CHAPTER VII.
PHINEAS, going along the beach that night, in the early moonlight,towards his home, saw a little figure crouched in the shadow of a lowbuilding beside the wharf. It was shaking with violent sobs. He went upto the child, and took its hands down from its wet face, with acomforting expression of pity. Then he started back in surprise. It wasJoel!
"Why, my child! My poor child!" he exclaimed, putting his arm around thetrembling, misshapen form. "What is the meaning of all this?"
"Uncle Laban has driven me away from home!" sobbed the boy. "He wasangry because you and Rabbi Jesus were invited to Levi-Matthew's feast.He says I have denied the faith, and am worse than an infidel. He says Iam fit only to be cast out with the dogs and publicans!--and--and--" heended with a wail. "Oh, he sent me away with his curse!"
Phineas drew him closer, and stroked the head on his shoulder in pityingsilence.
"Fatherless and motherless and lame!" the boy sobbed bitterly. "And now,a homeless outcast, blighted by a curse, I have been sitting here withmy feet in the dark water, thinking how easy it would be to slip downinto it and forget; but, Rabbi Phineas, that face will not let me,--thatface of your friend,--I keep seeing it all the time!"
Phineas gathered the boy so close in his arms that Joel could feel hisstrong, even heart-beats.
"My child," he said solemnly, "call me no more, Rabbi! Henceforth, it isto be _father_ Phineas. You shall be to me as my own son!"
"But the curse!" sobbed Joel. "The curse that is set upon me! It willblight you too!"
"Nay," was the quiet answer; "for it is written, 'As the bird bywandering, as the swallow by flying, _so the curse, causeless, shall notcome_.'"
But the boy still shook as with a chill. His face and hands were burninghot.
"Come!" said Phineas. He picked him up in his strong arms, and carriedhim down the beach to Abigail's motherly care and comforting.
"He will be a long time getting over the shock of this," she said toher husband, when he was at last soothed to sleep.
"Ah, loyal little heart!" he answered, "he has suffered much for thesake of his friendship with us!"
Poor little storm-tossed bark! In the days that followed he had reasonto bless the boisterous winds, that blew him to such a safe and happyharbor!
* * * * *
Over on the horns of Mount Hattin, the spring morning began to shine.The light crept slowly down the side of the old mountain, till it fellon a little group of men talking earnestly together. It was the Preacherof Galilee, who had just chosen twelve men from among those who followedHim to help Him in His ministry.
They gathered around Him in the fresh mountain dawn, as He pictured thelife in store for them. Strange they did not quail before it, and turnback disheartened. Nay, not strange! For in the weeks they had been withHim, they had learned to love Him so, that His "follow me," that drewthem from the toll-gate and fishing-boat, was stronger than ties of homeand kindred.
Just about this time, Phineas and Joel were starting out from Capernaumto the mountain. Hundreds of people were already on the way; people whohad come from all parts of Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Clouds of dustrose above the highway as the travellers trudged along.
Joel was obliged to walk slowly, so that by the time they reached theplain below, a great multitude had gathered.
"Let's get close," he whispered. He had heard that those who barelytouched the garments of the strange Rabbi were made whole, and it waswith the hope that he might steal up and touch Him unobserved that hehad begged Phineas to take him on such a long, painful walk.
"There is too great a crowd, now," answered Phineas. "Let us rest hereawhile, and listen. Let me lift you up on this big rock, so that you cansee. 'Sh! He is speaking!"
Joel looked up, and, for the second time in his life, listened to wordsthat thrilled him like a trumpet call,--words that through eighteenhundred years have not ceased to vibrate; with what mighty power theymust have fallen when, for the first time, they broke the morningstillness of those mountain wilds!
Joel forgot the press of people about him, forgot even where he was, assentence after sentence seemed to lift him out of himself, till hecould catch glimpses of lofty living such as he had never even dreamedof before.
Round by round, he seemed to be carried up some high ladder of thoughtby that voice, away from all that was common and low and earthly, to asummit of infinite love and light.
Still the voice led on, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'An eyefor an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'"
Joel started so violently at hearing his own familiar motto, that henearly lost his balance on the rock.
"But I say unto you that you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smitethee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.... Ye have heardthat it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thineenemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you,do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully useyou, and persecute you."
