Christiana

by Jim Pappas

"Oh, gladly, for their name is highly revered here in these parts. They were especially courageous in the service of the Lord of pilgrims and also in behalf of any who loved Him. Yea, some of your father's ancestors have withstood all manner of trials and tortures for the sake of the truth."

  "Do you know any of their names, sir?" asked Samuel.

  "Oh, yes, to be sure. There was Stephen the Deacon, who was knocked on the head with stones. James, a near relative, was slain with the edge of the sword."

  "These famous ones are among our ancestors?" asked James, with a touch of awe.

  "Oh, aye, young man. To say nothing of Paul and Peter who were also part of your noble family."

  Then Mercy leaned over to Matthew and said quietly, "My, Matthew! You must be terribly proud to have such brave ancestors."

  "Huh? Oh, yes! Yes, I am."

  Christiana, chancing to overhear Mercy's comment, leaned across Matthew and whispered, "Perhaps they will one day be ancestors to your children as well, Mercy."

  "Huh?" answered Matthew and Mercy in puzzled unison. To this, Christiana answered with nothing more than a knowing smile.

  "Tell us of some others, sir," requested Joseph.

  "Yes, do," encouraged James, "for we desire to be like them."

  "Ah," began Gaius proudly. "They were all of a brave tribe. There was Ignatius, who was cast to the lions; Pomanus, whose flesh was cut by pieces from his bones; and Polycarp, that played the man in the fire. There was he that was hanged up in a basket in the sun for the wasps to eat; and he whom they put into a sack and cast into the sea to be drowned. Why, it would be utterly impossible to count up all those of your family who have suffered injuries and death for the love of their Lord. Nor can I but be glad to see that your husband, Madam, has left behind him four brave men such as these appear to be."

  "Thank you, sir," said Joseph.

  "Yes," added James. "We are grateful for your kind words."

  "I hope you will all bear out your father's name, tread in your father's steps, and come to your father's end."

  "If I may say so, good Gaius," interjected Great-heart, "they have already proven themselves to be brave lads who follow in their father's ways."

  "Hmmm, good! Good, good, good!"

  "Take young James there, sitting next to your daughter. When he first started out, he was but a child. But when these women were accosted by two vile vagabonds, wee little James latched onto one villain's leg and bit him a good one."

  At this, Phoebe looked at James and smiled admiringly. On his part, James could only manage to say, "I did?"

  "Sure! Don't you remember his screams?" put in Joseph. "The old rascal thought he'd been latched onto by a pit bull."

  At this, everyone had a good chuckle and cast admiring glances at James, who sat blushing a bit at all the attention. "Well, young man," said Gaius. "If you were so brave way back then, what must you be by now?"

  "Oh, I, uh . . ."

  "Phoebe," said Gaius to his daughter.

  "Yes, Father?"

  "I want you to take good care of our friend James, here. Make sure he grows accustomed to good cooking."

  "Yes, Father. I shall do my best."

  "Christiana?"

  "Yes, Mr. Gaius?"

  "May I have a few words with you?"

  "Of course, sir."

  "Come over here by the fire, if you will."

  So Gaius and Christiana left the table and began to converse thusly:

  Gaius proposes marriage for Matthew and Mercy

  "Tell me, Madam," said Gaius in a low tone, "what plans have you laid for the increase of your husband's seed upon the earth?"

  "Well, I suppose none in particular yet. Although as you can see, my eldest is quite taken with my friend, Mercy."

  "Good. Good. Very good! It is as God would have it. A fine family such as this must not be allowed to die out. In fact, to increase such stock as this would do service to God and to all those who would be blessed by their lives. Think on these things."

  "Yes, sir."

  "A hem. I . . . uh . . . I have a daughter named Phoebe . . ."

  "The one sitting next to James?"

  "Yes. You might consider . . ."

  "I already have, good Gaius. "'Tis a pity that you have only one daughter."

  "Yes, yes, I know," he sighed. "'Tis a cross that I must bear, I suppose. She has been such a delight to her mother and me. And so will she be to you, if your son will have her. Shall we consider the match settled?"

  "'Tis fine by me - if they can love each other."

  "If they can love each other! Why, dear Christiana! Just look at them."

  And sure enough, James and Phoebe were talking so animatedly, and smiling so broadly that Christiana knew in a flash that all would go well with them. So she turned to her host and said, "I see what you mean, dear Gaius. On my part, you may consider the match settled."

  "Good!" exclaimed Gaius with a clap of his hands. "I shall announce their engagement!"

  "Wait, wait, wait!" whispered Christiana nervously. "You don't mean now, do you?"

  "Of course I mean now. Do I look like Mr. Fearing?"

  "Dear Gaius. At least let them come up with the idea themselves."

  "Why?"

