登陆注册
15319200000067

第67章 THE HIDDEN SERVANTS(1)

Adapted, with quotations, from the poem in The Hidden Servants, by Francesca Alexander (Little, Brown & Co.).

This is a legend about a hermit who lived long ago.He lived high up on the mountain- side in a tiny cave; his food was roots and acorns, a bit of bread given by a peasant, or a cheese brought by a woman who wanted his prayers; his work was praying, and thinking about God.For forty years he lived so, preaching to the people, praying for them, comforting them in trouble, and, most of all, worshiping in his heart.There was just one thing he cared about: it was to make his soul so pure and perfect that it could be one of the stones in God's great Temple of Heaven.

One day, after the forty years, he had a great longing to know how far along he had got with his work,--how it looked to the Heavenly Father.And he prayed that he might be shown a man--"Whose soul in the heavenly grace had grown To the selfsame measure as his own; Whose treasure on the celestial shore Could neither be less than his nor more."As he looked up from his prayer, a white-robed angel stood in the path before him.The hermit bowed before the messenger with great gladness, for he knew that his wish was answered."Go to the nearest town," the angel said, "and there, in the public square, you will find a mountebank (a clown) making the people laugh for money.He is the man you seek, his soul has grown to the selfsame stature as your own; his treasure on the celestial shore is neither less than yours nor more."When the angel had faded from sight, the hermit bowed his head again, but this time with great sorrow and fear.Had his forty years of prayer been a terrible mistake, and was his soul indeed like a clown, fooling in the market-place? He knew not what to think.Almost he hoped he should not find the man, and could believe that he had dreamed the angel vision.But when he came, after a long, toilful walk, to the village, and the square, alas! there was the clown, doing his silly tricks for the crowd.

The hermit stood and looked at him with terror and sadness, for he felt that he was looking at his own soul.The face he saw was thin and tired, and though it kept a smile or a grin for the people, it seemed very sad to the hermit.Soon the man felt the hermit's eyes; he could not go on with his tricks.And when he had stopped and the crowd had left, the hermit went and drew the man aside to a place where they could rest; for he wanted more than anything else on earth to know what the man's soul was like, because what it was, his was.

So, after a little, he asked the clown, very gently, what his life was, what it had been.And the clown answered, very sadly, that it was just as it looked,--a life of foolish tricks, for that was the only way of earning his bread that he knew.

"But have you never been anything different?" asked the hermit, painfully.

The clown's head sank in his hands."Yes, holy father," he said, "I have been something else.I was a thief! I once belonged to the wickedest band of mountain robbers that ever tormented the land, and I was as wicked asthe worst."

Alas! The hermit felt that his heart was breaking.Was this how he looked to the Heavenly Father,--like a thief, a cruel mountain robber? He could hardly speak, and the tears streamed from his old eyes, but he gathered strength to ask one more question."I beg you," he said, "if you have ever done a single good deed in your life, remember it now, and tell it to me;" for he thought that even one good deed would save him from utter despair.

"Yes, one," the clown said, "but it was so small, it is not worth telling; my life has been worthless.""Tell me that one!" pleaded the hermit.

"Once," said the man, "our band broke into a convent garden and stole away one of the nuns, to sell as a slave or to keep for a ransom.We dragged her with us over the rough, long way to our mountain camp, and set a guard over her for the night.The poor thing prayed to us so piteously to let her go! And as she begged, she looked from one hard face to another with trusting, imploring eyes, as if she could not believe men could be really bad.Father, when her eyes met mine something pierced my heart! Pity and shame leaped up, for the first time, within me.But I made my face as hard and cruel as the rest, and she turned away, hopeless.

