Part 31 (2/2)
”What should they do here in these numbers?”
The woman rose and flung a stone at the birds. Seating herself again, she said--
”Below, the reapers narrow the circle of the corn; and there are conies within the circle. The kites and crows know it.”
”But that day of which thou hast spoken--it ended in gladness.
The Lord restored thy son to thee.”
”Thou rather, man of G.o.d.”
”My daughter, His mercy was very great upon thee. Speak no blasphemy, thou of all women.”
”The Lord had denied me a son; but thou persuadedst Him, and He gave me one. Again, the Lord had taken my child in the harvest-field, but on thy wrestling gave him back. And again the Lord meditated to take my child by famine, but at thy warning I arose and conveyed him into the land of the Philistines, nor returned to Shunem till seven years' end.
My master, thou art a prophet in Israel, but I am thinking--”
She broke off, rose, and flung another stone at the birds.
”My daughter, think not slightly of G.o.d's wisdom.”
”Nay, man of G.o.d, I am thinking that G.o.d was wiser than thou or I.”
The old prophet rose from his stone. His dull eyes tried to read her face. She touched his hand.
”Come, and see.”
The figure of the man still stood, three paces behind them, upright against the hillside, as when Elisha had first turned the corner and come upon him. But now, led by Miriam, the prophet drew quite close and peered. Dimly, and then less dimly, he discerned first that the head had fallen forward on the breast, and that the hair upon the scalp was caked in dry blood; next, that the figure did not stand of its own will at all, but was held upright to a stout post by an iron ring about the neck and a rope about the waist. He put out a finger and touched the face. It was cold.
”Thy son?”
”They stoned him with these stones. His wife stood by.”
”The Syrians?”
”The Syrians. They went northward before noon, taking her. The plain is otherwise burnt than on the day when I sought across it for his sake to Carmel.”
”Well did King David entreat the hand of the Lord rather than the hand of man. I had not heard of thy son's marrying.”
”Five years ago he went down with a gift to Philistia, to them that sheltered us in the famine. He brought back this woman.”
”She betrayed him?”
”He heard her speak with a Syrian, and fled up the hill. From the little window in the wall--see, it smokes yet--she called and pointed after him. And they ran and overtook him. With this iron they fastened him, and with these stones they stoned him. Man of G.o.d, I am thinking that G.o.d was wiser than thou or I.”
The old man stood musing, and touched the heap of stones gently, stone after stone, with the end of his staff.
”He was wiser.”
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