第15章

ThenMatryó；najoinedin。Shewonderedwhothiswomanwas，andwhosethechildrenwere，soshesaid:’Arenotyoutheirmother，then？’

’No，mygoodwoman，Iamneithertheirmothernoranyrelationtothem。

Theywerequitestrangerstome，butIadoptedthem。’

’Theyarenotyourchildrenandyetyouaresofondofthem？’

’HowcanIhelpbeingfondofthem？Ifedthembothatmyownbreasts。

Ihadachildofmyown，butGodtookhim。IwasnotsofondofhimasInowamofthem。’

’Thenwhosechildrenarethey？’

Thewoman，havingbeguntalking，toldthemthewholestory。

’Itisaboutsixyearssincetheirparentsdied，bothinoneweek:theirfatherwasburiedontheTuesday，andtheirmotherdiedontheFriday。Theseorphanswerebornthreedaysaftertheirfather’sdeath，andtheirmotherdidnotliveanotherday。MyhusbandandIwerethenlivingaspeasantsinthevillage。Wewereneighboursoftheirs，ouryardbeingnexttotheirs。Theirfatherwasalonelyman；awood-cutterintheforest。Whenfellingtreesoneday，theyletonefallonhim。Itfellacrosshisbodyandcrushedhisbowelsout。TheyhardlygothimhomebeforehissoulwenttoGod；andthatsameweekhiswifegavebirthtotwins——theselittlegirls。Shewaspoorandalone；shehadnoone，youngorold，withher。Aloneshegavethembirth，andaloneshemetherdeath。

’ThenextmorningIwenttoseeher，butwhenIenteredthehut，she，poorthing，wasalreadystarkandcold。Indyingshehadrolledontothischildandcrushedherleg。Thevillagefolkcametothehutwashedthebody，laidherout，madeacoffin，andburiedher。Theyweregoodfolk。Thebabieswereleftalone。Whatwastobedonewiththem？Iwastheonlywomantherewhohadababyatthetime。Iwasnursingmyfirst-born——eightweeksold。SoItookthemforatime。Thepeasantscametogether，andthoughtandthoughtwhattodowiththem，andatlasttheysaidtome:“Forthepresent，Mary，youhadbetterkeepthegirls，andlateronwewillarrangewhattodoforthem。“

SoInursedthesoundoneatmybreast，butatfirstIdidnotfeedthiscrippledone。Ididnotsupposeshewouldlive。ButthenIthoughttomyself，whyshouldthepoorinnocentsuffer？I

pitiedher，andbegantofeedher。AndsoIfedmyownboyandthesetwo——thethreeofthem——atmyownbreast。Iwasyoungandstrong，andhadgoodfood，andGodgavemesomuchmilkthatattimesitevenoverflowed。Iusedsometimestofeedtwoatatime，whilethethirdwaswaiting。WhenonehadhadenoughInursedthethird。AndGodsoordereditthatthesegrewup，whilemyownwasburiedbeforehewastwoyearsold。AndI

hadnomorechildren，thoughweprospered。Nowmyhusbandisworkingforthecornmerchantatthemill。Thepayisgoodandwearewelloff。ButIhavenochildrenofmyown，andhowlonelyIshouldbewithouttheselittlegirls！HowcanIhelplovingthem！Theyarethejoyofmylife！’

Shepressedthelamelittlegirltoherwithonehandwhilewiththeothershewipedthetearsfromhercheeks。

AndMatryó；nasighed，andsaid:’Theproverbistruethatsays，“Onemaylivewithoutfatherormother，butonecannotlivewithoutGod。“’

Sotheytalkedtogether，whensuddenlythewholehutwaslightedupasthoughbysummerlightningfromthecornerwhereMichaelsat。Theyalllookedtowardshimandsawhimsitting，hishandsfoldedonhisknees，gazingupwardsandsmiling。

Thewomanwentawaywiththegirls。Michaelrosefromthebench，putdownhiswork，andtookoffhisapron。Then，bowinglowtoSimonandhiswife，hesaid:’Farewell，masters。Godhasforgivenme。Iaskyourforgiveness，too，foranythingdoneamiss。’

AndtheysawthatalightshonefromMichael。AndSimonrose，boweddowntoMichael，andsaid:’Isee，Michael，thatyouarenocommonman，andIcanneitherkeepyounorquestionyou。Onlytellmethis:howisitthatwhenIfoundyouandbroughtyouhome，youweregloomy，andwhenmywifegaveyoufoodyousmiledatherandbecamebrighter？Thenwhenthegentlemancametoordertheboots，yousmiledagainandbecamebrighterstill？Andnow，whenthiswomanbroughtthelittlegirls，yousmiledathirdtime，andhavebecomeasbrightasday？Tellme，Michael，whydoesyourfaceshineso，andwhydidyousmilethosethreetimes？’

AndMichaelanswered:’LightshinesfrommebecauseIhavebeenpunished，butnowGodhaspardonedme。AndIsmiledthreetimes，becauseGodsentmetolearnthreetruths，andIhavelearntthem。OneIlearntwhenyourwifepitiedmeandthatiswhyIsmiledthefirsttime。ThesecondIlearntwhentherichmanorderedthebootsandthenIsmiledagain。Andnow，whenI

sawthoselittlegirls，Ilearntthethirdandlasttruth，andIsmiledthethirdtime。’

AndSimonsaid，’Tellme，Michael，whatdidGodpunishyoufor？andwhatwerethethreetruths？thatI，too，mayknowthem。’

