Page:ParadiseOfTheHolyFathersV2.djvu/156

 613. There was at one time among the brethren a certain man who at the beginning of his [ascetic] career took good heed unto his soul, but when a short time had elapsed, he began to treat the salvation of his life with contempt; and his Abbâ ordered him to strip off the garb of the monks, and to put on the apparel of men who are in the world, and to depart from among the brethren. Then the man fell down at his feet, and entreated him, saying, “If thou wilt forgive me this once only, thou wilt gain me henceforward, for I repent of these things which I have done through negligence.” And having multiplied and prolonged his entreaties, and made many promises that he would in the future mend his ways, he was held worthy of forgiveness; and he struggled with all the power of his soul to such purpose as to become a pattern to great and small.

614. ABBÂ Sisoes said: When we were in Scete, with Abbâ Macarius, seven of us went up to reap with him, and behold, a certain widow followed after us gleaning, and she ceased not to weep. And the old man cried to the lord of the estate, and said unto him, “What is the matter with the old woman who weepeth continually?” He said unto him, “Her husband took a deposit of money from a man and he died suddenly without saying with whom he had placed it, and the owner of the deposit wisheth to take her and her children as slaves.” The old man said unto him, “Tell her to come to us at the place where we rest at the season of noon,” and it was told to her. And at the season of noon the woman came to them, and the old man said unto her, “Woman, why dost thou weep continually?” And she said, “My husband is dead. He had taken a deposit from a certain man, and he died suddenly without telling us where he had laid it up.” The old man said unto her, “Come [and] and show me where ye have laid him”; and he took the brethren with him, and went with her, and having arrived at the place where the man was laid, the old man said unto her, “Get thee now to thy house.” And after [she had departed] and he had made an end of his prayer, the old man cried out to the dead man and said, “O Such-an-one, where hast thou laid up the deposit which belongeth to the stranger?” Then the dead man answered straightway, and said, “It is hidden in my house beneath the leg of the bed”; and the old man said unto him, “Sleep now until the Resurrection.” Now when the brethren saw what had been done, they all fell down at his feet in fear; and the old man said unto them, “This hath not happened because of me, O my brethren,