《高山上的呼喊-go tell it on the mountain》go tell it on the mountain-第26章

‘John；’　said　his　father；　‘e　with　me。’
Then　they　were　in　a　straight　street；　a　narrow；　narrow　way。　They　had　been　walking　for　manydays。　The　street　stretched　before　them；　long；　and　silent；　going　down；　and　whiter　than　the　snow。
There　was　no　one　on　the　street；　and　John　was　frightened。　The　buildings　on　this　street；　so　near　thatJohn　could　touch　them　on　either　side；　were　narrow；　also；　rising　like　spears　into　the　sky；　and　theywere　made　of　beaten　gold　and　silver。　John　knew　that　these　buildings　were　not　for　him—not　to…day—no；　nor　to…morrow；　either！　Then；　ing　up　this　straight　and　silent　street；　he　saw　a　woman；　veryold　and　black；　ing　toward　them；　staggering　on　the　crooked　stones。　She　was　drunk；　and　dirty；and　very　old；　and　her　mouth　was　bigger　than　his　mother’s　mouth；　or　his　own；　her　mouth　was　looseand　wet；　and　he　had　never　seen　anyone　so　black。　His　father　was　astonished　to　see　her；　and　besidehimself　with　anger；　but　John　was　glad。　He　clapped　his　hands；　and　cried：
‘See！　She’s　uglier　than　Mama！　She’s　uglier　than　me！’
‘You　mighty　proud；　ain’t　you；’　his　father　said；　‘to　be　the　Devil’s　son？’
But　John　did　no　listen　to　his　father。　He　turned　to　watch　the　woman　pass。　His　father　grabbedhis　arm。
“You　see　that？　That’s　sin。　That’s　what　the　Devil’s　son　runs　after。’
‘Whose　son　are　you？’　John　asked。
His　father　slapped　him。　John　laughed；　and　moved　a　little　away。
‘I　seen　it。　I　seen　it。　I　ain’t　the　Devil’s　son　for　nothing。’
His　father　reached　for　him；　but　John　was　faster。　He　moved　backward　down　the　shiningstreet；　looking　at　his　father—his　father　who　moved　toward　him；　one　hand　outstretched　in　fury。
‘And　I　heard　you—all　the　night…time　long。　I　know　what　you　do　in　the　dark；　black　man；when　you　think　the　Devil’s　son’s　asleep。　I　heard　you；　spitting；　and　groaning；　and　choking—and　Iseen　you；　riding　up　and　down；　and　going　in　and　out。　I　ain’t　the　Devil’s　son　for　nothing。’
The　listening　buildings；　rising　upward　yet；　leaned；　closing　out　the　sky。　John’s　feet　began　toslip；　tears　and　sweat　were　in　his　eyes；　still　moving　backward　before　his　father；　he　looked　about　himfor　deliverance；　but　there　was　no　deliverance　in　this　street　for　him。
‘And　I　hate　you。　I　hate　you。　I　don’t　care　about　your　golden　crown。　I　don’t　care　about　yourlong　white　robe。　I　seen　you　under　the　robe；　I　seen　you！’
Then　his　father　was　upon　him；　at　his　touch　there　was　singing；　and　fire。　John　lay　on　his　backin　the　narrow　street；　looking　up　at　his　father；　that　burning　face　beneath　the　burning　towers。
‘I’m　going　to　beat　it　out　of　you。　I’m　going　to　beat　it　out。’
His　father　raised　his　hand。　The　knife　came　down。　John　rolled　away；　down　the　white；descending　street；　screaming：
Father！　Father！
These　were　the　first　words　he　uttered。　In　a　moment　there　was　silence；　and　his　father　wasgone。　Again；　he　felt　the　saints　above　him—and　dust　in　his　mouth。　There　was　singing　somewhere；faraway；abovehim；singingslowandmourn（was）　ful。　He　lay　silent；　racked　beyondendurance；　salt　drying　on　his　face；　with　nothing　in　him　any　more；　no　lust；　no　fear；　no　shame；　nohope。　And　yet　he　knew　that　it　would　e　again—the　darkness　was　full　of　demons　crouching；waiting　to　worry　him　with　their　teeth　again。