同类推荐
  • 鸡肋编

    鸡肋编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Consolation of Philosophy

    The Consolation of Philosophy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 增集续传灯录

    增集续传灯录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 春秋配

    春秋配

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 梅花岭遗事

    梅花岭遗事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 宣威奥运

    宣威奥运

    本书介绍了中国运动员奋战第二十五届巴塞罗那奥运会的有关情况,内容包括:备战奥运、进军奥运、奋战奥运。
  • 死神少女穿越柯南

    死神少女穿越柯南

    她是真正的死神,能够看到冤魂,停留之处必有该死之人。能够变成任何只要是人类想出来的东西,并且具有其人物的技能。想惹怒死神吗?—————暗曼死鸳
  • 仙路神皇

    仙路神皇

    他是一名大学生,因为一次意外偶然穿越到天寰大陆,这是一个修仙的世界,而他则重生到一个大家族的废柴公子哥身上,面对家族的蔑视,被撕毁的婚约,以及对陌生世界的渴望,他会如何一步步踏上巅峰,仙路漫漫,人间百态,看谁人终成仙。天之道,损有余而补不足,浮华褪尽终成仙。
  • 重生之丑颜医妃

    重生之丑颜医妃

    前世:她是有名的黑胖丑,嫁给了更有名的高富帅。于是,她走上了和她母亲相同的道路。今生:她要成为海棠绝色,傲笑高帅富,她要改变命运,嫁给高大上。高大上望着那块鲜美的小鲜肉,口水滴滴答答:来吧,来吧,快到我的碗里来,我会宠你疼你爱你,三生三世。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 陨后星玄

    陨后星玄

    本就是一个无所事事的中学生,凭着一些小聪明进入了心北中学,却因为回家路上遇见一颗特殊的石头开启了无上的神秘........
  • 邪王挚爱:狐妖小姐惹不得

    邪王挚爱:狐妖小姐惹不得

    她,冷血“影罗刹”,在一次任务里因背叛而死,穿越到一个刚出生的狐妖公主上。他:乃帝王家的战神王爷,从不近女色。在变强的旅途中,一人一见钟情,一人从不领情。且看他们变强旅途中演出的一场追与被追的好戏...
  • 泣颜

    泣颜

    三年前,他不留下任何解释将她抛弃在教堂;三年后,她带着他的把柄胁迫他和未婚妻解除婚约,娶她为妻。她婆婆的恶意刁难,丈夫的左右为难,一番周折,几经波澜,以为终于守得云开,却不想更大的磨难还在等着她。
  • 飞狐传说

    飞狐传说

    奉命前往边境伏击跨境贩毒头脑人物,不料中了埋伏。飞狐支队长陈景辉独自一人引开毒贩,结果坠崖身亡。可是他的思想却奇迹般的穿越到了抗战时期。利用自己的军事才能和超前的思维,在这个烽火连天的时代,他将翻起何种滔天巨浪?
  • 呆萌小青梅:竹马你走开

    呆萌小青梅:竹马你走开

    “小兔起床啦”“嗯~妈妈别吵让我在睡会儿”白小兔说完便翻了个身继续睡。白小兔的妈妈[周夏琳]无奈的笑到,昨天是谁答应的好好的说今天一定会早早的起床的,但现在叫都叫不起来。看来只能这样了“小兔,起床出去买吃的喽”
  • 归零极判

    归零极判

    “我是神官,命运之轮的掌权者,欢迎你进入命运的选择,这里是命运的转折点。”活在当下,你是否因为现实的压迫感到痛苦不堪,是否被难以承受的重击踩在脚底,是否身心濒临崩溃,如果你绝望了,这里.......就是你最好的归宿,你将亲手掌握自己的命运,你会成为最伟大的强者,世俗再也无法将你束缚,你会超凡入圣,你就是规则,你就是王者,你将会征服全世界!如果你敢放手一搏,万物将为你为之颤栗,为你的命运燃烧生命吧,你渴望真正的生命吗?从灵魂深处开始蜕变,进击吧!你这蠢蠢欲动的生灵!……江阁轻扶眼眶,镜片再次迸射出雪亮光芒,“罗铮,应对死局的唯一办法。”“就是——置之死地而后生。”