登陆注册
5147700000049

第49章

Israel drew close to the wall and passed by unobserved.And being come into the open road outside the town, he began to take a view of the motives that had brought him away from his home again.

Then he saw that, if he was not a hypocrite like Reuben, no credit could he give himself for what he was doing, and if he was poor who had before been rich, no merit could he make of his poverty.

"Naomi, Naomi, all for her, all for her," he thought.Naomi was his hope and his salvation.His faith in God was his love of the child.

He was only bribing God to give her grace.And well he knew it, while he journeyed towards the prison behind his six mules laden with bread for them that lay there, that, much as he owed them, being a cause of their miseries, the mercy he was about to show them was but as mercy shown to himself.So the nearer he came to it the lower his head sank into his breast, as if the sun itself that beat down so fiercely upon his head had eyes to peer into his deceiving soul.

The town of Shawan lies sixty miles south of Tetuan in the northern half of the territory of the tribe of Akhmas, and the sun was two hours set when Israel entered its beautiful valley between the two arms of the mountain called Jebel Sheshawan.Going through the orchards and vineyards that were round it, he was recognised by certain Jews;tanners and pannier-makers, who in the days of his harder rule had fled from Tetuan and his heavy taxings.

"It's Israel ben Oliel," whispered one.

"God of Jacob, save us!" whispered another.

"He has followed us for the arrears of taxes.""We must fly."

"Let us go home first."

"No time for that."

"There is Rachel--"

"She's a woman."

"But I must warn my son--he has children.""Then you are lost.Come on."

Before he reached the rude old masonry that had once been the fortress and was now the prison, the poor followers of Absalam, who lay within, had heard that he was coming, and, in their despair and the wild disorder of all their senses, they looked for nothing but death from his visit, as if they were to be cut to pieces instantly.Men and women and young children, gaunt with hunger and begrimed with dirt, some with faces that were hard and stony, some with faces that were weak and simple, some with eyes that were red as blood, all weary with waiting and wasted with long pain, ran hither and thither in the gloom of the foul place where they were immured together.Shedding tears, beating their flesh, and crying out with woeful clamour, these unhappy creatures of God, who had been great of soul when they sang their death-song with the precipice behind them and the soldiers in front, now quaked for the miserable lives which they preserved in hunger and cherished in bitterness.

By help of the seal of his master, which he always carried, Israel found his way into the courtyard of the prison.The prisoners, who had been gathered there for his inspection, heard his footsteps, and by one impulse, as if an angel from heaven had summoned them, they fell to their knees about the door whereby he must enter, men behind and women in front, and mothers holding out their babes before their breasts so that he might see them first, and have mercy upon them if he had a heart made for pity.

Then the door of the place was thrown open, and Israel entered.

His head was bowed down, and his feet were bare.The people drew their breath in wonder.

"Arise," he said; "I mean you no harm.! See! Here is bread! Take it, and God bless you!"So saying, he motioned with his trembling hand to where Ali and the muleteer brought in the burden of food behind him.

And when the poor souls could believe it at last, that he whom they had looked for as their judge had come as their saviour, their hearts surged within them.Their hunger left them, and only the children could eat.For a moment they stood in silence about Israel, and their tears stained their wasted faces.And Israel, in their midst, tasted a new joy in his new poverty such as his riches had never brought him--no, not once in all the days of his old prosperity.

At length an old man--he was a Muslim--looked steadily into Israel's face and said, "May the God of Jacob bless thee also, brother!"After that they all recovered their voices and began to thank him out of their blind gratitude, falling to their knees at his feet as before, yet with hearts so different.

"May the Father of the fatherless requite thee!""May the child of thy wife be blessed!"

"Stop," he cried; "stop! you don't know what you are saying."He turned away from them with a look of pain, as if their words had stung him.They followed him and touched his kaftan with their lips;they pushed their children under his hands for his blessing.

"No, no," he cried; "no, no, no!"

Then he passed out of the place with rapid steps and fled from the town like one who was ashamed.

同类推荐
  • 三元参赞延寿书

    三元参赞延寿书

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编官常典河使部

    明伦汇编官常典河使部

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 乡塾正误幼学篇

    乡塾正误幼学篇

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玉箓资度晚朝仪

    玉箓资度晚朝仪

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • An Episode Under the Terror

