and fears1 and following a light that  
was veiled in clouds4  ,might not this  
child have been the promised ,prince8 he
 asked within himself1 as he touched its
 soft cheek4 ,kings have been born ere  
now in lowlier houses than this1 and the
 favorite of the stars may rise even    
from a cottage4 ,but it has not seemed  
good to the ,god of wisdom to reward my 
search so soon and so easily4 ,the one  
whom ,i seek has gone before me2 and now
 ,i must follow the ,king to ,egypt4    
,the young mother laid the babe in its  
cradle1 and rose to minister to the     
wants of the strange guest that fate had
 brought into her house4 ,she set food  
before him1 the plain fare of peasants1 
but willingly offered1 and therefore    
full of refreshment for the soul as well
 as for the body4 ,artaban accepted it  
gratefully2 and1 as he ate1 the child   
fell into a happy slumber1 and murmured 
sweetly in its dreams1 and a great peace

 filled the quiet room4  ,but suddenly  
there came the noise of a wild confusion
 and uproar in the streets of the       
village1 a shrieking and wailing of     
women's voices1 a clangor of brazen     
trumpets and a clashing of swords1 and a
 desperate cry3 ,the soldiers6 the      
soldiers of ,herod6 ,they are killing   
our children4  ,the young mother's face 
grew white with terror4 ,she clasped her
 child to her bosom1 and crouched       
motionless in the darkest corner of the 
room1 covering him with the folds of her
 robe1 lest he should wake and cry4     
,but ,artaban went quickly and stood in 
the doorway of the house4 ,his broad    
shoulders filled the portal from side to
 side1 and the peak of his white cap all
 but touched the lintel4  ,the soldiers 
came hurrying down the street with      
bloody hands and dripping swords4 ,at   
the sight of the stranger in his        
imposing dress they hesitated with      
surprise4 ,the captain of the band      
approached the threshold to thrust him  

aside4 ,but ,artaban did not stir4 ,his 
face was as calm as though he were      
watching the stars1 and in his eyes     
there burned that steady radiance before
 which even the half-tamed hunting      
leopard shrinks1 and the fierce         
blood-hound pauses in his leap4 ,he held
 the soldier silently for an instant1   
and then said in a low voice3  ,i am all
 alone in this place1 and ,i am waiting 
to give this jewel to the prudent       
captain who will leave me in peace4  ,he
 showed the ruby1 glistening in the     
hollow of his hand like a great drop of 
blood4  ,the captain was amazed at the  
splendor of the gem4 ,the pupils of his 
eyes expanded with desire1 and the hard 
lines of greed wrinkled around his lips4
 ,he stretched out his hand and took the
 ruby4  ,march on6 he cried to his men1 
there is no child here4 ,the house is   
still4  ,the clamor and the clang of    
arms passed down the street as the      
headlong fury of the chase sweeps by the
 secret covert where the trembling deer 

is hidden4 ,artaban re-entered the      
cottage4 ,he turned his face to the east
 and prayed3  ,god of truth1 forgive my 
sin6 ,i have said the thing that is not1
 to save the life of a child4 ,and two  
of my gifts are gone4 ,i have spent for 
man that which was meant for ,god4      
,shall ,i ever be worthy to see the face
 of the ,king8  ,but the voice of the   
woman1 weeping for joy in the shadow    
behind him1 said very gently3  ,because 
thou hast saved the life of my little   
one1 may the ,lord bless thee and keep  
thee2 the ,lord make ,his face to shine 
upon thee and be gracious unto thee2 the
 ,lord lift up ,his countenance upon    
thee and give thee peace4    ,,in ,,the 
,,hidden ,,way ,,of ,,sorrow   ,then    
again there was a silence in the ,hall  
of ,dreams1 deeper and more mysterious  
than the first interval1 and ,i         
understood that the years of ,artaban   
were flowing very swiftly under the     
stillness of that clinging fog1 and ,i  
caught only a glimpse1 here and there1  

