《高山上的呼喊-go tell it on the mountain》go tell it on the mountain-第15章

For　the　message　had　e　to　Florence　that　had　e　to　Hezekiah：　Set　thine　house　in　order；for　thou　shalt　die　and　not　live。　Many　nights　ago；　as　she　turned　on　her　bed；　this　message　came　toher。　For　many　days　and　nights　the　message　was　repeated；　there　had　been　time；　then；　to　turn　to　God。
But　she　had　thought　to　evade　him；　seeking　among　the　women　she　knew　for　remedies；　and　then；because　the　pain　increased；　she　had　sought　doctors；　and　when　the　doctors　did　no　good　she　hadclimbed　stairs　all　over　town　to　rooms　where　incense　burned　and　where　men　or　women　in　trafficwith　the　devil　gave　her　white　powders；　or　herbs　to　make　tea；　and　cast　spells　upon　her　to　take　thesickness　away。　The　burning　in　her　bowels　did　not　cease—that　burning　which；　eating　inward；　tookthe　flesh　visibly　from　her　bones　and　caused　her　to　vomit　up　her　food。　Then　one　night　she　founddeath　standing　in　the　room。　Blacker　than　night；　and　gigantic；　he　filled　one　corner　of　her　narrowroom；　watching　her　with　eyes　like　the　eyes　of　a　serpent　when　his　head　is　lifted　to　strike。　Then　shescreamed　and　called　on　God；　turning　on　the　light。　And　death　departed；　but　she　knew　he　would　beback。　Every　night　would　bring　him　a　little　closer　to　her　bed。
And　after　death’s　first　silent　vigil　her　life　came　to　her　bedside　to　curse　her　with　manyvoices。　Her　mother；　in　rotting　rags　filling　the　room　with　the　stink　of　the　grave；　stood　over　her　tocurse　the　daughter　who　had　denied　her　on　her　deathbed。　Gabriel　came；　from　all　his　times　and　ages；to　curse　the　sister　who　had　held　him　to　scorn　and　mocked　his　ministry。　Deborah；　black；　her　body　asshapeless　and　hard　as　iron；　looked　on　with　veiled；　triumphant　eyes；　cursing　the　Florence　who　hadmocked　her　in　her　pain　and　barrenness。　Frank　came；　even　he；　with　that　same　smile；　the　same　tilt　ofhis　head。　Of　them　all　she　would　have　begged　forgiveness；　had　they　e　with　ears　to　hear。　Butthey　came　like　many　trumpets；　even　if　they　had　e　to　hear　and　not　to　testify　it　was　not　they　whocould　forgive　her；　but　only　God。
The　piano　had　stopped。　All　around　her　now　were　only　the　voices　of　the　saints。
‘Dear　Father’—it　was　her　mother　praying—‘we　e　before　You　on　our　knees　this　evening　to　askYou　to　watch　over　us　and　hold　back　the　hand　of　the　destroying　angel。　Lord；　sprinkle　the　doorpostof　this　house　with　the　blood　of　the　Lamb　to　keep　all　the　wicked　men　away；　Lord；　we　praying　forevery　mother’s　son　and　daughter　everywhere　in　the　world　but　we　want　You　to　take　special　care　of　this　girl　here　to…night；　Lord；　and　don’t　let　no　evil　e　nigh　her。　We　know　you’s　able　to　do　it；Lord；　in　Jesus’　name；　Amen。’
This　was　the　first　prayer　Florence　heard；　the　only　prayer　she　was　ever　to　hear　in　which　hermother　demanded　the　protection　of　God　more　passionately　for　her　daughter　than　she　demanded　itfor　her　son。　It　was　night；　the　windows　were　shut　tightly　with　the　shades　drawn；　and　the　great　tablewas　pushed　against　the　door。　The　kerosene　lamps　burned　low　and　made　great　shadows　on　thenewspaper…covered　wall。　