It is a true saying that, "People keep with people, and mountains
with mountains." How one person gets used to another you can scarcely
believe until you have seen it yourself. What is it that draws one
to another? Long lived our three comrades with Bacha Filina without
Palko, and nothing was lacking, but now if a day passed without seeing
him it seemed as if they could not stand it. Though it may seem
strange, Bacha Filina would have missed him most. Wherever he went,
whatever he did, he always had in mind the moment when the bushes
parted on that beautiful Sunday afternoon, and, like a picture in a
frame, stood the strange boy so clean and neat with his cape over his
shoulder, small hat in his hand, resting his hand on a shaggy white
dog. It would truly be a fine picture for a painter to paint in those
wide mountains, if he could but make it so true to nature--you could
not look at him enough. And he remembered again how Palko sat with
them in front of the hut with the Holy Book in his hand, reading word
for word, chapter for chapter. Such beautiful and good things. So must
Jesus have looked when He sat amongst the Jewish teachers. Oh, how did
he understand the Word of God! No sermon had moved old Bacha as did
the talks of Palko the boy, though he had heard many in his life.
Bacha had a whole Bible which he read sometimes on Sunday. He had also
a big book with sermons, but since the time that Palko Lesina came
every evening to them it was as if a veil had been removed from the
man's eyes. The Bible became to him the living Word of God.
"The Lord Jesus used to walk by the Sea of Gennesaret," said the boy
seriously. "Now He walks through these mountains of yours. Sometimes
He passed through our mountains to seek us, and now He seeks you."
* * * * *
Again it was Sunday. Filina got the boys ready to go to church, but he
himself remained in front of his hut. Fido who was not permitted to
run with the comrades, lay at his feet. Suddenly he pricked up his
ears, jumped up, and like an arrow flew into the nearby thicket. Bacha
paid no attention. He sat with his head bowed down. He did not even
hear someone speak to the dog, nor hear any greeting; he did not
arouse himself till he heard close to him the pleasant young voice
which he loved so much.
"Good morning, Uncle Filina. Why are you so sad and so lonely? Where
is everybody?"
"Welcome, Palko," gladly replied the man. He held out his brown hand
to the boy. "If I had known you would come, I would not have sent the
boys to the church. Everywhere is the house of God. And I suppose you
are bringing the Bible, about which you spoke yesterday?"
"Yes, I do. My father went away for a few days. He asks you kindly if
you will let me stay with your boys that I may not have to stay alone
in the hut. Will you take me?"
The beautiful eyes of the boy gazed longingly on the face of the man.
"Why, surely. We will be only too glad if you stay with us," answered
Bacha. "But why did your father go home?"
"He went with some wood. He could not take it all at once. The balance
we shall put on a float, and so carry it to our destination. Thus I
could bring the Bible to show it to you."
"Is that the one from Pastor Malina?"
"Yes, Uncle, and I esteem it very much. There are many notes in Latin
which I do not understand, and also some in Slovak. When I look at the
writing I see the pastor in front of me. I would like to show you what
he wrote the last Sunday when he became so seriously ill. Do you have
time for it, Uncle?"
"Oh, yes, my son; it is Sunday. Just read on."
"You will understand it better than I because you are older. There
is something very good: 'I have missed very much; my whole life is
wasted,' began the boy, and his voice sounded so solemn, almost as
if he were reading the Word of God. 'Even though I would, I cannot
improve anything. It is too late; it is too late! Souls passed into
eternity--it may be I did not bring salvation to them. They never come
back that I may ask them forgiveness and love them. Oh, how glorious
are the words, 'By grace ye are saved ... it is the gift of God.' In
this holy gift I take my refuge, my holy God and Saviour. I know that
You have pardoned me and have even taken the punishment that I merited
on Yourself. I cling to Thy cross; I fall at Thy wounded feet, and
thank Thee--Oh, so thank Thee; yes, I will praise eternally Thy holy
name, O Jesus!'" read Palko.
"Thus believed Pastor Malina ..." but the boy stopped because the
Bacha sat with his head bowed down, and cried aloud.
"'Even if I would, I couldn't make anything good. It is too late. The
souls went on to accuse me,'" he repeated in his crying. "That is what
is pressing _me_ down to the ground, and all my good life since that
time doesn't help anything ..."
The boy rested his curly head in the palms of his small hands.
"Uncle, will you not tell me what is worrying you so much? It could
not be the sin that you wanted to drown your Stephen, as Petrik told
me?"
"Stephen didn't drown. I, when something is pressing me, confess it
and feel easier at once."
"The Apostle James says, 'Confess your sins one to another.' It is
true I am only a boy, but I know already how the soul and the heart
ache--and there is no comforter. But the Lord Jesus will grant it to
me that I may be able to understand and to help you."
The man looked at the boy. He stroked his whiskers. "If I have to tell
somebody about it as I have wished for years, it will suit me best to
tell it to you. The Lord God gave you more wisdom than me, an old man,
just as Samuel the boy had more than the old priest Eli."
Bacha strode over to his stump where he usually sat. Palko lay beside
him on the grass. He drew the Bible near him, and laid his hand on the
head of Fido who cuddled close beside. Thus he waited patiently.
"Since Petrik told you what kind of a boy I was, I do not have to
retell it again," began the man presently. His whole appearance did
not fit into that beautiful Sunday morning.
"Thus we both grew up, and I can say with a good conscience that
Stephen and I loved each other very much. I could never forget that he
did not tell our parents how I forsook him in his plight. He convinced
me that our parents loved us both. All was well now and might have
remained so always, had not mother after her sister's death brought to
us her niece, Eva. She was a small beautiful girl. From the beginning
she seemed to be afraid of me, but with Stephen she was at once,
friendly, until I once saved him from vicious dogs. From that time she
clung always to me. Thus it was as we grew up together, and after we
were grown up. You cannot understand more now, therefore I can only
tell you this much. When we became young men, there was no more
beautiful girl to us in the whole wide world. It seemed to me that her
black eyes shone brighter than all the stars, and that such lilies
and roses as were on her face did not bloom on any bush. At that time
there was a large immigration to America. Many times I wondered how
people, just for the sake of mammon, could go so far into the world
when in spite of our poverty it was so beautiful and lovely here. To
me, the woods and meadows were like a paradise and in my heart all was
song--like the heavens; but there is no paradise upon this earth and
the heavens are too high. Once when I returned from work--it was
already evening--mother and father sat in front of the house in
consultation about us children, as they often did. I did not want to
disturb them, therefore I sat down not very far away and listened."
"Do you think, then," said mother, "that one of the children will have
to go to America?"
"You see, my wife, there the people achieve something quicker than we
do here. We suffer bravely and yet barely live," sighed father. He was
a good man but already worn out by hard labor.
"'And which one do you think should?' mother asked with a sigh.
"'That we will leave for them to decide. I think thus: Let one stay at
home and take Eva for his wife, so you have some help. Let the other
one go to America for a few years, and after he has made some money
and God granting that he will return safely, then they may live
together. I would not like that after our death they should be
separated. It is well for them to be together.'
"I noticed how mother gave a sigh of relief, but to me it seemed as if
someone stuck a dagger into me. They surely expected me to go. Stephen
would remain at home and take Eva. That night I did not sleep at home.
A similar trouble overtook me as in my childhood, only stronger and
much more terrible. Where I gathered strength to return in the morning
I do not know. Eva ran to meet me, and as soon as I saw her I told
myself that verily, I would never go to America, and Eva must never
belong to anyone else but to me. Since that hour I could hardly give a
kind look to Stephen though he gave me no reason for anger.
"We had a meadow beyond the swamp. There I went with Eva the next day
to turn over the cut grass, and I asked her to be mine. I did not have
much luck at first, but since I pleaded so much and promised so much,
she finally promised that she would not take anyone else.
"After the affair was settled, Eva bound up a bundle of grass, and
looking around I noticed Stephen departing along the pathway. He had
heard us without us noticing him.
"The following week we had some work in the city and Stephen said that
he would go. Mother tried to prevent him. She had rather I should go
because Stephen did not look very well. Really he looked thin and
pale, as if after a serious illness or before one. But I insisted that
I would not go this time, and father agreed. He had some work for me.
"'Come with me part of the way,' said Stephen the following day, after
he had taken leave of our parents and Eva. So I went. We took the
steep path to the cross above, on top of the hill. There he stopped.
We looked at each other.
"'Mother told me what plans father had for us. One of us must go to
America,' he began. 'It cannot be you. I saw you and Eva not long ago
on the meadow. Father wants one of us to take Eva. Now that she is
yours what should I do here any longer? Once before in childhood I was
in your way, so that you wanted to get rid of me in that black watery
grave. The second time I shall not stand in your way. It would be
difficult for mother to part with me. You must realize that, because
she has only me. So I want to spare her the leave-taking, but I want
to tell the truth to you that you may be satisfied and not begrudge me
anything more. I am really leaving everything to you: parents, home,
and Eva too. She cannot belong to both. Those were hard moments for
me on yonder meadow. If you had to bear what I went through in those
moments you could not stand it. Thus it is good that she chose you. To
me it was as if I was drowning again, only the swamp into which you
threw me this time was much deeper than the one before. Mother said I
seem to be ill. Here I shall never get well--over there far away, I
can recover sooner. I give you my hand in parting, and you give me
yours without any bitterness. Let us part like brothers.'
"I clasped his hand silently. He took his things, then ran down along
the path into the thicket. Bending over beside the cross I tried to
see him once more--and I did. He lifted his beautiful face marked with
deep sorrow toward the valley where he could see our hut for the last
time. Suddenly tears gushed from his eyes. I wanted to make a step
forward, wanted to call him back, to leave everything to him, and I go
to America. But there was no strength in me. So I let him go for ever.
We never saw him again."
Bacha cried aloud again, and Palko with him.
"Uncle, tell me all, to the end," he begged after a while. "Then what
about his poor mother? How did you tell her about it?"
"I didn't have to tell her, my boy," said Filina as he calmed down.
"He took care of all that. Mother had a distant relative who came
to us the third day and brought everything that Stephen should have
brought from the city; also a letter from him, wherein he begged our
parents not to be angry with him because he was thus leaving for
America. In that letter he again made no mention that it was I who
drowned him in the depths of sorrow. It was a very beautiful letter.
We treasured it as a keepsake, and when mother was dying the poor dear
asked me to have it placed in her coffin. I endeavored to make good to
her the son she lost. After father passed away, mother blessed me many
times for the good care she enjoyed, but it did not bring peace to my
heart.
"The distant relative who brought to us Stephen's letter intended
to go to America himself. He had already bought the ticket, when
circumstances hindered him from going. He complained to Stephen that
he could not go, and Stephen asked him to sell the ticket to him. He
borrowed some money from him on his part of the inheritance. This we
had to repay later, because that ship never reached its goal. It sank
in a storm. Thus you see, Palko, that after all, I had drowned my
brother. If he had not run away from my presence he might have found
another girl and could have lived till today. Thus he died, and his
death accuses me before God's face for my selfishness. Verily, God's
punishment came upon me soon. I enjoyed my happiness but a short time.
From the time that the message reached us about the sinking of the
ship, Eva just pined away, and after the death of our son, she died.
In her fever, not knowing what she said, she told how she loved
Stephen, and I realized that her longing for him made her perish by my
side. Well, now they are both gone and I only am here--all alone."
"And your son, where is he?"
"Him also the good Lord took. When his mother died there was no one
who could give him the necessary care. He took cold, and in three days
he was also with God. Now I have told you everything, my boy. I have
confided all to you, but you do not understand."
"Do not think that I do not understand, Uncle. I know that your heart
is sad because of the injustice Stephen suffered because of your envy.
I know that you have sinned grievously. Why could you not like
the priest, Malina, grasp the cross and the feet of Christ? You
understand, in the Spirit, by faith, and receive the gift of
God--salvation. There further is this quotation: 'Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief,' and here again
it is written, 'It seems to me I am the one, the most sinful of the
sinners, but I believe, I believe, O Lamb of God, that Thou hast died
for me also, and I am casting my heart at the foot of Thy cross, that
Thy blood pouring over me may cleanse it also.'"
"I see there are very good things written there, Palko. Leave this
book with me for some time that I may be able to read it at leisure,
and see if also on me the Son of God will have mercy and forgive my
grievous sins. Now continue to read where we left off last time."
"Now I will also bring the song-book and we shall have a song. This
will be our Sunday worship." Bacha brought the book and they had a
lovely time in worshiping God. Christ came to them through His Spirit
and made the Word of God living, to the young soul who walked with Him
continually like Enoch, and also to the one who could say, "I have
gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant" (Ps. 119: 176).