Then　I　looked　in　the　grave　and　I　wondered。
Ah；　down！—what　was　he　searching　here；　all　alone　in　darkness？　But　now　he　knew；　for　ironyhad　left　him；　that　he　was　searching　something；　hidden　in　the　darkness；　that　must　be　found。　Hewould　die　if　it　was　not　found；　or；　he　was　dead　already；　and　would　never　again　be　joined　to　theliving；　if　it　was　not　found。
And　the　grave　looked　so　sad　and　lonesome。
In　the　grave　where　he　now　wandered—he　knew　it　was　the　grave；　it　was　so　cold　and　silent；and　he　moved　in　icy　mist—he　found　his　mother　and　his　father；　his　mother　dressed　in　scarlet；　hisfather　dressed　in　white。　They　did　not　see　him：　they　looked　backward；　over　their　shoulders；　at　acloud　of　witnesses。　And　there　was　his　Aunt　Florence；　gold　and　silver　flashing　on　her　fingers；brazen　ear…rings　dangling　from　her　ears；　and　there　was　another　woman；　whom　he　took　to　be　thatwife　of　his　father’s；　called　Deborah—who　had；　as　he　had　once　believed；　so　much　to　tell　him。　Butshe；　alone；　of　all　that　pany；　looked　at　him　and　signified　that　there　was　no　speech　in　the　grave。
He　was　a　stranger　there—they　did　not　see　him　pass；　they　did　not　know　what　he　was　looking　for；they　could　not　help　him　search。　He　wanted　to　find　Elisha；　who　knew；　perhaps；　who　would　help　him—but　Elisha　was　not　there。　There　was　Roy：　Roy　also　might　have　helped　him；　but　he　had　beenstabbed　with　a　knife；　and　lay　now；　brown　and　silent；　at　his　father’s　feet。
Then　there　began　to　flood　John’s　soul　the　waters　of　despair。　Love　is　as　strong　as　death；　asdeep　as　the　grave。　But　love；　which　had；　perhaps；　like　a　benevolent　monarch；　swelled　thepopulation　of　his　neighboring　kingdom；　Death；　had　not　himself　descended：　they　owed　him　noallegiance　here。　Here　there　was　no　speech　or　language；　and　there　was　no　love；　no　one　to　say：　Youare　beautiful；　John；　no　one　to　forgive　him；　no　matter　what　his　sin；　no　one　to　heal　him；　and　lift　himup。　No　one：　father　and　mother　looked　backward；　Roy　was　bloody；　Elisha　was　not　here。
Then　the　darkness　began　to　murmur—a　terrible　sound—and　John’s　ears　trembled。　In　thismurmur　that　filled　the　grave；　like　a　thousand　wings　beating　on　the　air；　he　recognized　a　sound　thathe　had　always　heard。　He　began；　for　terror；　to　weep　and　moan—and　this　sound　was　swallowed　up；and　yet　was　magnified　by　the　echoes　that　filled　the　darkness。
This　sound　had　filled　John’s　life；　so　it　now　seemed；　from　the　moment　he　had　first　drawnbreath。　He　had　heard　it　everywhere；　in　prayer　and　in　daily　speech；　and　wherever　the　saints　weregathered；　and　in　the　unbelieving　streets。　It　was　in　his　father’s　anger；　and　in　his　mother’s　calminsistence；　and　in　the　vehement　mockery　of　his　aunt；　it　had　rung；　so　oddly；　in　Roy’s　voice　thisafternoon；　and　when　Elisha　played　the　piano　it　was　there；　it　was　in　the　beat　and　jangle　of　SisterMcCandless’s　tambourine；　it　was　in　the　very　cadence　of　her　testimony；　and　invested　that　testimonywith　a　matchless；　unimpeachable　authority。　Yes；　he　had　heard　it　all　h