  "Why! Have you no sense of romance about you?"

  "Romance! This is duty, woman!"

  "No matter. They will be happiest if they come up with the idea themselves."

  "That could take months!"

  "I see that you don't know my James, dear Mr. Gaius. But in any case, we must let the flower of love blossom in its own good time. Then the fragrance will be all the sweeter."

  "If not now, when?"

  "I shall tell you when."

  "How will you know?"

  "How will I know! Dear Mr. Gaius, I am a woman!"

  "Hmmph," snorted he good-naturedly. "We shall see. Let us join the others now, for my nose tells me that supper is on its way."

  And so it was. The waiters began to bring on the dishes and utensils along with bread, salt and hors' d'ouvres. Matthew, always one to be enthusiastic about his food, said, "My! Just the sight of these preparations stirs up my appetite."

  "And mine as well," added Great-heart.

  "There is a lesson from heaven here," said Gaius.

  "Speak on, dear host," said Great-heart.

  "The preaching, books, prayers, and teachings of God are but the dishes, utensils and hors' d'ouvres that stir up our appetite for the heavenly feast. When we come there, we shall see Him as He is and know even as also we are known."

  "Ah," said Matthew in quiet reverence. "How I long to sit at that great banquet table that shall stretch for miles to the horizon."

  "And just to think," added James, "that Jesus Himself shall serve us. How I wish I could serve with Him."

  "You can, James," said Gaius.

  "Me? How?"

  "By serving those needy ones that God puts in your path here below. Every act done to help one of God's children is counted as a blessing bestowed upon Himself. And you can be sure that He is One who never forgets a favor."

  The feast at Gaius' house

  Then supper came up. After thanks was returned to God, they began to partake. And oh, what a feast it was! First there was the heave-shoulder to remind them to be thankful. Then came the wave-breast to encourage them to offer up the sacrifice of praise. Next there was poured out the new wine, fresh from the squeezing. As the wine was being poured, Gaius said, "Let the servant pour for all, but drink not till I have proposed a toast."

  "It almost makes me sad to drink this blood of the grape," said Matthew reverently, as he gazed into his glass sparkling red in the soft candlelight."

  "Why, Matthew?" queried Mercy softly so as not to break Matthew's pensive mood.

  "Because I remember that our Lord Jesus has promised never to drink this juice again until He drinks it with us in the Kingdom."

  "Ah. And that makes you sad?"

  "Aye. A little."

  "So yo
u have tender feelings for Him."

  "Yes. I have grown to love Him very much. I long to bow before Him and give thanks for the great love He has shown to me."

  "You shall, Matthew. In His good time. And I want to be there as well."

  When the last guest was served Gaius said, "Is everyone served? Good. And now my toast."

  "A toast to what, dear Gaius?" asked Old-honest.

  "A toast - to women!"

  "What is he talking about, Christiana?" whispered Mercy quietly.

  "I don't know, child."

  Then Gaius launched into a rather lengthy toast upon a topic that was obviously dear to his heart, saying:

  "Hear me while I speak a few words on behalf of women, that I may take away their reproach. For as death and the curse came into the world by the hand of a woman, so also did life and health. It is said that 'God sent forth His Son, made of a woman'. Yea, the women of the Old Testament coveted children. And why? So that they perchance might become the mother of the Savior and thus help undo the sin of their mother, Eve. And I will say again, that when the Savior was come, a woman rejoiced over Him before man or angel. I read not that one man ever gave unto Christ so much as a crust of bread, but the women followed Him and ministered to Him of their substance. 'Twas a woman that washed His feet with tears and anointed His body to the burial. They were women that followed Him from the cross and that sat across from the sepulcher when He was buried. They were women that were last with Him at His burial. They were women that were first with Him at His resurrection and women that first brought tidings to His disciples that He was risen from the dead. Women, therefore, are highly favored, and show by these things that they are sharers together with men in the grace of life. Yea, in these days 'the mother who trains her children for Christ is as truly working for God as is the minister in the pulpit'."

  Now by these words, Christiana and Mercy were deeply touched. Then said Christiana, with a catch in her voice, "Thank you, friend Gaius. Sometimes it seems to us women that we accomplish so little."

  "Nay! 'Tis not so!" answered Gaius emphatically. "Though the results of her work may not be apparent here, angels of God are watching the careworn mother, noting the burdens she carries from day to day."

  "Verily? Is it true?"

  "Oh, aye, yes, Christiana. 'Her name may never appear upon the records of history, or receive the honor and applause of the world, as may that of husband or father; but it is immortalized in the books of God. She is doing what she can, and her position in God's sight is more exalted than that of a king upon his throne, for she is dealing with character, she is fashioning minds'!"

  "Thank you, dear Gaius," said Christiana, a tear glistening upon her cheek. "You have given us a gift that will follow us to our graves."

