The lady stretched out her hands towards him imploringly. "What can I do? They took him away from me and adjudged him to De Gemer. My lawyer did everything that he could, but in vain."
"But would you love him, would you like to take care of him as it behooves a decent mother, if my lord would return him to you?"
"Why would I not! I deserve that you ask me that. Whether you believe me or not, Bacha Filina, I would give everything if I could only get him back again. I see he loves me, unworthy though I am."
"Yes, he loves you as only forsaken children know how to do. Therefore I came to you, lady--today or never G.o.d gives you an opportunity to get your treasure back again. Your former husband fell deeply into debt. His administrator received the order to sell the estate of the De Gemer family. If you have enough money--the doctor told me that you have--buy it out of the first hands before the Jews get hold of it.
When your lawyer writes him that you will have the estate turned over to the boy, if Lord de Gemen will give it to you in black and white, he will be glad to do so, I know, and will give you the boy. He always boasted that the "De Gemer" estate shall belong to Ondrejko, his first-born. Everybody in the neighborhood knows about it. It would not be such a great shame on the family, that they had to sell the family castle, if, after all, the property remained in his son"s hands. It is a beautiful estate, and it is wisely managed. It will bring a much larger income later on, than it does today. Even if you had to borrow some money to purchase it, it would be worthwhile to do so."
"Oh, Bacha Filina!" The lady took the man"s hard right hand into her small ones. "How can I thank you enough for this good and beautiful advice? I don"t know if my ready money will suffice, but I have beautiful jewelry, and when I sell that, we will have something to start with at least. I am not altogether so unfamiliar with managing as you may think; I am the daughter of a farmer. But who will buy this for me? My lawyer is not here."
"Leave Ondrejko with the doctor. Ride to the administrator"s office and buy the estate yourself. He has orders to sell it. Do not begin to deal about the boy before the estate is yours. At least, that is what I think. But today let Ondrejko know that you are his mother, that the boy may not suffer longer. Come to us in the afternoon. I will send Palko for you."
Filina arose. "I would not have come to you while you are still weak, but we must hurry with the buying, and Ondrejko cared so much that he shook all over, thinking that surely he had said something bad to you so that you fainted. The boy is very tender. He needs not only strengthening with me--that is only for the body--but his heart needs a mother. The G.o.d in the heavens has become his Father. Good-bye, then."
"Bacha Filina," the lady stopped the man. "Do you know why I parted with De Gemer? Or do you think that because I am a singer, I have left him like an unfaithful wife?"
"The doctor told me that my lord had wronged you. I do not ask more.
Everyone of us has enough of his own sins. G.o.d sees us and knows us.
Do not judge that ye be not judged." The deep voice of Filina sounded almost gentle. He shook her hand and left.
"Uncle Filina! Did you already return from the city?" sounded a voice from the clearing where he went to look at the flock. Palko ran to meet him. In his hand he carried a basket full of beautiful mushrooms.
"I was not in the city, Palko; but what are you doing here?" Filina was cheered with Palko"s presence and sat down on an old log overgrown with moss. The boy joyfully threw himself down on the deep mossy cushions.
"I carried a letter to Stephen which the forester"s boy brought for him from his mother. It cheered him very much. She had been sick, but now she writes to him herself. Praise the Lord!"
"I am very glad of that; she is a good woman. And the son which has no mother has no home anywhere," said Filina. "Where did you find these mushrooms?"
"They are beautiful, aren"t they? Oh, I just happened to see them. Joe said he would cook the stew for supper. They will fit in well."
"Yes, they will. Pick out the best ones, and take them to the ladies this afternoon, in your cabin. Perhaps they will like them."
"Shall I really go for the lady? Will it not be too far for her yet?"
thoughtfully asked the boy.
"I think not, but you must go slowly."
"But she is still so weak, Uncle."
"I know it; I have just left her."
"Is that so? You saw her? And you just came from there? Did you stop there on the way from town?"
Bacha was silent for a moment as if deciding something. Then he fastened his eagle eyes on the boy"s face. "Palko, I am going to tell you something. G.o.d grant that you may help me in a very difficult thing."
"I would love to, Uncle. Just tell me."
"The master of these sheepfolds is Ondrejko"s father. You know that; do you not?"
"Yes, I know it."
"And the beautiful lady there, is his mother."
"What did you say!" Palko jumped up at once and sat down again. "But how is it that they are not together, and that Ondrejko is not with them?"
"They had parted, and he took another wife many years ago."
"And the Lord Jesus permitted that? It seems to me that He said, "It should not be so.""
