CHAP. XII.
A few hours later he was speeding along the lake's edge in the brightmorning, happy as the bird singing in the skies, when the thought like adagger-thrust crossed his mind that being the son of a rich man Jesuscould not receive him as a disciple, only the poor were welcome into thebrotherhood of the poor. His father had told him as much, and the beggarwhom he had met under the cliffs, smelling of rags and raw garlic,expressed the riches of simplicity. Happy, happy evening, for ever goneby! Happy ignorance already turned into knowledge! For in Peter's houseJesus would hear that the man whom he had met under the cliffs was theson of the fish-salter of Magdala, and perhaps they knew enough of hisstory to add, who has been making money in Jerusalem himself and has nodoubt come to Galilee to engage his father in some new trade that willextort more money from the poor. He is not for thy company. A greataversion seized him for Capernaum, and he walked, overcome with grief,to the lake's edge and stooped to pick up a smooth stone, thinking tosend it skimming over the water, as he used to when a boy; but there wasneither the will nor the strength in him for the innocent sport, and helay down, exhausted in mind and body, to lament this new triumph of thedemon that from the beginning of his life thwarted him and interruptedall his designs--this time intervening at the last moment as if with apurpose of great cruelty. This demon seemed to him to descend out of theblue air and sometimes to step out of the blue water, and Joseph wasbetimes moved to rush into the lake, for there seemed to him no otherway of escaping from him. Then he would turn back from the foam and thereeds, and pray to the demon to leave him for some little while inpeace: let me be with Jesus for a little while, and then I'll do thybidding. Tie the tongues of those that would tell him I'm the son of arich man--Simon Peter, James and John, sons of Zebedee. James would saya word in his favour, but Jesus would answer: why did he not tell thesethings to me overnight? And if he loves me, why does he not rid himselfof the wealth that separates him from me?
Well, young Master, cried somebody behind him, now what be ye thinkingover this fine morning? Of the fish the nets will bring to be safelypacked away in your father's barrels? My father's barrels be accursed!Joseph exclaimed, springing to his feet. And why dost thou call memaster? I'm not master, nor art thou servant. And then, his eyes openingfully to the external world, he recognised the nearly hunchback Philipof Capernaum--a high-necked, thick-set fellow, in whom a hooked nose andprominent eyes were the distinguishing features. A sail-maker, thatspoke with a sharp voice, and Joseph remembered him as combining theoddest innocence of mind regarding spiritual things with a certainshrewdness in the conduct of his business. Thy voice startled me out ofa dream, Joseph said, and I knew not what I said. Beg pardon,Master--but the word "Sir" you like no better, and it would soundunseemly to call you "Joseph" and no more. As we are not born the sameheight nor strength nor wits, such little differences as "Sir" and"Master" get into our speech. All those that love God are the same, andthere is neither class nor wealth, only love, Joseph answeredpassionately. That is the teaching of the new prophet Jesus, Philipreplied, his yapping voice assuming an inveigling tone or something likeone. I was in Magdala yester evening, and spent the night in my debtor'shouse, and as we were figuring out the principal and interest aneighbour came in, and among his several news was that you were seenwalking with Jesus by the lake in the direction of Capernaum. We wereglad to hear that, for having only returned to us last night you did notknow that Jesus has become a great man in these parts, especially sincehe has come to lodge in Simon Peter's house. That was a great step forhim. But I must be hastening away, for a meeting is at Simon Peter'shouse. And I have promised Jesus to be there too, Joseph answered. Thenwe may step the way out together, Philip answered, looking up intoJoseph's face, and--as if he read there encouragement to speak out thewhole of his mind--he continued:
I was saying that it was a great step up for him when Simon Peter tookhim to lodge in his house, for beforetimes he had, as the saying is, noplace to lay his head: an outcast from Cana, whither he went first tohis mother's house, and it is said he turned water into wine on oneoccasion at a marriage feast; but that cannot be true, for if it were,there is no reason that I can see why he should stay his hand and notturn all water into wine. To which Joseph replied that it would be agreat misfortune, for the greater part of men would be as drunk as Noahwas when he planted a vineyard, and we know how Lot's daughters turnedtheir father's drunkenness to account. Moreover, Philip, if Jesus hadturned all the water into wine there would be no miracle, for a miracleis a special act performed by someone whom God has chosen as aninstrument. It is as likely as not, Master, that you be right in whatyou say, for there's no saying what is true and what is false in thisworld, for what one man says another man denies, and it is not evencertain that all men see and hear alike. But, Philip, thou must rememberthat though men neither hear nor see alike, yet the love of God is thesame in every man. But is it? Philip asked. For can it be denied thatsome men