Jesus wiped the dying man’s brow with the hem of his garment.

“I had hoped,” said Joseph softly, “but it is not to be.  I must depart in darkness.”

“Father,” said Jesus, and tenderly stroked his head.

“It is hard, my child.  Stay beside me.  I had hoped to see the Messiah and his light.  But I must be gathered to my fathers in darkness.”

“He will soon come and lead you to paradise.”

The old man grasped his hand convulsively.  “It is quite dark.  I am afraid.  Stay with me, my Jesus.”

And so he fell asleep for ever.

They buried him outside the city under the walls.  Jesus planted the staff which Joseph had cut during the flight into Egypt, and had always carried with him, on the mound.  And no sooner was it planted in the earth than it began to bear young shoots.  And when Mary went the next day to pray there, behold the grave was surrounded with white lilies, which grew from the stick and spread themselves in rows over the mound.

After the old master’s death trouble befell the family.  People began to take their orders for work elsewhere, for they found it difficult to get on with the young master.  A man who went against the Scriptures and traditional custom in so many things could not do his work properly.  He seldom attended public worship in the Temple, and was never seen to give alms.  In the morning he went down to the spring and washed himself, but otherwise he omitted all the prescribed ablutions.  When the Rabbi of Nazareth reproached him for such conduct, he replied; “Who ought to wash, the clean or the unclean?  Moses knew this people when he made washing a law for them.  Does uncleanness come from within or without?  It is not the dust of the street that soils a man, but the evil thoughts of his heart.  Is it unseemly to eat honest bread with dusty hands?  Is it not more unseemly to take away your brother’s bread with clean hands?”

The Rabbi considered that it would be foolish to waste more words on this transgressor of the law, and went his way.  But next day he informed the carpenter that he was to stand on the Sabbath behind the poor-box, in order to see whether the well-washed hands of believing Jews took the bread away from their brothers, or, rather, did not bestow it liberally upon them.  And as Jesus stood in the Temple, he observed the well-to-do Nazarenes dip their hands into the basin, with pious air throw large pieces of money into the poor-box, and then look round to see if their good example was observed.  When it grew dark, a poor woman came and with her lean fingers put a farthing into the poor-box.

“Well, what do you say now?” asked the Rabbi of the carpenter.

Jesus answered:  “I think the haughty rich people have washed themselves, and that still they give with unclean hands.  They give away a small part of what they have taken from others, and give from their superabundance.  The poor woman gave the largest gift in God’s eyes.  She gave all that she possessed.”