Elisha

by Arthur Quiller-Couch

　　

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A rough track--something between a footpath and a water course--led downthe mountain-side through groves of evergreen oak, and reached the Plainof Jezreel at the point where the road from Samaria and the southdivided into two--its main stem still climbing due north towardsNazareth, while the branch bent back eastward and by south across theflat, arable country to join the Carmel road at Megiddo.An old man came painfully down the mountain-track. He wore a whiteburnoos, and a brown garment of camel's hair, with a leathern belt thatgirt it high about his bare legs. He carried a staff, and tapped theground carefully before planting his feet. It was the time of barleyharvest, and a scorching afternoon. On the burnt plain below, the roadto Megiddo shone and quivered in the heat. But he could not see it.Cataract veiled his eyes and blurred the whole landscape for them.The track now wound about a foot-hill that broke away in a sharp slopeon his right and plunged to a stony ravine. Once or twice he paused onits edge and peered downward, as if seeking for a landmark. He wasleaning forward to peer again, but suddenly straightened his body andlistened.Far down in the valley a solitary dog howled. But the old man's ear hadcaught another sound, that came from the track, not far in front.Cling--cling--clink! Cling--clink!It was the sound of hammering; of stone on metal.Cling--cling--clink!He stepped forward briskly, rounded an angle of rock, and found himselfface to face with a man--as well as he could see, a tall man--standingupright by a heap of stones on the left edge of the path."May it be well with you, my son: and with every man who repairs a pathfor the traveller. But tell me if the way be unsafe hereabouts? For myeyes are very dim, and it is now many years since last I came over thehills to Shunem."The man did not reply."--So many years that for nigh upon an hour I have been saying, 'Surelyhere should Shunem come in sight--or here--its white walls among theoaks below--the house of Miriam of Shunem'. But I forget the curtain onmy eyes, and the oaks will have grown tall."Still there came no answer. Slightly nettled, the old man went on--"My son, it is said 'To return a word before hearing the matter isfolly.' But also, 'Every man shall kiss the lips of him who answerethfit words.' And further, 'To the aged every stranger shall be a staff,nor shall he twice inquire his way.' Though I may not scan thy face,thou scannest mine; and I, who now am blind, have been a seer inIsrael."As he ceased, another figure--a woman's--stepped out, as it seemed tohim, from behind the man; stepped forward and touched him on the arm."Hail, then, Elisha, son of Shaphat!""Thou knowest? . . .""Who better than Miriam of Shunem? Put near thy face and look.""My eyes are very dim.""And the oaks are higher than Shunem. My face has changed: my voicealso.""For the moment it was strange to me. As I came along I was reckoningthy years at three-score.""Mayst add five.""We may not complain. And thy son, how fares he?""That is he, behind us. He is a good son, and leaves his elders tospeak first. If we sit awhile and talk he will wait for us.""And thy house and the farm-steading?"The woman threw a glance down towards the valley, and answered quickly--"My master, shall we not sit awhile? The track here looks towards theplain. Sit, and through my eyes thou shalt see again distant Carmel andthe fields between that used so to delight thee. Ah! not there!"The old man had made as if to seat himself on one of the larger stoneson the edge of the heap. But she prevented him quickly; was gone for amoment; and returned, rolling a moss-covered boulder to the right-handof the path. The prophet sat himself down on this, and she on theground at his feet."Just here, from my window below, I saw thee coming down the mountainwith Gehazi, thy servant, on that day when it was promised to me that Ishould bear a son."He nodded."For as often as we passed by," he said, "we found food and a littleroom prepared upon the wall. 'Thou hast been careful for us,' said I,'with all this care. What is to be done for thee? Shall I speak to theKing for thee, or to the captain of the host?' Thine answer was,'I dwell in Shunem, among my own people.'""There is no greener spot in Israel.""'But,' said my servant Gehazi, 'Every spot is greener where a childplays.' Therefore this child was promised thee."She said, "But once a year the plain is yellow and not green; yellowaway to the foot of Carmel; and that is in this season of the barleyharvest. It was on such a day as this that my son fell in the fieldamong the reapers, and his father brought him in and set him on myknees. On such a day as this I left him dead, and saddled the ass androde between the same yellow fields to Megiddo, and thence towardsCarmel, seeking thee. See the white road winding, and the long bluechine yonder, by the sea. By and by, when the sun sinks over it, theblue chine and the oaks beneath will turn to one dark colour; and thatwill be the hour that I met thee on the slope, and lighted off the assand caught thee by the feet. As yet it is all parched fields and sky ofbrass and a white road running endless--endless.""But what are these black shadows that pass between me and the sun?""They are crows, my master.""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 conieswithin 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 God.""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 meone. Again, the Lord had taken my child in the harvest-field, but onthy wrestling gave him back. And again the Lord meditated to take mychild by famine, but at thy warning I arose and conveyed him into theland 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 God's wisdom.""Nay, man of God, I am thinking that God was wiser than thou or I."The old prophet rose from his stone. His dull eyes tried to read herface. She touched his hand."Come, and see."The figure of the man still stood, three paces behind them, uprightagainst the hillside, as when Elisha had first turned the corner andcome upon him. But now, led by Miriam, the prophet drew quite close andpeered. Dimly, and then less dimly, he discerned first that the headhad fallen forward on the breast, and that the hair upon the scalp wascaked in dry blood; next, that the figure did not stand of its own willat all, but was held upright to a stout post by an iron ring about theneck and a rope about the waist. He put out a finger and touched theface. 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 plainis otherwise burnt than on the day when I sought across it for his saketo Carmel.""Well did King David entreat the hand of the Lord rather than the handof man. I had not heard of thy son's marrying.""Five years ago he went down with a gift to Philistia, to them thatsheltered 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 thelittle window in the wall--see, it smokes yet--she called and pointedafter him. And they ran and overtook him. With this iron they fastenedhim, and with these stones they stoned him. Man of God, I am thinkingthat God was wiser than thou or I."The old man stood musing, and touched the heap of stones gently, stoneafter stone, with the end of his staff."He was wiser."Cling--cling--clink!Miriam had taken up a stone, and with it was hammering feebly,impotently, upon the rivets in the iron band.As the sun dropped below Carmel the prophet cast down his staff andstretched out two groping hands to help her.

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