第19章
Heaskedtohavehimbroughtnearer。Ivá；ncamecloser。
’WhatdidItellyou，Ivá；n？’begantheoldman’Whohasburntdownthevillage？’
’Itwashe，father！’Ivá；nanswered。’Icaughthimintheact。
Isawhimshovethefirebrandintothethatch。Imighthavepulledawaytheburningstrawandstampeditout，andthennothingwouldhavehappened。’
’Ivá；n，’saidtheoldman，’Iamdying，andyouinyourturnwillhavetofacedeath。Whoseisthesin？’
Ivá；ngazedathisfatherinsilence，unabletoutteraword。
’Now，beforeGod，saywhoseisthesin？WhatdidItellyou？’
OnlythenIvá；ncametohissensesandunderstooditall。Hesniffedandsaid，’Mine，father！’Andhefellonhiskneesbeforehisfather，saying，’Forgiveme，father；IamguiltybeforeyouandbeforeGod。’
Theoldmanmovedhishands，changedthecandlefromhisrighthandtohisleft，andtriedtolifthisrighthandtohisforeheadtocrosshimself，butcouldnotdoit，andstopped。
’PraisetheLord！PraisetheLord！’saidhe，andagainheturnedhiseyestowardshisson。
’Ivá；n！Isay，Ivá；n！’
’What，father？’
’Whatmustyoudonow？’
Ivá；nwasweeping。
’Idon’tknowhowwearetolivenow，father！’hesaid。
Theoldmanclosedhiseyes，movedhislipsasiftogatherstrength，andopeninghiseyesagain，said:’You’llmanage。IfyouobeyGod’swill，you’llmanage！’Hepaused，thensmiled，andsaid:
’Mind，Ivá；n！Don’ttellwhostartedthefire！Hideanotherman’ssin，andGodwillforgivetwoofyours！’Andtheoldmantookthecandleinbothhandsand，foldingthemonhisbreast，sighed，stretchedout，anddied。
Ivá；ndidnotsayanythingagainstGabriel，andnooneknewwhathadcausedthefire。
AndIvan’sangeragainstGabrielpassedaway，andGabrielwonderedthatIvá；ndidnottellanybody。AtfirstGabrielfeltafraid，butafterawhilehegotusedtoit。Themenleftoffquarrelling，andthentheirfamiliesleftoffalso。Whilerebuildingtheirhuts，bothfamilieslivedinonehouse；andwhenthevillagewasrebuiltandtheymighthavemovedfartherapart，Ivá；nandGabrielbuiltnexttoeachother，andremainedneighboursasbefore。
Theylivedasgoodneighboursshould。Ivá；nStcherbakó；frememberedhisoldfather’scommandtoobeyGod’slaw，andquenchafireatthefirstspark；andifanyonedoeshimaninjuryhenowtriesnottorevengehimself，butrathertosetmattersrightagain；andifanyonegiveshimabadword，insteadofgivingaworseinreturn，hetriestoteachtheothernottouseevilwords；
andsoheteacheshiswomenfolkandchildren。AndIvá；nStcherbakó；fhasgotonhisfeetagain，andnowlivesbettereventhanhedidbefore。
’Thewomansaithuntohim，Sir，Iperceivethatthouartaprophet。
Ourfathersworshippedinthismountain；andyesay，thatinJerusalemistheplacewheremenoughttoworship。Jesussaithuntoher，Woman，believeme，thehourcomethwhenneitherinthismountain，norinJerusalem，shallyeworshiptheFather……
Butthehourcometh，andnowis，whenthetrueworshippersshallworshiptheFatherinspiritandtruth:forsuchdoththeFatherseektobehisworshippers。’——Johniv。19-21，23。
THEREwereoncetwooldmenwhodecidedtogoonapilgrimagetoworshipGodatJerusalem。Oneofthemwasawell-to-dopeasantnamedEfí；mTará；sitchShevé；lef。Theother，ElishaBó；drof，wasnotsowelloff。
Efí；mwasastaidman，seriousandfirm。Heneitherdranknorsmokednortooksnuff，andhadneverusedbadlanguageinhislife。
