Page:The Complete Works of Lyof N. Tolstoi - 08 (Crowell, 1899).djvu/408

394 because he had wasted what could never more return to him. And suddenly he heard an old man's voice—a voice calling him. "Work, my brother," said the voice. Julius looked around and saw a white-haired old man, bent with years, and scarcely able to walk. He was standing by a vinestock and gathering from it the few sweet bunches remaining. Julius went to him.

"Work, dear brother; work is joyous;" and he showed him how to find the bunches here and there.

Julius went and searched; he found a few, and brought them and laid them in the old man's basket. And the old man said to him:—

"Look, in what respect are these bunches worse than those gathered in yonder vineyards? Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you, said our Teacher. And this is the will of Him that sent me; that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him at the last day.

"For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

"He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved.

"But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God.

"Be not unhappy, my son. We are all the children of God and His servants. We all go to make up His one army! Do you think that He has no servants besides you? And that if you, in all your strength, had given yourself to His service, would you have done all that He required all that men ought to do to establish