The Brook Kerith: A Syrian story

  CHAP. VI.

  A few wanderers loitered about the inn: they came from Mount Sinai, sothe innkeeper said; he mentioned that they had a camel and an ass in thepaddock; and Joseph was surprised by the harshness with which theinnkeeper rushed from him and told the wanderers that they waited invain.

  They were strange and fierce, remote like the desert, whence they hadcome; and he was afraid of them like the innkeeper, but began to pitythem when he heard that they had not tasted food for a fortnight, only alittle camel's milk. They're waiting for me to give them the rinsings,the innkeeper said, if any should remain at the bottom of the barrel:you see, all water has to be brought to the inn in an ox-cart. There'sno well on the hills and we sell water to those who can afford to payfor it. Then let the man drink his fill, Joseph answered, and his wifetoo. And his eyes examined the woman curiously, for he never saw so meana thing before: her small beady eyes were like a rat's, and her skin wasnearly as brown. Twenty years of desert wandering leave them likemummies, he reflected; and the child, whom the mother enjoined to comeforward and to speak winningly to the rich man, though in her earlyteens was as lean and brown and ugly as her mother. Marauders theysometimes were, but now they seemed so poor that Joseph thought he couldnever have seen poverty before, and took pleasure in distributing figsamongst them. Let them not see your money when you pay me, the innkeepersaid, for half a shekel they would have my life, and many's the timethey'd have had it if Pilate, our governor, had not sent me a guard. Thetwain spoke of the new procurator till Joseph mounted his mule. I'll seethat none of them follow you, the innkeeper whispered; and Joseph rodeaway down the lower hills, alongside of precipices and through narrowdefiles, following the path, which debouched at last on to a shallowvalley full of loose stones and rocks. I suppose the mule knows best,Joseph said, and he held the bridle loosely and watched the rain,regretting that the downpour should have begun in so exposed a place,but so convinced did the animal seem that the conduct of the journeyshould be left entirely to his judgment that it was vain to ask him tohasten his pace, and he continued to clamber down loose heaps of stones,seeking every byway unnecessarily, Joseph could not help thinking, butbringing his rider and himself safely, he was forced to admit, at thefoot of the hills over against Jericho. Another toiling ascent wasbegun, and Joseph felt a trickle of rain down his spine, while the muleseemed to debate with himself whether shelter was to be sought, andspying a rock a little way up the hillside he trotted straight to it andentered the cave--the rock projected so far beyond a hill that it mightbe called a cave, and better shelter from the rain they could not havefound. A wonderful animal, thou'rt surely, knowing everything, Josephsaid, and the mule shook the rain out of his long ears, and Joseph stoodat the mouth of the cave, watching the rain falling and gathering intopools among the rocks, wondering the while if this land was cast awayinto desert by the power of the Almighty God because of the worship ofthe Golden Calf; and then remembering that it was cast into desert forthe sins of the cities of the plain, he said: how could I have thoughtelse? As soon as this rain ceases we will go up the defile and at theend of it the lake will lie before us deep down under the Moabmountains. He remembered too that he would have to reach to the cenobybefore the day was over, or else sleep in Jericho.

  The sky seemed to be brightening: at that moment he heard footsteps. Hewas unarmed and the hills were infested by robbers. The steps continuedto approach....

  His hope was that the man might be some innocent shepherd in search of alost ewe: if he were a robber, that he might pass on, unsuspicious of atraveller seeking shelter from the rain in a cave a little way up thehillside. The man came into view of the cave and stood for some time infront of it, his back turned to Joseph, looking round the sky, and then,like one who has lost hope in the weather, he hastened on his way. Assoon as he was out of sight, Joseph led out his mule, clambered into thesaddle, and digging his heels into the mule's sides, galloped the bestpart of a mile till he reached the Roman fort overlooking the valley. Ifa robber was to emerge, a Roman soldier would speedily come to hisassistance; but behind him and the fort were some excellentlurking-places, Joseph thought, for robbers, and again his heels wentinto his mule. But this time, as if he knew that haste was no longernecessary, the mule hitched up his back and jangled his bells so loudlythat again Joseph's heart stood still. He was within sight of Jericho,but half-way down the descent a group of men were waiting, as if fortravellers. His best chance was to consider them as harmless passengers,so he rode on, and the beggars--for they were no more--held up maimedleprous limbs to excite his pity.

  He was now within two miles of Jericho, and he rode across the sandyplain, thinking of the Essenes and the cenoby on the other side ofJordan. He rode in full meditation, and it was not till he was nigh thetown of Jericho that he attempted to think by which ford he should crossJordan: whether by ferry, in which case he must leave his mule inJericho; or by a ford higher up the stream, if there was a fordpracticable at this season; which is doubtful, he said to himself, as hecame within view of the swollen river. And he hearkened to one whodeclared the river to be dangerous to man and beast: but another toldhim differently, and being eager to reach the cenoby he determined totest the ford.

  If the water proved too strong he would return to Jericho, but the muleplunged forward, and at one moment it was as like as not that the floodwould carry them away into the lake beyond, but Joseph's weight enabledthe animal to keep on his hooves, and the water shallowing suddenly, themule reached the opposite bank. It was my weight that saved us, Josephsaid; and dismounting, he waited for the panting animal to recoverbreath. We only just did it. The way to the cenoby? he called out to apassenger along the bank, and was told he must hasten, for the Essenesdid not receive anybody after sunset: which may or may not be true, hemuttered, as he pursued his way, his eyes attracted and amused by thelong shadow that himself and his mule projected over the wintry earth.He was tempted to tickle the animal's long ears with a view to alteringthe silhouette, and then his thoughts ran on into the cenoby and whatmight befall him yonder; for that must be it, he said, looking forwardand discovering a small village on the lower slopes of the hills, on theground shelving down towards the river.