HehadtwiceservedasvillageElder，andwhenheleftofficehisaccountswereingoodorder。Hehadalargefamily:twosonsandamarriedgrandson，alllivingwithhim。Hewashale，long-beardedanderect，anditwasonlywhenhewaspastsixtythatalittlegreybegantoshowitselfinhisbeard。
Elishawasneitherrichnorpoor。Hehadformerlygoneoutcarpentering，butnowthathewasgrowingoldhestayedathomeandkeptbees。Oneofhissonshadgoneawaytofindwork，theotherwaslivingathome。Elishawasakindlyandcheerfuloldman。Itistruehedranksometimes，andhetooksnuff，andwasfondofsinging，buthewasapeaceableman，andlivedongoodtermswithhisfamilyandwithhisneighbours。Hewasshortanddark，withacurlybeard，and，likehispatronsaintElisha，hewasquitebald-headed。
ThetwooldmenhadtakenavowlongsinceandhadarrangedtogoonapilgrimagetoJerusalemtogether:butEfí；mcouldneversparethetime；healwayshadsomuchbusinessonhand；assoonasonethingwasfinishedhestartedanother。Firsthehadtoarrangehisgrandson’smarriage；thentowaitforhisyoungestson’sreturnfromthearmy，andafterthathebeganbuildinganewhut。
Oneholidaythetwooldmenmetoutsidethehutand，sittingdownonsometimber，begantotalk。
’Well，’askedElisha，’whenarewetofulfilourvow？’
Efí；mmadeawryface。
’Wemustwait，’hesaid。’Thisyearhasturnedoutahardoneforme。
Istartedbuildingthishutthinkingitwouldcostmesomethingoverahundredroubles，butnowit’sgettingonforthreehundredandit’sstillnotfinished。Weshallhavetowaittinthesummer。Insummer，Godwilling，wewillgowithoutfail。’
’Itseemstomeweoughtnottoputitoff，butshouldgoatonce，’
saidElisha。’Springisthebesttime。’
’Thetime’srightenough，butwhataboutmybuilding？HowcanIleavethat？’
’Asifyouhadnoonetoleaveincharge！Yoursoncanlookafterit。’
’Buthow？Myeldestsonisnottrustworthy——hesometimestakesaglasstoomuch。’
’Ah，neighbour，whenwediethey’llgetonwithoutus。Letyoursonbeginnowtogetsomeexperience。’
’That’strueenough，butsomehowwhenonebeginsathingonelikestoseeitdone。’
’Eh，friend，wecannevergetthroughallwehavetodo。Theotherdaythewomen-folkathomewerewashingandhousecleaningforEaster。Heresomethingneededdoing，theresomethingelse，andtheycouldnotgeteverythingdone。Somyeldestdaughter-in-law，who’sasensiblewoman，says:’Wemaybethankfultheholidaycomeswithoutwaitingforus，orhoweverhardweworkedweshouldneverbereadyforit。’
Efí；mbecamethoughtful。
’I’vespentalotofmoneyonthisbuilding，’hesaid’andonecan’tstartonthejourneywithemptypockets。Weshallwantahundredroublesapiece——andit’snosmallsum。’
Elishalaughed。
’Now，come，come，oldfriend！’hesaid，’youhavetentimesasmuchasI，andyetyoutalkaboutmoney。Onlysaywhenwearetostart，andthoughIhavenothingnowIshallhaveenoughbythen。’
Efí；malsosmiled。
’Dearme，Ididnotknowyouweresorich！’saidhe。’Why，wherewillyougetitfrom？’
’Icanscrapesometogetherathome，andifthat’snotenough，I’llsellhalfascoreofhivestomyneighbour。He’slongbeenwantingtobuythem。’
’Iftheyswarmwellthisyear，you’llregretit。’
’Regretit！NotI，neighbour！Ineverregrettedanythinginmylife，exceptmysins。There’snothingmorepreciousthanthesoul。’
’That’sso；stillit’snotrighttoneglectthingsathome。’
’Butwhatifoursoulsareneglected？That’sworse。Wetookthevow，soletusgo！Now，seriously，letusgo！’