HARMLESS AS A DOVE. 19

Joseph heard him speak: "Lord, now lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace according to thy word; for mine
eyes have seen thy salvation." Joseph and Mary won-
dered as they listened to his earnest voice in worship for
their child; then he blessed them, and as he seemed to
see what should be done years after, he said to Mary,
"Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also."
Mary remembered his words; perhaps they came to her
mind when in darkness like night, one awful day at noon,
she stood by the cross."
 We do not know what the priest said as he took the
turtle-doves from Joseph's strong hand, nor what he said
to the young mother, nor in what words he blessed the
little one wrapped in poor, plain clothes; but all the world
has remembered the words of old Simeon in the temple,
when he gave thanks that his eyes had seen the one that
the Jews had longed to have come to earth as was prom-
ised, and when he called him "a light to lighten the Gen-
tiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."
 Ever since the story was written, all who love him
have loved to think of the picture of Mary and Joseph
when they took the child born in the manger and stood
in the temple with their humble offering of two gentle,
cooing, harmless doves.
 And he who slept in Mary's arms knows now who
loves him and just what thoughts they think about him.
We know now, as Mary could not, all the story of his