The city of delight Author:Elizabeth Miller Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " These be Christian sheep about you, friends," he said, " and I am a Christian shepherd." Momus sat up suddenly with a bit of the boy's bread arrested on its... more » way to his lips. He was eating the fare of an apostate, of a despised Nazarene. The boy went on composedly. " We are from Pella, the Christian city. We are, my sheep, my city and I, the only secure people in all Judea. We, I and the sheep, have been in the hills since the first new grass in February. We are many leagues from home." " So am I," Laodice said wearily. " Jerusalem?" the shepherd asked, glad he had brought out a response. " No? Yet all Judea is going to Jerusalem at this time. Are you fugitives ? " Momus nodded. " Come then to Pella," the shepherd urged. " You will be fed there; Titus will not come there. We are poor but we are happy — and we are safe." Laodice thanked him so inertly that he sensed her disinterest, and while he sat looking at her, searching his heart for something kind to say, she put out her hand impulsively and took his. " God keep thee and forget thy heresy," she said. " If thou livest in Fella, Pella is indeed happy." He laughed with a flush stealing up under the brown of his cheeks. A faint light came into Lao- dice's eyes as she looked at him; he returned her gaze with a gradual softening that was intensely complimentary. Between the two was effected instant and lasting fellowship. Before Momus' indignant eyes the shepherd was blushing happily. "Who art thou?" Laodice asked. " They call me Joseph, son of Thomas." After a silence she said softly, " I am not at liberty to tell my name." She remembered the secrecy of Philadelphus' mission. " Yet perchance if the God of my fathers prosper me and my husband, I may come to Pella — as thy queen." The boy's...« less