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第17部分(第1页)

‘Amen; bless the Lord!’ cried Praying Mother Washington。

‘What book was it; Richard?’

‘Oh; I don’t remember。 Just a book。’

‘You smiled。’

‘You was mighty pretty。’

She took her sodden handkerchief out of her bag; and dried her eyes; and dried her eyesagain; looking down the avenue。

‘Yes;’ said Sister Price; gently; ‘you just thank the Lord。 You just let the tears fall。 I knowyour heart is full this morning。’

‘The Lord’s done give you;’ said Praying Mother Washington; ‘a mighty blessing—andwhat the Lord gives; can’t no man take away。’

‘I open;’ said Sister McCandless; ‘and no man can shut。 I shut; and no man can open。’

‘Amen;’ said Sister Price。 ‘Amen。’

‘Well; I reckon;’ Florence said; ‘your soul is praising God this morning。’

He looked straight ahead; saying nothing; holding his body more rigid than an arrow‘You always been saying;’ Florence said; ‘how the Lord would answer your prayer。’ Andshe looked sideways at him; with a little smile。

‘He going to learn;’ he said at last; ‘that it ain’t all in the singing and the shouting—the wayof holiness is a hard way。 He got the steep side of the mountain to climb。’

‘But he got you there;’ she said; ‘ain’t he to help him when he stumbles; and to be a goodexample?’

‘I’m going to see to it;’ he said; ‘that he walks right before the Lord。 The Lord’s done puthis soul in my charge—and I ain’t going to have that boy’s blood on my hands。’

‘No;’ she said; mildly; ‘I reckon you don’t want that。’

Then they heard the siren; and the headlong; warning bell。 She watched his face as helooked outward at the silent avenue and at the ambulance that raced to carry someone to healing;or to death。

‘Yes;’ she said; ‘that wagon’s ing; ain’t; one day for everybody?’

‘I pray;’ he said; ‘it finds you ready; sister。’

‘Is it going to find you ready?’ she asked。

‘I know my name is written in the Book of Life;’ he said。 ‘I know I’m going to look on mySavior’s face in glory。’

‘Yes;’ she said; slowly; ‘we’s all going to be together there。 Mama; and you; and me; andDeborah—and what was the name of that little girl who died not long after I left home?’

‘What little girl who died?’ he asked。 ‘A lot of folks died after you left home—you leftyour mother on her dying bed。’

‘This girl was a mother; too;’ she said。 ‘Look like she went north all by herself; and had herbaby; and died—weren’t nobody to help her。 Deborah wrote me about it。 Sure; you ain’t forgottenthat girl’s name; Gabriel!’

Then his step faltered—seemed; for a moment; to drag。 And he looked at her。 She smiled;and lightly touched his arm。

‘You ain’t forgotten her name;’ she said。 ‘You can’t tell me you done forgot her name。 Isyou going to look on her face; too? Is her name written in the Book of Life?’

In utter silence they walked together; her hand still under his trembling arm。

‘Deborah didn’t never write;’ she at last pursued; ‘about what happened to the baby。 Didyou ever see him? You going to meet him in Heaven; too?’

‘The Word tell us;’ he said; ‘to let the dead bury the dead。 Why you want to go rummagingaround back there; digging up things what’s all forgotten now? The Lord; He knows my life—Hedone forgive me a long time ago。’

‘Look like;’ she said; ‘you think the Lord’s a man like you; you think you can fool Himlike you fool men; and you think He forgets; like men。 But God don’t forget nothing; Gabriel—ifyour name’s down there in the Book; like you say; it’s got all what you done right down there withit。 And you going to answer for it; too。’

‘I done answered;’ he said; ‘already before my God。 I ain’t got to answer now; in front ofyou。’

She opened her handbag; and took out the letter。

‘I been carrying this letter now;’ she said; ‘for more than thirty years。 And I beenwondering all that time if I’d ever talk to you about it。’

And she looked at him。 He was looking; unwillingly; at the letter; which she held tightly inone hand。 It was old; and dirty; and brown; and torn; he recognized Deborah’s uncertain; tremblinghand; and he could see her again in the cabin; bending over the table; laboriously trusting to paperthe bitterness she had not spoken。 It had lived in her silence; then; all those years? He could notbelieve it。 She had been praying for him as she died—she had sworn to meet him in glory。 Andyet; this letter; her witness; spoke; breaking her long silence; now that she was beyond his reach forever。

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