Efí；mhadbeenawayjustayear，anditwasspringagainwhenhereachedhomeoneevening。Hissonwasnotathome，buthadgonetothepublic-houseandwhenhecameback，hehadhadadroptoomuch。Efí；mbeganquestioninghim。Everythingshowedthattheyoungfellowhadbeenunsteadyduringhisfather’sabsence。
Themoneyhadallbeenwronglyspent，andtheworkhadbeenneglected。Thefatherbegantoupbraidtheson；andthesonansweredrudely。
’Whydidn’tyoustayandlookafterityourself？’hesaid。’Yougooff，takingthemoneywithyouandnowyoudemanditofme！’
Theoldmangrewangry，andstruckhisson。
InthemorningEfí；mwenttothevillageEldertocomplainofhisson’sconduct。AshewaspassingElisha’shouse，hisfriend’swifegreetedhimfromtheporch。
’Howdoyoudo，neighbour，’shesaid。’Howdoyoudo，dearfriend？DidyougettoJerusalemsafely？’
Efí；mstopped。
’Yes，thankGod，’hesaid。’Ihavebeenthere。Ilostsightofyouroldman，butIhearhegothomesafely。’
Theoldwomanwasfondoftalking:
’Yes，neighbour，hehascomeback，’saidshe。’He’sbeenbackalongtime。SoonafterAssumption，Ithinkitwas，hereturned。AndweweregladtheLordhadsenthimbacktous！Weweredullwithouthim。Wecan’texpectmuchworkfromhimanymore，hisyearsforworkarepast；butstillheistheheadofthehouseholdandit’smorecheerfulwhenhe’sathome。Andhowgladourladwas！Hesaid，“It’slikebeingwithoutsunlight，whenfather’saway！“
Itwasdullwithouthim，dearfriend。We’refondofhim，andtakegoodcareofhim。’
’Isheathomenow？’
’Heis，dearfriend。Heiswithhisbees。Heishivingtheswarms。Hesaystheyareswarmingwellthisyear。TheLordhasgivensuchstrengthtothebeesthatmyhusbanddoesn’trememberthelike。
“TheLordisnotrewardingusaccordingtooursins，“hesays。Comein，dearneighbour，hewillbesogladtoseeyouagain。’
Efí；mpassedthroughthepassageintotheyardandtotheapiary，toseeElisha。TherewasElishainhisgreycoat，withoutanyface-netorgloves，standing，underthebirchtrees，lookingupwards，hisarmsstretchedoutandhisbaldheadshining，asEfí；mhadseenhimattheHolySepulchreinJerusalem:andabovehimthesunlightshonethroughthebirchesastheflamesoffirehaddoneintheholyplace，andthegoldenbeesflewroundhisheadlikeahalo，anddidnotstinghim。
Efí；mstopped。Theoldwomancalledtoherhusband。
’Here’syourfriendcome，’shecried。
Elishalookedroundwithapleasedface，andcametowardsEfí；m，gentlypickingbeesoutofhisownbeard。
’Goodday，neighbour，good-day，dearfriend。Didyougettheresafely？’
’Myfeetwalkedthere，andIhavebroughtyousomewaterfromtheriverJordan。Youmustcometomyhouseforit。ButwhethertheLordacceptedmyefforts……’
’WelltheLordbethanked！MayChristblessyou！’saidElisha。
Efí；mwassilentforawhile，andthenadded:
’Myfeethavebeenthere，butwhethermysoul，oranother’s，hasbeentheremoretruly……’
’That’sGod’sbusiness，neighbour，God’sbusiness，’interruptedElisha。
’OnmyreturnjourneyIstoppedatthehutwhereyouremainedbehind。
Elishawasalarmed，andsaidhurriedly:
’God’sbusiness，neighbour，God’sbusiness！Comeintothecottage，I’llgiveyousomeofourhoney。’AndElishachangedtheconversation，andtalkedofhomeaffairs。
Efí；msighed，anddidnotspeaktoElishaofthepeopleinthehut，norofhowhehadseenhiminJerusalem。Buthenowunderstoodthatthebestwaytokeepone’svowstoGodandtodoHiswill，isforeachmanwhilehelivestoshowloveanddogoodtoothers。
whereloveis，godisWHERELOVEIS，GODIS
INacertaintowntherelivedacobbler，MartinAvdé；itehbyname。
Hehadatinyroominabasement，theonewindowofwhichlookedoutontothestreet。Throughitonecouldonlyseethefeetofthosewhopassedby，butMartinrecognizedthepeoplebytheirboots。Hehadlivedlongintheplaceandhadmanyacquaintances。
Therewashardlyapairofbootsintheneighbourhoodthathadnotbeenonceortwicethroughhishands，soheoftensawhisownhandiworkthroughthewindow。Somehehadre-soled，somepatched，somestitchedup，andtosomehehadevenputfreshuppers。
