BOOK X.
SAUL AT BETHANY.
At the funeral service for Stephen, Shimei was a skulking attendant. He catches at a mention there overheard by him of the name of Saul in connection with that of Stephen, to plot an instigated persecuting visit on Saul's part to Bethany; Shimei hoping that Saul will thus encounter his own sister identified as a Christian. Saul takes a band of men and makes the visit. He finds his intended victims all together at the house of Ruth condoling with her—Rachel indeed among them. After sharp inward conflict, and much effort put forth without success to make his victims abjure their faith, Saul finally takes them to prison. But Rachel, she vainly entreating to share her companions' fate, he leaves behind. She takes upon herself the charge of Ruth's children in their own home, where Saul, month after month, secretly sends to her supply of every need.
SAUL AT BETHANY.
Among the sons of God, when these one day
Came to present themselves before the Lord,
Satan came also; and so Shimei,
Amid the throng that mourned at Stephen's death,
Intruded. With smooth face of sanctimony,
Skulking to be unseen or heeded not,
He hovered furtive on the outer edge
Of audience, when those words of praise were said
To hearten—eye and ear alert to mark
All that befell. His thought was, 'Here perhaps
I shall learn something to the true behoof
And profit of our cause—right aim secure
For the next blow of vengeance to be struck.'
The name of Saul mysteriously conjoined
With Rachel's, in abhorrent prophecy
As seemed—this, Shimei caught at eagerly
And said, 'Aha!'
Then, as the throng dispersed
All to their several homes, straight Shimei
Went to seek Saul. Him found that spy malign
With the chief priests in council, plotting deep
To hunt the sect of Jesus to the death.
These had armed Saul with writ and warrant sealed
Empowering him to enter where he would,
House after house, and whomsoever found,
Man be it or woman, guilty of belief
In Jesus as Messiah, such to seize
And drag to prison.
Instantly conceived
Shimei a subtle snare to enmesh the feet
Of Saul. The proud young zealot Pharisee
Should be set on to visit first in search
Those homes of Bethany; where, unadvised
Perhaps, so Shimei guessed, the brother might,
To his dismay, find his own sister one
With the disciples of the Nazarene.
Then to make prisoner his own flesh and blood,
Or openly spare Rachel for kin's sake—
This, scandal against scandal doubtful weighed,
Would be the hard alternative to Saul.
"Belovéd brother Saul," so Shimei spoke,
"I mourned at Stephen's funeral to-day.
Not loud, you know, but deep, my mourning was;
Not loud, for I am modest, and my wish
Was less to be seen than to see; but deep,
For there was cause, to one that loved you, Saul,
To be sincerely sad on your behalf.
Incredible it seems, they spoke your name,
Not, as might honor it, with hate and dread,
But very ambiguously, to say the least.
In fact, I fear you may be compromised,
Unless you take prompt measures in the matter.
Hark you, a certain orator stood up
Who, after praising Stephen to his worth,
Distinctly hinted Saul was looked upon
As hopeful future pervert to their cause
Predestined to fill Stephen's vacant room.
The fellow founded on some prophecy
Which, as I gathered, Stephen had put forth.
Now this preposterous notion, with such folk,
Is far more like to prosper, and thus be
Noised undesirably, than you might guess,
As a report injurious to your name.
You will be tainted with disloyalty,
In general esteem—to our great loss.
"What I propose is that you strike a stroke
So sudden and so ringing and so aimed
As shall decisively and neatly nip
This precious piece of prophecy in the bud,
And put you out of reach of calumny.
You have your warrant and commission; good,
Use them at once, sleep not upon them; now,
This very night—for domiciliary work
Like what you purpose, night is the best time,
Birds to their nests, you know, at night come home—
This very night, take you a trusty band
And make a bold foray at Bethany.
There Stephen lived, and there a hotbed yet
Thrives of this pestilent heresy. No place
Fitter than the abode and vicinage
Of your late overmatch in controversy
To make first theatre of the exploits
You aim at in this different field—field where,
With odds so in your favor, you should win.
Easier far, given the right support, to drag
To dungeon and to death a hundred men
Or praying women, all as tame as sheep,
Than one impracticable fellow like
That Stephen manage in fair controversy!
"You have my best kind hopes and all good men's.
Ask for the house that harbored Stephen's corpse
And whence the funeral issued—quarry there
You cannot fail to find. The widow too
Of Stephen, I watched her, and what I saw
Makes me misdoubt her Hebrew orthodoxy.
Sound her—an ounce of thorough work done now,
Unquestionably thorough, will be worth
A hundred weight of paltering by and by.
Despise the fear that now and then a man
May call you cruel; the worst cruelty,
As you and I well know, is ill-timed softness.
This thing must be stamped out; it is a plague,
It creeps from house to house, no house is safe.
Your house, Saul, mine—that sister fair of yours,
Yes, treat the thought with scorn, but some fine day,
Why not? Saul wakes to find his sister lost."