of the river of his life shining through
 the shadows that concealed its course4 
,i saw him moving among the throngs of  
men in populous ,egypt1 seeking         
everywhere for traces of the household  
that had come down from ,bethlehem1 and 
finding them under the spreading        
sycamore-trees of ,heliopolis1 and      
beneath the walls of the ,roman fortress
 of ,new ,babylon beside the            
,nile--traces so faint and dim that they
 vanished before him continually1 as    
footprints on the hard river-sand       
glisten for a moment with moisture and  
then disappear4  ,i saw him again at the
 foot of the pyramids1 which lifted     
their sharp points into the intense     
saffron glow of the sunset sky1         
changeless monuments of the perishable  
glory and the imperishable hope of man4 
,he looked up into the vast countenance 
of the crouching ,sphinx and vainly     
tried to read the meaning of the calm   
eyes and smiling mouth4 ,was it1 indeed1
 the mockery of all effort and all      

aspiration1 as ,tigranes had said--the  
cruel jest of a riddle that has no      
answer1 a search that never can succeed8
 ,or was there a touch of pity and      
encouragement in that inscrutable       
smile--a promise that even the defeated 
should attain a victory1 and the        
disappointed should discover a prize1   
and the ignorant should be made wise1   
and the blind should see1 and the       
wandering should come into the haven at 
last8  ,i saw him again in an obscure   
house of ,alexandria1 taking counsel    
with a ,hebrew rabbi4 ,the venerable    
man1 bending over the rolls of parchment
 on which the prophecies of ,israel were
 written1 read aloud the pathetic words 
which foretold the sufferings of the    
promised ,messiah--the despised and     
rejected of men1 the man of sorrows and 
the acquaintance of grief4  ,and        
remember1 my son1 said he1 fixing his   
deep-set eyes upon the face of ,artaban1
 the ,king whom you are seeking is not  
to be found in a palace1 nor among the  

rich and powerful4 ,if the light of the 
world and the glory of ,israel had been 
appointed to come with the greatness of 
earthly splendor1 it must have appeared 
long ago4 ,for no son of ,abraham will  
ever again rival the power which ,joseph
 had in the palaces of ,egypt1 or the   
magnificence of ,solomon throned between
 the lions in ,jerusalem4 ,but the light
 for which the world is waiting is a new
 light1 the glory that shall rise out of
 patient and triumphant suffering4 ,and 
the kingdom which is to be established  
forever is a new kingdom1 the royalty of
 perfect and unconquerable love4  ,i do 
not know how this shall come to pass1   
nor how the turbulent kings and peoples 
of earth shall be brought to acknowledge
 the ,messiah and pay homage to ,him4   
,but this ,i know4 ,those who seek ,him 
will do well to look among the poor and 
the lowly1 the sorrowful and the        
oppressed4  ,so ,i saw the other wise   
man again and again1 travelling from    
place to place1 and searching among the 

people of the dispersion1 with whom the 
little family from ,bethlehem might1    
perhaps1 have found a refuge4 ,he passed
 through countries where famine lay     
heavy upon the land1 and the poor were  
crying for bread4 ,he made his dwelling 
in plague-stricken cities where the sick
 were languishing in the bitter         
companionship of helpless misery4 ,he   
visited the oppressed and the afflicted 
in the gloom of subterranean prisons1   
and the crowded wretchedness of         
slave-markets1 and the weary toil of    
galley-ships4 ,in all this populous and 
intricate world of anguish1 though he   
found none to worship1 he found many to 
help4 ,he fed the hungry1 and clothed   
the naked1 and healed the sick1 and     
comforted the captive2 and his years    
went by more swiftly than the weaver's  
shuttle that flashes back and forth     
through the loom while the web grows and
 the invisible pattern is completed4    
,it seemed almost as if he had forgotten
 his quest4 ,but once ,i saw him for a  

moment as he stood alone at sunrise1    
waiting at the gate of a ,roman prison4 
,he had taken from a secret             
resting-place in his bosom the pearl1   
the last of his jewels4 ,as he looked at
 it1 a mellower lustre1 a soft and      
iridescent light1 full of shifting      
gleams of azure and rose1 trembled upon 
its surface4 ,it seemed to have absorbed
 some reflection of the colors of the   
lost sapphire and ruby4 ,so the         
profound1 secret purpose of a noble life
 draws into itself the memories of past 
joy and past sorrow4 ,all that has      
helped it1 all that has hindered it1 is 
transfused by a subtle magic into its   
very essence4 ,it becomes more luminous 
and precious the longer it is carried   
close to the warmth of the beating      
heart4  ,then1 at last1 while ,i was    
thinking of this pearl1 and of its      
meaning1 ,i heard the end of the story  
of the ,other ,wise ,man4    ,a ,,pearl 
,,of ,,great ,,price   ,three-and-thirty
 years of the life of ,artaban had      