Her　mother；　dressed　in　the　long；　shapeless；　colorless　dress　that　she　boreevery　day　but　Sunday；　when　she　wore　white；　and　with　her　head　tied　up　in　a　scarlet　cloth；　knelt　inthe　center　of　the　room；　her　hands　hanging　loosely　folded　before　her；　her　black　face　lifted；　her　eyesshut。　The　weak；　unsteady　light　placed　shadows　under　her　mouth　and　in　the　sockets　of　her　eyes；making　the　face　impersonal　with　majesty；　like　the　face　of　a　prophetess；　or　like　a　mask。　Silencefilled　the　room　after　her　‘Amen；’　and　in　the　silence　they　heard；　far　up　the　road；　the　sound　of　ahorse’s　hoofs。　No　one　moved。　Gabriel；　from　his　corner　near　the　stove；　looked　up　and　watched　hismother。
‘I　ain’t　afraid；’　said　Gabriel。
His　mother　turned；　one　hand　raised。　‘You　hush；　now！’
Trouble　had　taken　place　in　town　to…day。　Their　neighbor　Deborah；　who　was　sixteen；　threeyears　older　than　Florence；　had　been　taken　away　into　the　fields　the　night　before　by　many　white　men；where　they　did　things　to　her　to　make　her　cry　and　bleed。　To…day；　Deborah’s　father　had　gone　to　oneof　the　white　men’s　house；　and　said　that　he　would　kill　him　and　all　the　other　white　men　he　couldfind。　They　had　beaten　him　and　left　him　for　dead。　Now；　everyone　had　shut　their　doors；　praying　andwaiting；　for　it　was　said　that　the　white　folks　would　e　to…night　and　set　fire　to　all　the　houses；　asthey　had　done　before。
In　the　night　that　pressed　outside　they　heard　only　the　horse’s　hoofs；　which　did　not　stop；　therewas　not　the　laughter　they　would　have　heard　had　there　been　many　ing　on　this　road；　and　nocalling　out　of　curses；　and　no　one　crying　for　mercy　to　white　men；　or　to　God。　The　hoofbeats　came　tothe　door　and　passed；　and　rang；　while　they　listened；　ever　more　faintly　away。　Then　Florence　realizedhow　frightened　she　had　been。　She　watched　her　mother　rise　and　walk　to　the　window。　She　peered　outthrough　a　corner　of　the　blanket　that　covered　it。
‘They’s　gone；’　she　said；　‘whoever　they　was。’　Then：　‘Blessed　be　the　name　of　the　Lord；’　shesaid。
Thus　had　her　mother　lived　and　died；　and　she　had　often　been　brought　lo；　but　she　had　neverbeen　forsaken。　She　had　always　seemed　to　Florence　the　oldest　woman　in　the　world；　for　she　oftenspoke　of　Florence　and　Gabriel　as　the　children　of　her　old　age；　and　she　had　been　born；　innumerableyears　ago；　during　slavery；　on　a　plantation　in　another　state。　On　this　plantation　she　had　grown　up　asone　of　the　field…workers；　for　she　was　very　tall　and　strong；　and　by　and　by　she　had　married　andraised　children；　all　of　whom　had　been　taken　from　her；　one　by　sickness　and　two　by　auction；　andone；　whom　she　had　not　been　allowed　to　call　her　own；　had　been　raised　in　the　master’s　house。　Whenshe　was　a　woman　grown；　well　past　thirty　as　she　reckoned　it；　with　one　husband　buried—but　themaster　had　given　her　another—armies；　plundering　and　burning；　had　e　from　the　North　to　set　them　free。　This　was　in　answer　to　the　prayers　of　the　faithful；　who　had　never　ceased；　both　day　andnight；　to　cry　out　for　deliverance。
For　it　had　been　the　will　of　God　that　they　should　hear；　and　pass　thereafter；　one　to　another；the　story　of　the　Hebrew　children　who　had　been　held　in　bondage　in　the　land　of　Egypt；　and　how　theLord　had　heard　their　groaning；　and　how　His　heart　was　moved；　and　how　He　bid　them　wait　but　alittl