  His mule, scenting food and rest, began to trot, though very tired, andhalf-an-hour afterwards Joseph rode into a collection of huts,grouped--but without design--round a central building which he judged tobe an assembly hall whither the curators, of whom he had heard, met forthe transaction of the business of the community. And no doubt, he said,it serves for a refectory, for the midday meal which gathers all thebrethren for the breaking of bread. As he was thinking of these things,one of the brethren laid hands on the bridle and asked him whom he mightbe wishing to see; to which question Joseph answered: the Head. Thebrother replied: so be it; and tethered the mule to a post at the cornerof the central hut, begging Joseph to enter and seat himself on one ofthe benches, of which there were many, and a table long enough to seatsome fifty or sixty.

  He recognised the place he was in as the refectory, where the rite ofthe breaking of bread was accomplished. To-morrow I shall witness it, hesaid, and felt like dancing and singing in his childish eagerness. Butthe severity of the hall soon quieted his mood, and he remembered hemust collect his thoughts and prepare his story for recital, for hewould be asked to give an account of himself. As he was preparing hisstory, the president entered: a tall man of bulk, with the pallor of agein his face and in the hand that lifted the black taffeta cap from hishead. The courteousness of the greeting did more than to put Joseph athis ease, as the saying is. In a few moments he was confiding himself tothis man of kindly dignity, whose voice was low, who seemed to speakalways from the heart, and it was wholly delightful to tell the greatEssene that he was come from Galilee to attend the Feast of the Passoverin his father's place, and that after having allied himself in turn tothe Sadducees and the Pharisees he came to hear of the Essenes: I havecome thither, hoping to find the truth here. You have truthful eyes,said the president
; and, thus encouraged, Joseph told that there weresome in the Temple, the poor who worship God daily with a whole heart.It was from them, he said, that I heard of your doctrines. Of which youcan have obtained only the merest outline, the president answered; andperhaps when you know us better our rule may seem too hard for you tofollow, or it may be that you will feel that you are called to worshipGod differently from us. But it matters naught how we worship, if ourworship come from the heart.

  The word "heart" startled Joseph out of himself, and his eyes falling atthat moment on the Essene he was moved to these words: Father, I couldnever disobey thee. Let me stay, put me to the tests. But the tests arelong, the president answered; we would not suffer you to return toJericho to-night, even if you wished it. Your mule is tired and would beswept away by the descending flood. You will remain with us for to-nightand for as long after it as pleases you--to the end of yourprobationship and after, if you prove yourself worthy of admission.Meanwhile you will be given a girdle, a white garment and a little axe.You will sleep in one of the outlying huts. Come with me and I will takeyou round our village. We shall meet on our way some of the brothersreturning from their daily tasks, for we all have a craft: many of usare husbandmen; the two coming towards us carrying spades are from thefields, and that one turning down the lane is a shepherd; he has justfolded his flock, but he will return to them with his dogs, for wesuffer a great deal from the ravages of wild beasts with which the woodsare thronged, wolves especially. In our community there are healers, andthese study the medicinal properties of herbs. If you resolve to remainwith us, you will choose a craft.

  Joseph mentioned that the only craft he knew was dry-salting, and it wasdisappointing to hear that there were no fish in the lake.

  There is a long time of probationship before one is admitted, thepresident continued, and when that is concluded another long time mustpass over before the proselyte is called to join us at the commonrepasts. Before he breaks bread with us he must bind himself by oath tobe always pious towards the Divinity, to observe justice towards men,and to injure no one voluntarily or by command: to hate always theunjust and never to shrink from taking part in the conflict on the sideof the just; to show fidelity to all and especially to those who rule.Thou'lt soon begin to understand that rule doesn't fall to anyone exceptby the will of God. I have never deserved to rule, but headship came tome, he added half sadly, as if he feared he had not been sufficientlyexacting. After asking Joseph whether he felt himself strong enough toobey so severe a rule, he passed from father to teacher. Every one ofus must love truth and make it his purpose to confute those who speakfalsehood; to keep his hands from stealing and his soul from unjustgain. He must never conceal anything from a member of the order, norreveal its secrets to others, even if he should have to suffer death bywithholding them; and above all, while trying to engage proselytes hemust speak the doctrines only as he has heard them from us. Thou'ltreturn perhaps to Jerusalem....

  He broke off to speak to the brothers who were passing into the villagefrom their daily work, and presented Joseph as one who, shocked by theservice of the Sadducees in the Temple, had come desiring admission totheir order. At the news of a new adherent, the faces of the brothersbecame joyous; for though the rule seems hard when related, they said,in practice, even at first, it seems light enough, and soon we do notfeel it at all.

  They were now on the outskirts of the village, and pointing to a cabinthe Essene told Joseph that he would sleep there and enter on the morrowupon his probationship. But, Father, may I not hear more? If a brotherbe found guilty of sin, will he be cast out of the order? The presidentanswered that if one having been admitted to their community committedsins deserving of death, he was cast out and often perished by a mostwretched fate, for being bound by oath and customs he could not evenreceive food from others but must eat grass, and with his body worn byfamine he perishes. Unless, the president added, we have pity on him atthe last breath and think he has suffered sufficiently for his sins.