passed away1 and he was still a pilgrim1
 and a seeker after light4 ,his hair1   
once darker than the cliffs of ,zagros1 
was now white as the wintry snow that   
covered them4 ,his eyes1 that once      
flashed like flames of fire1 were dull  
as embers smouldering among the ashes4  
,worn and weary and ready to die1 but   
still looking for the ,king1 he had come
 for the last time to ,jerusalem4 ,he   
had often visited the holy city before1 
and had searched through all its lanes  
and crowded hovels and black prisons    
without finding any trace of the family 
of ,nazarenes who had fled from         
,bethlehem long ago4 ,but now it seemed 
as if he must make one more effort1 and 
something whispered in his heart that1  
at last1 he might succeed4  ,it was the 
season of the ,passover4 ,the city was  
thronged with strangers4 ,the children  
of ,israel1 scattered in far lands all  
over the world1 had returned to the     
,temple for the great feast1 and there  
had been a confusion of tongues in the  

narrow streets for many days4  ,but on  
this day there was a singular agitation 
visible in the multitude4 ,the sky was  
veiled with a portentous gloom1 and     
currents of excitement seemed to flash  
through the crowd like the thrill which 
shakes the forest on the eve of a storm4
 ,a secret tide was sweeping them all   
one way4 ,the clatter of sandals1 and   
the soft1 thick sound of thousands of   
bare feet shuffling over the stones1    
flowed unceasingly along the street that
 leads to the ,damascus gate4  ,artaban 
joined company with a group of people   
from his own country1 ,parthian ,jews   
who had come up to keep the ,passover1  
and inquired of them the cause of the   
tumult1 and where they were going4  ,we 
are going1 they answered1 to the place  
called ,golgotha1 outside the city      
walls1 where there is to be an          
execution4 ,have you not heard what has 
happened8 ,two famous robbers are to be 
crucified1 and with them another1 called
 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 a man who has done

 many wonderful works among the people1 
so that they love him greatly4 ,but the 
priests and elders have said that he    
must die1 because he gave himself out to
 be the ,son of ,god4 ,and ,pilate has  
sent him to the cross because he said   
that he was the ',king of the ,jews4'   
,how strangely these familiar words fell
 upon the tired heart of ,artaban6 ,they
 had led him for a lifetime over land   
and sea4 ,and now they came to him      
darkly and mysteriously like a message  
of despair4 ,the ,king had arisen1 but  
,he had been denied and cast out4 ,he   
was about to perish4 ,perhaps ,he was   
already dying4 ,could it be the same who
 had been born in ,bethlehem            
thirty-three years ago1 at whose birth  
the star had appeared in heaven1 and of 
whose coming the prophets had spoken8   
,artaban's heart beat unsteadily with   
that troubled1 doubtful apprehension    
which is the excitement of old age4 ,but
 he said within himself3 ,the ways of   
,god are stranger than the thoughts of  

men1 and it may be that ,i shall find   
the ,king1 at last1 in the hands of ,his
 enemies1 and shall come in time to     
offer my pearl for ,his ransom before   
,he dies4  ,so the old man followed the 
multitude with slow and painful steps   
towards the ,damascus gate of the city4 
,just beyond the entrance of the        
guard-house a troop of ,macedonian      
soldiers came down the street1 dragging 
a young girl with torn dress and        
dishevelled hair4 ,as the ,magian paused
 to look at her with compassion1 she    
broke suddenly from the hands of her    
tormentors1 and threw herself at his    
feet1 clasping him around the knees4    
,she had seen his white cap and the     
winged circle on his breast4  ,have pity
 on me1 she cried1 and save me1 for the 
sake of the ,god of ,purity6 ,i also am 
a daughter of the true religion which is
 taught by the ,magi4 ,my father was a  
merchant of ,parthia1 but he is dead1   
and ,i am seized for his debts to be    
sold as a slave4 ,save me from worse    

