Page:Philochristus, Abbott, 1878.djvu/163

Rh he had an evil eye and brought evil fortune. Wherefore he fared ill with the sailors, and even when they gave him alms, it was as to a dog or an unclean creature: and oftentimes they struck him when he crossed them. Now it chanced that while we made ready our nets, behold, a certain merchant, coming down to the water, stumbled upon a stone and fell against Barachiah. Then Barachiah cried out in anger, "Wast thou born with a bridle in thy hand, that thou shouldst treat thy brethren as if they were mules or asses?" But the other replied, "Yea, and thou wast born with a saddle on thy back, that I might ride upon thee." So saying, he spurned Barachiah out of his path, so that he fell to the ground: and hereat all the sailors laughed.

Not long after this there came down two sailors, nigh to the place where Barachiah sat wiping the blood from his face; and one of them spake to the hunchback some words, I know not what, but, as it appeared, of kindness. Then straightway Barachiah rose up and went with the man, and willingly helped him to launch his boat and to prepare his tackling. And the man's companion laughed and said, "Whence hast thou the power to soften the heart of that child of Satan?" But when Barachiah was departed the sailor answered that he had in times past shown kindness to a brother of Barachiah, that was now dead; and he added in jest, "In all men there be two hearts, a heart of stone and a heart of flesh: and Barachiah hath his heart of flesh, even as others, though he be a child of Satan." "Nay," replied the other, "but if there be a heart of flesh in Barachiah, it would need Solomon's ring to find out where it is hid." And so jesting they rowed out into the deep.

Now I perceived that Jesus noted all these words of the two sailors, and likewise that which had befallen Barachiah,