"You know, Palko, the world does many things that the Lord G.o.d forbids--even this. I know it is a sin, but it is already that way and it cannot be changed now. The lady, before De Gemer took her, was a famous singer in America. She must have been very beautiful because she is still so today. He brought her to Europe to his family. They were displeased with him because the lady was not of n.o.ble birth. They did not treat her well, and he did not stand by her as would have been his duty. Because as far as I know him, he is not the man to guard his wife against the whole world. It may also be that he has been sorry already, that he had shut himself out of the world because of her, while on the other hand, many n.o.ble ladies were offered him. How it was among themselves, I do not know. I only know that once, when he was not at home, she took the boy and fled away. Then they lived in Budapest. She did not know how to make a living any other way--so she gave the boy into the care of strange people, and went again to the theatre. Then came the law suit. He charged her with leaving him, and she did not want to return to him, so the court separated them. They adjudged the boy to his father, and so he came to us. While Ondrejko was with those people, where she cared for him, they told him all good things about her, but when he came to where his father put him you can imagine that they did not speak well of her. So the poor boy has heard all kinds of stories about his mother, and yet he longs for her, and so I visited the lady today. I wanted to advise her how she could take the boy herself and acknowledge him today. Therefore I tell you, Palko, everything, that you may tell Ondrejko who it is that is coming to us today."
There was silence in the mountains. Bacha looked at the boy deep in thought. "Will you tell him, Palko?"
"Yes, Uncle. But I must first ask the Lord Jesus for help, for that is not a small thing. It is good that Ondrejko is already G.o.d"s lamb. He will even help his mother to find the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we will do that part. But, Uncle Filina, when will you tell me that you have received Him?--that you are His?" The question from the boy, put with so much loving concern, brought the tears into the man"s eyes.
"I do not know myself, what to tell you, my boy. It is all so strange to me. From the time that I took the Lord Jesus, like Zaccheus, it seems to me there is no more of that great burden that always oppressed me. Sometimes it seems to me as if the Son of G.o.d was actually with me, and when I read the Bible it seems as though He is living in my heart and opens my eyes. Now I don"t know, my boy, what more can I do."
"Oh, Uncle," Palko began to jump for joy. "Really, you have already accepted Him. He came and took away your load, and threw it behind G.o.d"s back."
"What do you say, boy?" said the surprised man. "Is that all?"
"Yes, that is all. We are only to believe Him. You know well how He said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Don"t you believe He means what He says?"
"I do believe, my boy, and already believe, and even understand all like Zaccheus. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to seek even me, the lost sinner, and I let Him find me."
When the next moment they kneeled before G.o.d, the man and the boy, there was great joy in heaven that again a sinner had received the Lord Jesus Christ. Because to those who receive Him, to them gave He power to be the sons of G.o.d. Thus the angels wrote His name in the Lamb"s book of Life. They wrote that Peter Filina believed, and that Jesus of Nazareth took his heavy burden of sin upon His cross, there suffered for him the penalty of death, and thus it was that Filina was forgiven all, and received the Son of G.o.d for ever and ever. So for the first time Filina prayed with his whole heart to G.o.d as his Father. He thanked the Lamb of G.o.d for His death, and thanked Him also for Palko whom He had sent to those mountains.
When they were done, the boy sighed deeply. Said he, "Since I am finished with you, I don"t have to ask the Lord Jesus any more for you, but can ask so much better for Ondrejko"s mother. Surely He will grant to me that she will soon accept Him too."
They went together a little way, but Bacha turned to the clearings and Palko ran back again to the hut at the sheepfold. On the way, he sang until the echo rang everywhere.
There was much stirring in the hut that afternoon. The boys cleaned and arranged everything so that no particle of dust could be found anywhere. They brought flowers to Ondrejko that he might braid a chain of them. It was a very long one. Bacha himself afterwards draped it over the door.
"Well, it is time for me to go," announced Palko. "Ondrejko, come with me part of the way. I saw some nice flowers not far away and you can pick them. These we will place on the table afterwards."
"Verily it is time that you go," agreed Bacha, "and go together."
Ondrejko obeyed very gladly. Merrily the boys went into the woods and soon found the flowers they wanted.
"Let us sit down a while," said Palko when they had picked the flowers and placed them in the nearby spring. "I would like to tell you something. Do you remember anything about your mother?"
"About my mother?" said the surprised Ondrejko. That kind of question he did not expect. "I remember but a little, that she was very beautiful, and had a very fine voice."
"And if she suddenly came for you, would you be glad?"
"For me?" and the boy"s beautiful eyes opened wide. "She cannot come for me any more, because I do not belong to her, but to father."