Hehadplentytodo，forheworkedwell，usedgoodmaterial，didnotchargetoomuch，andcouldbereliedon。Ifhecoulddoajobbythedayrequired，heundertookit；ifnot，hetoldthetruthandgavenofalsepromises；sohewaswellknownandnevershortofwork。
Martinhadalwaysbeenagoodman；butinhisoldagehebegantothinkmoreabouthissoulandtodrawnearertoGod。Whilehestillworkedforamaster，beforehesetuponhisownaccount，hiswifehaddied，leavinghimwithathree-yearoldson。Noneofhiselderchildrenhadlived，theyhadalldiedininfancy。AtfirstMartinthoughtofsendinghislittlesontohissister’sinthecountry，butthenhefeltsorrytopartwiththeboy，thinking:’ItwouldbehardformylittleKapitó；ntohavetogrowupinastrangefamily；
I
willkeephimwithme。’
Martinlefthismasterandwentintolodgingswithhislittleson。Buthehadnoluckwithhischildren。Nosoonerhadtheboyreachedanagewhenhecouldhelphisfatherandbeasupportaswellasajoytohim，thanhefellilland，afterbeinglaidupforaweekwithaburningfever，died。Martinburiedhisson，andgavewaytodespairsogreatandoverwhelmingthathemurmuredagainstGod。Inhissorrowheprayedagainandagainthathetoomightdie，reproachingGodforhavingtakenthesonheloved，hisonlysonwhilehe，oldashewas，remainedalive。AfterthatMartinleftoffgoingtochurch。
OnedayanoldmanfromMartin’snativevillagewhohadbeenapilgrimforthelasteightyears，calledinonhiswayfromTró；itsaMonastery。Martinopenedhishearttohim，andtoldhimofhissorrow。
’Inolongerevenwishtolive，holyman，’hesaid。’AllIaskofGodisthatIsoonmaydie。Iamnowquitewithouthopeintheworld。’
Theoldmanreplied:’Youhavenorighttosaysuchthings，Martin。
WecannotjudgeGod’sways。Notourreasoning，butGod’swill，decides。IfGodwilledthatyoursonshoulddieandyoushouldlive，itmustbebestso。Astoyourdespair——thatcomesbecauseyouwishtoliveforyourownhappiness。’
’Whatelseshouldonelivefor？’askedMartin。
’ForGod，Martin，’saidtheoldman。’Hegivesyoulife，andyoumustliveforHim。WhenyouhavelearnttoliveforHim，youwillgrievenomore，andallwillseemeasytoyou。’
Martinwassilentawhile，andthenasked:’ButhowisonetoliveforGod？’
Theoldmananswered:’HowonemayliveforGodhasbeenshownusbyChrist。Canyouread？ThenbuytheGospels，andreadthem:thereyouwillseehowGodwouldhaveyoulive。Youhaveitallthere。’
ThesewordssankdeepintoMartin’sheart，andthatsamedayhewentandboughthimselfaTestamentinlargeprint，andbegantoread。
Atfirsthemeantonlytoreadonholidays，buthavingoncebegunhefounditmadehisheartsolightthathereadeveryday。
Sometimeshewassoabsorbedinhisreadingthattheoilinhislampburntoutbeforehecouldtearhimselfawayfromthebook。
Hecontinuedtoreadeverynight，andthemorehereadthemoreclearlyheunderstoodwhatGodrequiredofhim，andhowhemightliveforGod。Andhisheartgrewlighterandlighter。Before，whenhewenttobedheusedtoliewithaheavyheart，moaningashethoughtofhislittleKapitó；n；butnowheonlyrepeatedagainandagain:’GlorytoThee，glorytoThee，OLord！Thywillbedone！’
FromthattimeMartin’swholelifechanged。Formerly，onholidaysheusedtogoandhaveteaatthepublichouse，anddidnotevenrefuseaglassortwoofvó；dka。Sometimes，afterhavinghadadropwithafriend，heleftthepublichousenotdrunk，butrathermerry，andwouldsayfoolishthings:shoutataman，orabusehim。
Now，allthatsortofthingpassedawayfromhim。Hislifebecamepeacefulandjoyful。Hesatdowntohisworkinthemorning，andwhenhehadfinishedhisday’sworkhetookthelampdownfromthewall，stooditonthetable，fetchedhisbookfromtheshelf，openedit，andsatdowntoread。Themorehereadthebetterheunderstood，andtheclearerandhappierhefeltinhismind。
IthappenedoncethatMartinsatuplate，absorbedinhisbook。HewasreadingLuke’sGospel；andinthesixthchapterhecameupontheverses:
