Some things happen in this world at which we cannot wonder enough.
Thus it was at the sheepfolds of the Gemer estate. There still lived
people in that neighborhood who had known old Filina, the father of
Bacha, very well. They remembered how he had told them that one of his
boys had prepared to go to America, and the other one had married at
home, and when Stephen had made some money across the sea, he would
return home and they would all live together. They also remembered how
the message came that the ship was wrecked, and that Stephen would
never see his homeland again. But that did not happen! Thirty years
passed and Stephen Pribylinsky came home after all. He appeared to
them as if he had been raised from the dead, and the resurrection had
come when the sea had given up her dead and returned him. They spoke
about his coming for his daughter and grandchild. But when the
fragrance of his beloved Slovak mountains filled him, would he be able
to go again far across the sea? Will he not fear that he was like a
stranger, for years in a foreign land? He fared there very well, but
he was not at home. Only in the homeland on that black ground was
there sweet sleep.
Who can describe the surprise of all three boys when they learned who
it was that came with Bacha Filina--that it was his Stephen. Palko,
when he heard it, could not stay with the others. He ran away to the
woods and cried there for joy. He thanked the Lord Jesus that He had
comforted Bacha Filina forever. There was still salvation possible,
even though the ship was wrecked. After all, he had lived to see his
brother, Stephen. The Lord Jesus had given him back to Bacha.
There was something more, very good for Palko. It was not necessary
for him to read to the people out of his Book. He could himself sit
down at the feet of Uncle Stephen, whom he loved greatly, and listen
to the truth of God from his lips. That was a joy for the boy.
Ondrejko rejoiced again that Bacha Filina belonged to his family and
Petrik also. The boys hugged each other for joy that they would not
now have to part any more till death. And who can describe the joy of
Madame Slavkovsky when they took her again for the first time to the
sheepfold. "It seemed to me at once that I was among my own, that I
had come home," she said to Bacha, "and you, Bacha Filina, I loved at
once like a daughter."
Then she found out all about the small and big Stephen. Bacha,
himself, told her, and her father even said, "I am sorry about it, my
daughter, after considering it all, that I did not let those at home
know where I was, but now I see it all. The Lord Jesus in His love
turned all this evil for our good. For me there in America and for
Peter here at home, it is a true saying, 'He brings them to the
desired haven.'"
Then Bacha Filina showed Ondrejko's estate to his brother. Since the
lady had already had the deed recorded, they all rode to the castle.
Petrik and Palko had to go with them also. The boys played there in
the park with the rubber balls which grandfather had brought from
America. The servants brought a folding-chair for the lady, since the
doctor ordered her to rest in the shadow of the horse-chestnuts. She
watched the play of the boys and took pleasure in their joy. Ondrejko
left his comrades once in a while, ran to her, laid his curly head
beside hers, kissed his mother, and on receiving her kiss, ran again
with a loud "hallo" after his ball. Who could understand how much joy
now filled the once-forsaken heart?
In the meantime the assistant manager showed the lady's father all the
buildings and those cattle which were not in the pasture. He noticed
that Mr. Slavkovsky understood the affairs of the estate, and when he
pointed out one thing and another that should have been different, Mr.
Slavkovsky said seriously, "I see it." Finally he spoke up, "There
will have to be a different management from the bottom up, in order
that everything may prosper."
In the meantime the cook prepared a splendid repast for the new
owners. She set it outside under the horse-chestnuts, so the lady
would not have to enter the house. The castle had been bought with all
its furnishings. If the proud Lady de Gemer, the grandmother of
the last lord, could have awakened from the dead and seen how her
porcelain dishes and table-covers were spread before the despised
Slovaks, she would have turned over in her beautiful casket. But now
that could not be helped. Bacha Filina arranged his matters with the
housekeeper. At the repast he ate very little because he could not
take his eyes from the boys, how they ate, and how Ondrejko urged his
comrades to eat. The lady also rejoiced very much over them. Even the
doctor laughed heartily about it, but at the same time took care that
his patient did not forget to eat. He did not urge her to take the
various sweets served, but he did the fruit. Only Mr. Slavkovsky
was somewhat buried in thought. They almost had to force him into
conversation.
After their meal the boys again began to play, and asked the two boys
of the assistant manager to help them. Mr. Slavkovsky walked along the
lane till, from a turn in it, he could overlook the beautiful, but now
neglected garden. Suddenly he took off his hat and prayed. By the time
he ended, Bacha stood beside him.
"Is there something which does not suit you, my brother?" he asked
thoughtfully. "Do you think we have paid too much for the estate,
since everything is so neglected?"
"I do not think so, Peter. It is really cheaply bought in spite of all
its neglect." He smiled kindly on his brother.
"Nevertheless you seem to be troubled by something."
"Certain cares trouble me. Just now I laid them all at the feet of our
heavenly Father. Now I do not worry more about anything. He surely
will arrange everything. I will tell you, my brother, what it was.
But for the time, keep it to yourself. I cannot take my daughter to
America now, since she is so weak. Here in our homeland she will get
well sooner. My beloved grandchild I need not take there, since he has
enough here to live on. Now when my daughter takes this estate over,
she needs a manager. It is hard to find one that would not cheat her.
Then I thought, why does she need a manager, if she still has a father
young enough, and who knows how to run a farm in Europe?"
"Oh, Stephen!" Filina was astonished.
"But, you know, there is a great hindrance. My farm is deeded to me.
My brother-in-law I can settle with, and thus that would not hinder
me. But my beloved wife was born in America. Will she want to leave
her home and go to a foreign land? I would not like to constrain her
in anything. I will first have to write to her about all that has
happened, and if I see from her answer that it would not be too great
a sacrifice for her, I will go for her. I will then sell the farm and
deposit the money, because I would not want to add to this estate. It
is big enough for us to make a living, and I could earn, as a manager,
bread for myself and my wife, and she could rest; she has worked
enough."
"Day and night will I ask the Lord Jesus about it," said Filina,
"that He will lead your wife to agree, because round about us is only
darkness. No one cares for these souls. They do not know the Lord
Jesus. I have not been able to imagine how we could live here when the
boy would leave us. But you could take his place."
"That hardly, Peter. The Lord Jesus has in Palko a faithful servant.
That measure of the Holy Spirit that this child has, I do not have.
But instead I have experiences with my Lord. The last ten years
of suffering united me very closely to Him who saves. I know your
sorrows. Considering the situation, I long to be the witness of God's
grace here in my homeland, where there is no one else. That also draws
me here to my beautiful homeland. Therefore I hope that my Agnes will
agree that we shall come, and it will happen after all as your father
used to say to the people; 'When Stephen shall have made some money
beyond the sea and comes back again, we shall live together.' Now
there is no more all of us, only we two. And if the Lord grants me to
come again, do you know what is the first thing that I will do?"
"I do not."
"I will rebuild our hut. It shall lay waste no longer. I will prepare
it for Petrik. You shall raise him and give him the ground and the
fields. So if he lives, we can take care of him together."