This was the truth.  These pure and simple men, in obedience to the strict rule they had adopted, were cut off from all the affections of life.  Yet, the foundation-stone of their doctrine being Love, they who were human must love something, so they loved this child whom they looked upon as their ward, and who, as there was none other of her age and sex in their community, had no rival in their hearts.  She was the one joy of their laborious and ascetic hours; she represented all the sweetness and youth of this self-renewing world, which to them was so grey and sapless.  Moreover, she was a lovely maid, who, wherever she had been placed, would have bound all to her.

The years went by and the time came when, in obedience to the first decree, Miriam must be educated.  Long were the discussions which ensued among the curators of the Essenes.  At length three of the most learned of their body were appointed to this task, and the teaching began.  As it chanced, Miriam proved an apt pupil, for her memory was good, and she had a great desire to learn many things, more especially history and languages, and all that has to do with nature.  One of her tutors was an Egyptian, who, brought up in the priests’ college at Thebes, when on a journey to Judaea had fallen sick near Jericho, been nursed by the Essenes and converted to their doctrine.  From him Miriam learnt much of their ancient civilisation, and even of the inner mysteries of the Egyptian religion, and of its high and secret interpretations which were known only to the priests.  The second, Theophilus by name, was a Greek who had visited Rome, and he taught her the tongues and literature of those countries.  The third, all his life long had studied beasts and birds and insects, and the workings of nature, and the stars and their movements, in which things he instructed her day by day, taking her abroad with him that examples of each of them might be before her eyes.

Lastly, when she grew older, there was a fourth master, who was an artist.  He taught Miriam how to model animals, and even men, in the clay of the Jordan, and how to carve them out in marble, and something of the use of pigments.  Also this man, who was very clever, had a knowledge of singing and instrumental music, which he imparted to her in her odd hours.  Thus it came about that Miriam grew learned and well acquainted with many matters of which most girls of her day and years had never even heard.  Nor did she lack knowledge of the things of her own faith, though in these the Essenes did not instruct her further than its doctrines tallied with their own.  Of the rest, Nehushta told her something; moreover, on several occasions Christian travellers or preachers visited this country to address the Essenes or the other Jews who dwelt there.  When they learned her case, these showed themselves very eager to inform her of the Christian doctrine.  Among them was one old man who had heard the preaching of Jesus Christ, and been present at His Crucifixion, to all of which histories the girl listened with eagerness, remembering them to the last hour of her life.