love God in the hope that God may do something for them, whileothers love God lest he may punish them. But methinks that such love asthat is more fear than love; and then there are others that can loveGod--well, just because it seems to them that God is by them, just asI'm by you at the present moment. Jesus is such an one. But there be notmany like him, and that was why his teaching found no favour either inCana or in Nazareth. In them parts they knew that he was the carpenter'sson, and his mother and his brothers and sisters were a hindrance tohim, for thinking him a bit queer, they came ofttimes to the synagoguesto ask him to come home with them, for they are shrewd enough to seethat such talk as his will bring him no good in the end, for priests arestrong everywhere and have the law of the land on their side, forgovernors would make but poor shift to govern without them. But whythen, Philip, shouldst thou who art a cautious man, be going to Peter'shouse to meet him? Well, that's the question I've been asking myself allthe morning till I came upon you. Master, sitting by the lake, and notunlikely you were asking yourself the same question, sitting over yonderby the lake all by yourself. He casts a spell upon me, I'm thinking, andhas, it would seem to me, cast one upon you, for you went a long waywith him last night, by all accounts. I'd have it from thee, Philip,how long he has been in these parts? Well, I should say it must be twoyears or thereabouts that he came up from Jericho, staying but a littlewhile in Jerusalem and going on to his mother at Cana, and afterwardstrying his luck, as I have said, in Nazareth. But his mother hasn't seenhim for many a year? He has been away since childhood, living with acertain sect of Jews called the Essenes, and it was John---- Yes, I knowJohn was baptizing in Jordan, Joseph interrupted, and he baptized Jesus.And after that he went into the desert, said Philip hurriedly, for hedid not like being interrupted in his story. He came up to Nazareth, Iwas saying, about two years ago, but was thrown out of that city andcame here; he was more fortunate here, picking up bits of food from thepeople now and then, who, thinking him harmless, let him sleep in an oddhole or corner; but he must have often been like dying of hunger by thewayside, for he was always travelling, going his rounds from village tovillage. But luck was on his side, and when he was near dying atraveller would come by and raise him and give him a little wine. He isone of those that can do with little, and after the first few months hehad the luck to cast out one or two devils, and finding he could castout devils, he turned to the healing of the sick; and many is thewithered limb that he put right, and many a lame man he has set walkingwith as good a stride as we are taking now, and many a blind man's eyeshe has opened, and the scrofulous he cured by looking at them--so it issaid. And so his fame grew from day to day; the people love him, for heasks no money from them, which is a sure way into men's affections; butthose whose children he has cured cannot see him go away hungry, andthey put a loaf into his shirt, for he takes anything that he can getexcept money, which he will not look upon. There has been no holier manin these parts, Sir, these many years. The oldest in the country cannotremember one like him--my father is nearer ninety than eighty, and hesays that Jesus
is a greater man than he ever heard his father tell of,and he was well into the eighties before he died. Now, Sir, as we arenear to Peter's house, you'll not mind my telling you that there is no"Sir" or "Master" at Peter's house. But, Philip, has it not already beensaid that thou mayst drop such titles as "Sir" and "Master" inaddressing me? And wert thou not at one with me that we should be morecourteous and friendly one between the other without them? Well, yes,Master, I do recollect some such talk between us, but now that we becoming into Capernaum it would be well that I should call you "Joseph,"but "Joseph" would be difficult to me at first, and we are all brothersamongst us, only Jesus is Master over all of us, and God over him. Butit now strikes my mind that I have not told you how Jesus and Peterbecame acquainted.
One day as Jesus was passing on his rounds a man ran out of his houseand besought him to help him to stop some boys who were playing drumsand fifes and psalteries, saying to him: I know not who thou art, but mywife's mother is dying of fever, and the boys jeer at me and show nomercy. Let us take stones and cast them at them. But Jesus answered: nostone is required; and turning to the boys he said: boys, all this womanasks of you is to be allowed to die in quiet, and you may ask the samething some day, and that day may not be long delayed. Whereupon the boyswere ashamed, and Jesus followed Peter into his house and took hiswife's mother's hand and lifted her up a little and placed her head uponthe pillow and bade her sleep, which she did, and seeing that he hadsuch power Peter asked him to remain in the house till his mother-in-lawopened her eyes, which he did, and he has been there ever since. Nowhere we are at the pathway through which Jesus comes and goes every dayon his mission of healing and preaching the love of God. Your father,Sir, is much opposed to Jesus, who he says has persuaded Peter away fromhis fishing and James and John and many others, but no doubt your fathertold you these things last night.