AndMichaelanswered:’GodpunishedmefordisobeyingHim。IwasanangelinheavenanddisobeyedGod。Godsentmetofetchawoman’ssoul。Iflewtoearth，andsawasickwomanlyingalone，whohadjustgivenbirthtotwingirls。Theymovedfeeblyattheirmother’sside，butshecouldnotliftthemtoherbreast。

Whenshesawme，sheunderstoodthatGodhadsentmeforhersoul，andsheweptandsaid:“AngelofGod！Myhusbandhasjustbeenburied，killedbyafallingtree。Ihaveneithersister，noraunt，normother:noonetocareformyorphans。Donottakemysoul！Letmenursemybabes，feedthem，andsetthemontheirfeetbeforeIdie。Childrencannotlivewithoutfatherormother。“AndIhearkenedtoher。Iplacedonechildatherbreastandgavetheotherintoherarms，andreturnedtotheLordinheaven。IflewtotheLord，andsaid:“Icouldnottakethesoulofthemother。Herhusbandwaskilledbyatree；thewomanhastwins，andpraysthathersoulmaynotbetaken。Shesays:

’Letmenurseandfeedmychildren，andsetthemontheirfeet。Childrencannotlivewithoutfatherormother。’Ihavenottakenhersoul。“AndGodsaid:“Go——takethemother’ssoul，andlearnthreetruths:LearnWhatdwellsinman，Whatisnotgiventoman，andWhatmenliveby。Whenthouhastlearntthesethings，thoushaltreturntoheaven。“SoIflewagaintoearthandtookthemother’ssoul。Thebabesdroppedfromherbreasts。Herbodyrolledoveronthebedandcrushedonebabe，twistingitsleg。Iroseabovethevillage，wishingtotakehersoultoGod；

butawindseizedme，andmywingsdroopedanddroppedoff。

HersoulrosealonetoGod，whileIfelltoearthbytheroadside。’

AndSimonandMatryó；naunderstoodwhoitwasthathadlivedwiththem，andwhomtheyhadclothedandfed。Andtheyweptwithaweandwithjoy。Andtheangelsaid:’Iwasaloneinthefield，naked。Ihadneverknownhumanneeds，coldandhunger，tillIbecameaman。Iwasfamished，frozen，anddidnotknowwhattodo。Isaw，nearthefieldIwasin，ashrinebuiltforGod，andIwenttoithopingtofindshelter。Buttheshrinewaslocked，andIcouldnotenter。SoIsatdownbehindtheshrinetosheltermyselfatleastfromthewind。Eveningdrewon。Iwashungry，frozen，andinpain。SuddenlyIheardamancomingalongtheroad。Hecarriedapairofboots，andwastalkingtohimself。ForthefirsttimesinceIbecameamanIsawthemortalfaceofaman，andhisfaceseemedterribletomeandIturnedfromit。AndIheardthemantalkingtohimselfofhowtocoverhisbodyfromthecoldinwinter，andhowtofeedwifeandchildren。AndIthought:

“Iamperishingofcoldandhunger，andhereisamanthinkingonlyofhowtoclothehimselfandhiswife，andhowtogetbreadforthemselves。Hecannothelpme。Whenthemansawmehefrownedandbecamestillmoreterrible，andpassedmebyontheotherside。Idespaired，butsuddenlyIheardhimcomingback。Ilookedup，anddidnotrecognizethesameman:before，Ihadseendeathinhisface；butnowhewasalive，andIrecognizedinhimthepresenceofGod。Hecameuptome，clothedme，tookmewithhimandbroughtmetohishome。I

enteredthehouseawomancametomeetusandbegantospeak。Thewomanwasstillmoreterriblethanthemanhadbeen；

thespiritofdeathcamefromhermouth；Icouldnotbreatheforthestenchofdeaththatspreadaroundher。Shewishedtodrivemeoutintothecold，andIknewthatifshedidsoshewoulddie。

SuddenlyherhusbandspoketoherofGod，andthewomanchangedatonce。Andwhenshebroughtmefoodandlookedatme，Iglancedatherandsawthatdeathnolongerdweltinher；

shehadbecomealive，andinhertooIsawGod。

’ThenIrememberedthefirstlessonGodhadsetme:“Learnwhatdwellsinman。“AndIunderstoodthatinmandwellsLove！

IwasgladthatGodhadalreadybeguntoshowmewhatHehadpromised，andIsmiledforthefirsttime。ButIhadnotyetlearntall。IdidnotyetknowWhatisnotgiventoman，andWhatmenliveby。

’Ilivedwithyou，andayearpassed。Amancametoorderbootsthatshouldwearforayearwithoutlosingshapeorcracking。I

lookedathim，andsuddenly，behindhisshoulder，Isawmycomrade——theangelofdeath。Nonebutmesawthatangel；butI

knewhim，andknewthatbeforethesunsethewouldtakethatrichman’ssoul。AndIthoughttomyself，“Themanismakingpreparationsforayear，anddoesnotknowthathewilldiebeforeevening。“AndIrememberedGod’ssecondsaying，“Learnwhatisnotgiventoman。“

’WhatdwellsinmanIalreadyknew。NowIlearntwhatisnotgivenhim。

Itisnotgiventomantoknowhisownneeds。AndI

smiledforthesecondtime。Iwasgladtohaveseenmycomradeangel——gladalsothatGodhadrevealedtomethesecondsaying。