Arthur S. Maxwell’s The Bible Story by Jay
Sometime
in 1977…
It’s just an image, but one
that has been imprinted in my brain since I was eight years old. My parents were sitting at the kitchen table
talking to a stranger. I had never seen
him before, which was unusual because I generally knew everyone who came into
the house. He was a salesman, but not a
pushy one. He was selling books - - a
set of 10 Bibles for children called The Bible Story by Arthur S. Maxwell. These were the days when sales people
actually came to your house to sell you books like encyclopedias and magazines
as well as Bibles! Unheard of in today’s
age of the internet… But there he was
talking to my parents about these crisp, blue books with colorful
illustrations. Of course, at the time I
had no idea what he was doing there; however, I soon found out the purpose of
his visit, and being the bibliophile I am, was elated to learn that they had
just purchased the whole set. If my
memory serves me correctly, the salesman gave them the first volume as a
sampler and placed the rest of the set on order. I devoured that first volume and couldn’t
wait until the other books arrived.
Every day I would come home from school hoping to see a box inside the
house with the rest of the books. When
it finally arrived, I remember the excitement I felt as I removed each
individual volume from the box and carefully flipped through the pages admiring
the beautiful pictures. One picture
particularly caught my eye. It was in
Volume Eight and showed a line of people from the modern day going all the way
back to Christ. In the distant
background, Christ stood in a white robe with arms outstretched as if saying, “Here
I am! Follow the line to infinity!” There are a few robed images of people
standing around him as if listening to him speak. His disciples, perhaps? From this group a line begins to form and
weave its way onto the following page, the figures getting larger the closer
they approach the modern day until the parade finally ends up back on the first
page. What my eight year old brain found
fascinating was the fact that as the line moved away from Christ, the wardrobe
of the figures changed as they moved through the centuries. The first figures are all wearing robes as the
first few centuries tick by. The styles
then begin to change, and we begin to see roman sandals, hose on the legs of
men and conical hats on the heads of women as people walk forth from the Middle
Ages. We then see a distinctive
Renaissance fashion as those from the 1400’s and 1500’s step forward trailing people
wearing the garb of Puritan attire, steeple hats and coifs. The procession continues to march across the
page as we see the classic tri-cornered hat and bonnets from the 1700’s. As we move closer to the present day, top
hats begin to replace the tri-cornered ones, and women’s hats begin to show
more color and style having flowers and frills.
Finally, as we near the end, we see clothing common in the early part of
the twentieth century until we reach the first two people in line, who dominate
the entire spectacle. It is a man and
woman dressed in modern clothes (at least by 1950’s standards when these books
were first published). Unlike those
behind them, who seem to be looking every which way but up, this couple is
gazing skywards, holding their bibles with expressions of complete complacency –
the man in particular. His cherubic,
gently smiling face, framed by dark hair is the representation of pure
innocence and faith as his raised eyes appear to be scanning the sky for his
eternal reward.
I
recently rediscovered this set of Bible stories, which was actually being used
quite irreverently to raise a bed in the guest bedroom at my brother’s. I had forgotten which volume this
illustration was in, so I poured through each one. However, when I got to Volume Eight, I did
not have to scan for it at all. It
popped right open to the illustration as if the book was chiding me for neglect
over the past few decades. Thumb prints
and old specks of what was probably 1970’s food stained the pages. This illustration had been well loved in its
day. The concept of time fascinated me
in 1977 as it still does today. I never
really believed in creationism – even then.
The concept seemed too simplistic and pat -- naïve and charming rather
than truthful. But there is an
undeniable sincerity and probity in these childhood stories that I just can’t
forget.
I’ll always think of that bright faced man in the
front, beaming purity and holding his Bible, his benevolent expression fixed in
a state of supreme bliss. I suppose the procession of hope for a world
hereafter will always continue to march forward regardless of all the darkness,
despair and negativity that surround us.
It is a peace we all strive to attain even if our final curtain falls to
nothing more than a deep and profound eternal rest. I would like to think however that the dream
is reward enough and is in itself filled with purpose as we continue to march
towards that forever elusive heaven in the sky. 
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