    An Episode Under the Terror

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 冷情总裁:前妻难追

    冷情总裁:前妻难追

    三年婚姻,叶晨一直在仰望他的鼻息中度日,也知道自己从没走进过他的心里,但是,她不计较,一切只因她爱着他,如果不是那两个痛彻心扉的耳光,叶晨怎么也不会心死。呵,她从没想到她的生活里也会有小三这种生物的出现,她更没想到三年来对他冷若冰霜的丈夫,在搀扶着另外一个女人时,笑意盎然。“凌漠!”她看着他隽秀绝尘的脸,轻声笑了,笑得眼泪滚落,前俯后仰,“原来你也不是那么淡漠,原来,你也是有心的。”男人始终不语,搀在另外一个女人手上的胳膊却是蓦然用力,把她掐的生疼。女人吃痛惊呼,“漠,你怎么了?”“没什么。”男人忽然松开手,扔下身后人,大步朝前走去。凌漠是谁?没人知道他何而来,将去何处。外界只知道,三年前,他风光大娶本市副市长的女儿,从此,商路亨通;在功成名就的三年后,他毫不犹豫的和结发妻子离了婚。这个一个关于爱和恨,阴谋错综的故事,男主沉稳深情。
  • 任你消失在世界的尽头

    任你消失在世界的尽头

    这部作品,有我这一生所有的爱恨情仇,有我对你的所有喜欢。送给你们,祝平安喜乐!
  • 苍穹十二灵

    苍穹十二灵

    苍穹初始,混沌虚无,孤老山中生有一棵先天灵藤。十二元灵寄生其中,创造元灵觉醒,毁灭灵藤,打落元灵化作世灵脉。天地生,阴阳现,百族孕育,沧桑巨变,沧海桑田。先天灵脉相继觉醒,开启一场轮回争斗…决定世界的未来,是毁灭还是新生…
  • 镖动天下

    镖动天下

    金龙镖局的一趟镖半路遭劫,镖局大部分镖师遇难,唯有总镖头高金龙一人劫后余生,得以活命。却不料这里面竟然隐藏着一个天大的秘密,高金龙命运如何?历经劫难的高金龙该如何面对官府的追杀呢?书中自然会一一道来……。
  • 温澜,你的潮生

    温澜,你的潮生

    遇见你温澜潮生.[挑战史上最简洁简介,有趣的灵魂终将在这里相遇]
  • 萧红散文

    萧红散文

    《萧红散文》是“中华散文珍藏版”大型丛书之一,作为一个文坛传奇,萧红的作品总是和她的命运连在一起被人讲述,这多少掩盖了她作品的本应具足的光芒。萧红的散文女性特质非常鲜明,有着与生俱来的苍凉感、诗意暗涌、忧郁底色,夹杂着迷人的孩子气,同时不拒绝现实的残酷,这使得她超越一般意义上的女作家,跻身现代文学大家之林。
  • 多伦多之恋

    多伦多之恋

    本书分两篇:下篇是“多伦多之恋”,上篇是“永恒的诱惑”。下篇排在上篇前面。
  • 绝对理念的绝对显现:文天祥

    绝对理念的绝对显现:文天祥

    从总体上看,南宋王朝是个衰弱的王朝,但也是个英雄辈出的王朝,总有些优秀人物,知其不可为而为之,竭尽全力捍卫国家的尊严,如岳飞、陆游、辛弃疾、陈亮等等,在这一系列优秀人物中,最优秀者当是文天祥,他用自己的生命证明了:大宋王朝可以亡,但中国不会亡!公元1236年6月6日(南宋理宗端平三年五月初二),文天祥诞生于江西吉州庐陵县的富川镇(今江西省吉安市青原区富田镇)。他父亲文仪是一位饱读诗书的乡儒,由此推测,他的家境应是个中等地主,所以有财力供他们父子专心读书。庐陵县是产生过“名人”的地方,欧阳修、杨邦义、胡铨,都是庐陵人。
  • 感悟人生全集(最新经典珍藏版)

    感悟人生全集(最新经典珍藏版)

    人生需要感悟,有感悟的人生才会丰盈,才会明事理,增智慧。本书收藏了三百则经典小故事,这些广为流传的小故事,影响和改变了无数人的观念,洗涤和陶冶了无数人的心灵。本书从成败、得失、智慧、幸福等十五个方面,对人生进行了全方位解读。无论什么时候读起来,都可以给你一些激励,给你一些启迪,给你一些感悟,给你一些感动。
  • 倒追男神攻略

    倒追男神攻略

    女宠男,爆笑,有爱!奇葩嫩模看上了路过的优质男神大叔,于是本着不要脸,不要命,不要三观的原则开始了倒追。“我深信老牛和嫩草是天生一对的,大叔迟早会被我的爱感动的。男神,我来也!”她望着男神的背影,振臂高呼。三流野模因为很二很天真,把人见人怕,一个眼神就能把女人吓得抽筋吐白沫,冷酷尊贵的男神雷得外焦里嫩。她逼婚不成,毅然出走。女屌丝可以逆袭,野模也可以转身成为耀眼的世界超模。只是那时,她已经不傻不天真。男神,想吃回头草,我却嫌你老了!