than death4  ,artaban trembled4  ,it was
 the old conflict in his soul1 which had
 come to him in the palm-grove of       
,babylon and in the cottage at          
,bethlehem--the conflict between the    
expectation of faith and the impulse of 
love4 ,twice the gift which he had      
consecrated to the worship of religion  
had been drawn from his hand to the     
service of humanity4 ,this was the third
 trial1 the ultimate probation1 the     
final and irrevocable choice4  ,was it  
his great opportunity1 or his last      
temptation8 ,he could not tell4 ,one    
thing only was clear in the darkness of 
his mind--it was inevitable4 ,and does  
not the inevitable come from ,god8  ,one
 thing only was sure to his divided     
heart--to rescue this helpless girl     
would be a true deed of love4 ,and is   
not love the light of the soul8  ,he    
took the pearl from his bosom4 ,never   
had it seemed so luminous1 so radiant1  
so full of tender1 living lustre4 ,he   
laid it in the hand of the slave4  ,this

 is thy ransom1 daughter6 ,it is the    
last of my treasures which ,i kept for  
the ,king4  ,while he spoke1 the        
darkness of the sky thickened1 and      
shuddering tremors ran through the      
earth1 heaving convulsively like the    
breast of one who struggles with mighty 
grief4  ,the walls of the houses rocked 
to and fro4 ,stones were loosened and   
crashed into the street4 ,dust clouds   
filled the air4 ,the soldiers fled in   
terror1 reeling like drunken men4 ,but  
,artaban and the girl whom he had       
ransomed crouched helpless beneath the  
wall of the ,praetorium4  ,what had he  
to fear8 ,what had he to live for8 ,he  
had given away the last remnant of his  
tribute for the ,king4 ,he had parted   
with the last hope of finding ,him4 ,the
 quest was over1 and it had failed4     
,but1 even in that thought1 accepted and
 embraced1 there was peace4 ,it was not 
resignation4 ,it was not submission4 ,it
 was something more profound and        
searching4 ,he knew that all was well1  

because he had done the best that he    
could1 from day to day4 ,he had been    
true to the light that had been given to
 him4 ,he had looked for more4 ,and if  
he had not found it1 if a failure was   
all that came out of his life1 doubtless
 that was the best that was possible4   
,he had not seen the revelation of life 
everlasting1 incorruptible and immortal4
 ,but he knew that even if he could live
 his earthly life over again1 it could  
not be otherwise than it had been4  ,one
 more lingering pulsation of the        
earthquake quivered through the ground4 
,a heavy tile1 shaken from the roof1    
fell and struck the old man on the      
temple4 ,he lay breathless and pale1    
with his gray head resting on the young 
girl's shoulder1 and the blood trickling
 from the wound4 ,as she bent over him1 
fearing that he was dead1 there came a  
voice through the twilight1 very small  
and still1 like music sounding from a   
distance1 in which the notes are clear  
but the words are lost4 ,the girl turned

 to see if some one had spoken from the 
window above them1 but she saw no one4  
,then the old man's lips began to move1 
as if in answer1 and she heard him say  
in the ,parthian tongue3  ,not so1 my   
,lord3 ,for when saw ,i thee an hungered
 and fed thee8 ,or thirsty1 and gave    
thee drink8 ,when saw ,i thee a         
stranger1 and took thee in8 ,or naked1  
and clothed thee8 ,when saw ,i thee sick
 or in prison1 and came unto thee8      
,three-and-thirty years have ,i looked  
for thee2 but ,i have never seen thy    
face1 nor ministered to thee1 my ,king4 
,he ceased1 and the sweet voice came    
again4 ,and again the maid heard it1    
very faintly and far away4 ,but now it  
seemed as though she understood the     
words3  ,verily ,i say unto thee1       
,inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one 
of the least of these my brethren1 thou 
hast done it unto me4  ,a calm radiance 
of wonder and joy lighted the pale face 
of ,artaban like the first ray of dawn  
on a snowy mountain-peak4 ,one long1    

last breath of relief exhaled gently    
from his lips4  ,his journey was ended4 
,his treasures were accepted4 ,the      
,other ,wise ,man had found the ,king4  
,,the ,,end