Poor little Joel, it was a hard doctrine for him to accept! How could hegive up his hope of revenge, when it had grown with his growth till ithad come to be as dear as life itself?
He heard little of the rest of the sermon, for through it all the wordskept echoing, "Bless them that curse you! Do good to them that hateyou! Pray for them which despitefully use you!"
"Oh, I can't! I can't!" he groaned inwardly.
"I have found a chance for you to ride home," said Phineas, when thesermon was over, and the people began to file down the narrow mountainpaths. "But there will be time for you to go to Him first, for healing.You have only to ask, you know."
Joel took an eager step forward, and then shrank back guiltily. "Notnow," he murmured, "some other time." He could not look into those cleareyes and ask a blessing, when he knew his heart was black with hate.
After all his weeks of waiting the opportunity had come; but he darednot let the Sinless One look into his soul.
Phineas began an exclamation of surprise, but was interrupted by someone asking him a question. Joel took advantage of this to climb upbehind the man who had offered him a ride. All the way home he weighedthe two desires in his mind,--the hope of healing, and the hope ofrevenge.
By the time the two guardian fig-trees were in sight, he had decided. Hewould rather go helpless and halting through life than give up hischerished purpose.
But there was no sleep for him that night, after he had gone up to hislittle chamber on the roof. He seemed to see that pleading face on themountain-side; it came to him again and again, with the words, "Blessthem that curse you! Pray for them that despitefully use you!"
All night he fought against yielding to it. Time and again he turnedover on his bed, and closed his eyes; but it would not let him alone.
He thought of Jacob wrestling with the angel till day-break, and knew inhis heart that the sweet spirit of forgiveness striving with his selfishnature was some heavenly impulse from another world.
At last when the cock-crowing commenced at dawn, and the stars werebeginning to fade, he drew up his crooked little body, and knelt withhis face to the kindling east.
"Father in heaven," he prayed softly, "bless mine enemy Rehum, andforgive all my sins,--fully and freely as I now forgive the wrong he hasdone to me."
A feeling of light-heartedness and peace, such as he had never knownbefore, stole over him. He could not settle himself to sleep, thoughworn out with his night's long vigil.
"NOT A WORD WAS SAID"]
Hastily slipping on his clothes, he tiptoed down the stairs, and limped,bare-headed, down to the beach. The lake shimmered and glowed under thefaint rose and gray of the sky like a deep opal. The early breeze blewthe hair back from his pale face with a refreshing coolness.
It seemed to him the world had never looked one half so beautifulbefore, as he stood there.
A firm tread on the gravel made him turn partly around. A man was comingup the beach; it was the friend of Ph
ineas. As if drawn by someuncontrollable impulse, Joel started to meet Him, an unspoken prayer inhis pleading little face.
Not a word was said. For one little instant Joel stood there by theshining sea, his hand held close in the loving hand of the world'sRedeemer. For one little instant he looked up into His face; then theman passed on.
Joel covered his face with his hands, seeming to hear the still smallvoice that spoke to the prophet out of the whirlwind.
"He is the Christ!" he whispered reverently,--"He is the Christ!"
In his exalted feeling all thought of a cure had left him; but as hewalked on down the beach, he noticed that he no longer limped. He wasmoving along with strong, quick strides. He shook himself and threwback his shoulders; there was no pain in the movement. He passed hishands over his back and down his limbs.
Oh, he was straight and strong and sinewy! He seemed a stranger tohimself, as running and leaping, then stopping to look down and feel hislimbs again, he ran madly on.
Suddenly he cast his garments aside and dived into the lake. Before hisinjury, he had been able to swim like a fish, now he reached out withlong powerful strokes that sent him darting through the cold water witha wonderful sense of exhilaration.
Then he dressed again, and went on running and leaping and climbing tillhe was exhausted, and his first wild delirious joy began to subside intoa deep quiet thankfulness. Then he went home, radiant in the happinessof his new-found cure.
But more than the mystery of the miracle, more than the joy of thehealing, was the remembrance of that moment, that one little moment,when he felt the clasp of the Master's hand, and seemed wrapped aboutwith the boundless love of God.
From that moment, he lived but to serve and to follow Him.