Homo Sum | Page 7

neck of
the jar. But he could not find it, and exclaimed with surprise: "How
damp and cold it is--this is clay, and our jar was a gourd."
"I have broken it," interrupted Hermas, "and Paulus lent me his."
"Well, well," said Stephanus anxious for drink; he gave the jar back to
his son, and waited till he had stretched himself again on his couch.
Then he asked anxiously: "You were out a long time this evening, the
gourd is broken, and you groaned in your sleep. Whom did you meet?"
"A demon of hell," answered Hermas. "And now the fiend pursues me
into our cave, and torments me in a variety of shapes."
"Drive it out then and pray," said the old man gravely. "Unclean spirits
flee at the name of God."
"I have called upon Him," sighed Hermas, "but in vain; I see women
with ruddy lips and flowing Hair, and white marble figures with
rounded limbs and flashing eyes beckon to me again and again."
"Then take the scourge," ordered the father, "and so win peace."
Hermas once more obediently rose, and went out into the air with the
scourge; the narrow limits of the cave did not admit of his swinging it
with all the strength of his arms.
Very soon Stephanus heard the whistle of the leathern thongs through
the stillness of the night, their hard blows on the springy muscles of the
man and his son's painful groaning.
At each blow the old man shrank as if it had fallen on himself. At last
he cried as loud as he was able "Enough--that is enough."
Hermas came back into the cave, his father called him to his couch, and
desired him to join with him in prayer.

After the 'Amen' he stroked the lad's abundant hair and said, "Since you
went to Alexandria, you have been quite another being. I would I had
withstood bishop Agapitus, and forbidden you the journey. Soon, I
know, my Saviour will call me to himself, and no one will keep you
here; then the tempter will come to you, and all the splendors of the
great city, which after all only shine like rotten wood, like shining
snakes and poisonous purple-berries--"
"I do not care for them," interrupted Hermas, "the noisy place
bewildered and frightened me. Never, never will I tread the spot again."
"So you have always said," replied Stephanus, "and yet the journey
quite altered you. How often before that I used to think when I heard
you laugh that the sound must surely please our Father in Heaven. And
now? You used to be like a singing bird, and now you go about silent,
you look sour and morose, and evil thoughts trouble your sleep."
"That is my loss," answered Hermas. "Pray let go of my hand; the night
will soon be past, and you have the whole live-long day to lecture me
in." Stephanus sighed, and Hermas returned to his couch.
Sleep avoided them both, and each knew that the other was awake, and
would willingly have spoken to him, but dissatisfaction and defiance
closed the son's lips, and the father was silent because he could not find
exactly the heart-searching words that he was seeking.
At last it was morning, a twilight glimmer struck through the opening
of the cave, and it grew lighter and lighter in the gloomy vault; the boy
awoke and rose yawning. When he saw his father lying with his eyes
open, he asked indifferently, "Shall I stay here or go to morning
worship?"
"Let us pray here together," begged the father. "Who knows how long it
may yet be granted to us to do so? I am not far from the day that no
evening ever closes. Kneel down here, and let me kiss the image of the
Crucified."
Hermas did as his father desired him, and as they were ending their

song of praise, a third voice joined in the 'Amen.'
"Paulus!" cried the old man. "The Lord be praised! pray look to my
wound then. The arrow head seeks to work some way out, and it burns
fearfully."
"The new comer, an anchorite, who for all clothing wore a shirt-shaped
coat of brown undressed linen, and a sheep-skin, examined the wound
carefully, and laid some herbs on it, murmuring meanwhile some pious
texts.
"That is much easier," sighed the old man. "The Lord has mercy on me
for your goodness' sake."
"My goodness? I am a vessel of wrath," replied Paulus, with a deep,
rich; sonorous voice, and his peculiarly kind blue eyes were raised to
heaven as if to attest how greatly men were deceived in him. Then he
pushed the bushy grizzled hair, which hung in disorder over his neck
and face, out of his eyes,