  "And now, let us toast."

  "Uh, excuse me, dear Mr. Gaius."

  "Yes, Matthew?"

  "May I add just a short word to your toast?

  "Certainly, young man. What would you say?"

  Then Matthew stood to his feet, glass in hand, and turned to face his mother, saying, "I would speak to my mother in the words of Solomon when he said that 'her children arise up and call her blessed . . . '"

  "Hear, hear!" responded Joseph, Samuel, and James as they rose to their feet with glasses raised.

  Then Matthew nodded to his brothers and continued:

  "And if my father were here he would say, 'Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates'. And in my own words, sir, I would say that we four boys are indeed her own works and we do indeed proudly praise her in the gates."

  "Hear, hear!" shouted the three brothers.

  "Hip, hip . . . " called out James.

  "Hurrah!" answered the three.

  "Hip, hip . . ."

  "Hurrah!"

  "Hip, hip . . ."

  "Hurrah! Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!"

  "That's all I have to add, sir," said Matthew as he and his brothers resumed their seats.

  Now I must inform you that there was scarce a dry eye in the house at this moment: from the chef, with tray at shoulder to the harpist who had been filling the air with musical praise - all were deeply touched. Christiana's eyes were swimming with tears and she could scarce choke out a foggy-sounding, "Thank you, Matthew," as she leaned over to hug her eldest son in a long, clinging embrace. After a few more moments of silence, Gaius said:

  "Thank you, Matthew, boys. And now to our toast. Take, drink freely, for this new blood of the grape is that which makes glad the heart of God and man. To godly women!"

  And all the men seated at the table responded with a hearty, "Hear! Hear!"

  So they drank and were merry, although, for a time, the water stood in Christiana, Mercy and Phoebe's eyes for the honor that had been paid to their kind. Next, the cook brought up a dish of sweet bread soaked in fresh milk.

  "Mmmm. Look see, James," said Joseph.

  "Aye," agreed James, smiling broadly as the waiter placed a generous portion before him. "Our host certainly knows what tickles a pilgrim's palate."

  "This dish of milk and bread is for the young men - to help them fill out their frame," stated Gaius.

  Then there came up a dish of butter and honey which Gaius announced by saying, "Eat freely of this, for this is good to cheer thee up and to strengthen your judgment and understanding. Remember that the Scriptures say of our Lord's dish when He was but a child: 'Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good'."

  Then they brought them up a dish of apples, and they were very sweet tasting fruit. Then said Matthew, "Friend Gaius, are we allowed to eat apples?"

  "And why should we not, young man?"

  "Well, was not an apple used by the serpent to beguile our mother Eve?"

  "Hmm. Let me answer in a verse," answered Gaius with a smile.

  "Apples were they with which we were beguiled;

  Yet sin, not apples, hath our souls defiled.

  Apples forbade, if ate, corrupt the blood;

  To eat such, when commanded, does us good.

  Drink of His flagons, then, thou Church, His dove,

  And eat His apples, who are sick of love."

  "How did he do that?" James asked Phoebe.

  "Do what?"

  "Make up that verse so quickly?"

  "Oh, that's just my father," answered Phoebe with a proud smile. "He does it all the time."

  Then said Gaius, "And why did you ask such a question, Matthew?"

  "Oh, just because I once got myself sick by eating some forbidden fruit."

  "Near the wicket gate? Hanging over the wall?"

  "Uh . . . a hem . . . yes, sir."

  "Hmmm. Then we are fortunate to even have you with us, aren't we."

  "Aye. Yes sir. That I know right well."

  "And 'tis true that forbidden fruit will make you sick, especially when stolen and eaten between your regular mealtimes. But these that the Lord has permitted will do nothing but make you strong. Eat up!"

  "Yes, sir," said Matthew with a relieved smile. Then he bit into a juicy red apple with such gusto that a small rivulet of juice trickled down his beard.

  After dinner the host signaled for everyone to retire to the parlor to continue their conversation. While they were thus talking, they were presented with another dish, and 'twas a dish of nuts.

  Then said someone, "Hard nuts can spoil tender teeth, especially the teeth of children." Which, when Gaius heard, he said (speaking of the Scriptures):

  "Hard texts are nuts (I will not call them cheaters),

  Whose shells do keep their kernels from the eaters.

  Ope, then, the shells; and you shall have the meat,

  They here are brought for you to crack and eat."

  Then were they very merry, and sat or stood in various groupings for a long time,
talking of many things. Then said Old-honest, "Good landlord, while we are cracking your nuts for dessert, may I toss you a hard shell for you to crack? A riddle for you to open?"

  "But of course, dear Honest," said Gaius with a smile. "Toss on."

  Then said Old-honest with a challenging air to his voice: