Jacob's Way (36 page)

Jacob's retentive mind soaked up the Scriptures as the minister went through the Bible, the Old Testament as well as the New, giving evidence of the resurrection of the body. He was intrigued when Reverend Berry recounted the story of Abraham offering up Isaac. “Abraham believed in the resurrection of the body,” Reverend Berry said firmly. “He told those servants that had accompanied him to wait, that he and his son would return again. At that time he firmly believed he would have to slay Isaac, but over in the book of Hebrews it tell us that he ‘accounted that God was able to raise up Isaac even from the dead.' His grandson Joseph believed in the resurrection, otherwise he wouldn't have been so careful of his body, insisting that it not remain in Egypt but be buried with the rest of his family. And our friend Mr. Dimitri, no doubt, could render the Hebrew of Job's triumphant word: ‘For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.'

“David believed firmly in the resurrection, for he sang of Christ: ‘For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see corruption.' The prophet Daniel believed in the resurrection, for he said that, ‘Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.'”

Jacob smiled at Reverend Berry at the mention of his name, and he was amazed at how firmly the resurrection was built into the New Testament. The resurrection, he was well aware, occupied a minor place in the Old Testament. As he had been reading the New Testament, however, he saw that the entire structure of Christianity was firmly built upon this one fact—that Jesus was risen from the dead.

The preacher did not speak long, and his sermon consisted mostly of Scriptures. Finally he said, “Do not weep because this dear sister is before the throne. You weep because her body will go to the grave, but I have comfort for you.” Berry's voice rose. “This very body will rise again; this cold hand will be held out in affection once more. This very hand, those cold claylike arms, shall be strong, and these still fingers will sweep the living strings of golden harps in heaven!

“Here is comfort for all of us. Scarcely a day goes by but most of us are tormented with some suffering or another. Our dear sister is past all this. This worn body will grow warm, and it will live again. All who have put their trust in Jesus shall feast at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

“I would close with one passage from the book of John, chapter eleven. You are familiar with the story. Jesus was very close to a family there, a man named Lazarus whose sisters were Mary and Martha. He often went there to find rest from the crowds that pressed in upon him.

“We read that Jesus received word, verse three, ‘Therefore his sisters sent word unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he who thou lovest is sick.'”

Reverend Berry raised his head. “What would any of us do if we received the message that one that we loved was very sick? Would we not go at once? Is it not what we expect that Jesus will do? But in verse four we find something quite different. When Jesus heard that he said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby.'”

Looking around the congregation, Reverend Berry shook his head. “Our ways are not God's ways, and his ways are not our ways. Verse six tells us that after Jesus heard that his friend was sick he stayed two days, and it was not a long journey. You could walk the distance from where Jesus was located to where Lazarus lay sick in Bethany in an hour. But Jesus did not go for two days.” He paused and said, “Have you ever wondered what Lazarus must have thought at this time? He knew, probably, that he was dying. He knew that his sisters had sent for Jesus, and he believed that Jesus would be able to heal him of his sickness—yet Jesus did not come.”

Jacob exchanged a quick glance with Reisa. They had talked about this very Scripture more than once, and now Reverend Berry brought up a thought they had never considered.

“It must have been very painful for Lazarus, knowing that Jesus was so close and yet chose not to come. But I think there's a lesson for us here. Have we not all had times of sorrow, of grief, of pain, when we called upon God begging him to come—and he did not come? I think we can all sympathize with Lazarus. But Jesus said that the sickness of Lazarus was for the glory of God. It's hard for me to understand that, but it must have been much harder for Lazarus.

“But I think you know how the glory of God was made manifest. The Scripture says that Jesus did go to the home of Lazarus. He met Martha, and he met Mary, who both wept and said, ‘If you had only been here our brother would not have died!'

“So we find Jesus saying in verse twenty-three, ‘Thy brother shall rise again.' And Martha said unto him, ‘I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.'”

At this point Reverend Berry suddenly lifted his hands and lifted his voice: “Praise be to God for the next verse. It says, ‘Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.'

“This is the hope of every believer—that even though we must die, yet we shall live again. This sorrow is for the glory of God, for our dear sister was a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus. We will miss her, but we would not have her back. This daughter knew her suffering more than any of us, but she knows now that her mother is free of all pain. Let us pray.”

They all stood, and Reverend Berry asked one of the deacons to say a prayer.

When the service ended, they went out to the edge of the small cemetery located not far from the church. Dov kept very close to Hilda as the pallbearers brought the coffin. As it was lowered into the grave, suddenly Hilda reached out, and Dov took her hand, holding it firmly. Reverend Berry said, “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, but we trust in the Lord, the living God. This mortal must put on immortality, and surely our dear sister has done that. So now, Lord, we commit her into your hands until the time when we shall meet her once again.”

The song leader lifted his voice in one of the old hymns, and afterward everyone came by and spoke to Hilda. She could not answer them, but Dov, who stood slightly behind her, was happy to see that she was in control of her emotions.

After everyone had passed, Reverend Berry stopped long enough to say quietly, “I'll be calling to see how you are very often, sister Hilda.”

Reisa came to her. “Come and stay with us, Hilda.”

“No. I must go home.”

Dov said quickly, “I will take you home.” He took Hilda's arm, and as they moved away, Dov said over his shoulder, “I will be late tonight.”

Jacob, who stood beside Reisa, said, “He has a heart as big as his body.”

“She will be very lonely,” Reisa said sadly.

Jacob shook his head. “She will see her mother again—just as you will see your father and mother—and I will see my Leah.”

Twenty-Eight

O
ver the next week everyone made special attempts to see that Hilda had plenty of company. Sam and Phineas invited her over for a meal several times, and once she fixed a big meal for all of them. Hilda was flustered with so much company, but Phineas had taken his fiddle, and they'd had a wonderful time.

One day Ben entered the house, back from a trip to Richmond. He found Reisa washing dishes. When she turned to greet him with a smile, he said, waving a paper in his hand, “I've just gotten a letter from Pru, Reisa.”

“Oh, that's good. How is she?”

“Well, she's taken with you.”

“That makes us even. I think she's wonderful.”

“I'd let you read it, but you'd be swollen up with pride,” Ben teased. “Where's Dov?” he asked.

Sam, who was sitting at the table reading the Bible as usual, looked up. “Gone over to fix a fence for Hilda.”

Ben's eyebrow raised. “I don't think he's missed a day going over there since her mother died.”

“That feller's got a big heart,” Sam nodded. “I think he's good for her. She's bound to get lonesome.”

Ben moved over to the window and stared outside. The dark days of November had come, bringing a chill to the air. The clouds were a dirty gray as they scudded against the backdrop of the bleak horizon. Finally he turned to Reisa. “I don't know as there's much point in going out to sell things in this weather.”

“Oh, we must go,” Reisa said. “With one thing happening and another, we haven't been on the road for almost two weeks now. I'm trying to save as much money as possible. Winter could be long, and if it gets very bad, I won't be able to go out at all. I'm sorry you have to go with me.”

“I don't mind,” Ben said quickly. “I get restless around here. Shall we leave tomorrow, then?”

She nodded. “Tomorrow.”

The trip was hard, and their sales were not great that week. It was, as a matter of fact, the least lucrative of any of the trips they had made. Many of the women who had bought wedding rings did not have the money to make their payment. Reisa was not demanding on any of them, for she understood how hard times were.

On Wednesday afternoon they stopped at a small town called Pine Grove. As usual, they set up near the center of town. Ben and Dov let the back table down, then helped Reisa to set out the merchandise. Ben said, “I'll just walk around a little bit and stretch my legs. You don't need me here.”

“You go right ahead, Ben,” Reisa said quickly. “Dov and I will take care of things here.”

Dov never got too far from Reisa when they were traveling, and this day he came to stand beside her. When there were no customers he talked freely of Hilda. “I worry about her,” he said. “She is ver' good woman.”

“Yes, she is, Dov. I know she gets lonesome.”

Dov did not answer this, but though he said no more Reisa knew that Hilda Swenson was much on his mind.

The doors of a saloon located half a block down the street burst open, and Honey Fears stepped outside with a companion. They came down the street, both of them talking loudly. They met one man whom Fears simply shouldered aside, nearly upsetting him and knocking him off of the boardwalk. Fears looked at him eagerly hoping for trouble, but the man simply ducked his head and moved away.

As they came close, Fears's eyes lit on the wagon and then fastened on Reisa. He grinned broadly and said, “Looky there, Ike. There's that little Jew girl.”

Ike Green was one of Fears's long-time companions. The two had been involved in several shady activities, and now Green stared over at the wagon. He grinned loosely, revealing yellow teeth. “Come on, Fears. Let's have some fun.” He was a darkskinned man with close-set brown eyes and had not shaved in several days. He was drunker than Fears and came toward the wagon weaving.

Green pulled himself up in front of Reisa, then deliberately looked her up and down. “Hey, Fears, is these Jew girls good sleepin'?”

Suddenly Dov moved very quickly for such a big man. He put himself between Reisa and Green and looked down at the smaller man without saying a word.

Green was a high-tempered individual, but if he had been sober, he would never have done what he did next. He began to curse Dov, and when Dov did not respond but simply stood there, Green struck him directly in the jaw. Green was a powerful man, the victor of many barroom brawls. Suddenly Dov doubled his fist up and struck Green in the chest. It seemed a light blow, but it drove the man backwards full length, and he could not catch his breath.

Honey Fears fancied himself the best brawler in the country. Dov was turned sideways, and Fears took his swing, striking Dov in the neck. He was such a powerful brute that even Dov was driven off balance. Honey began to rain punches on Dov, and Reisa cried out, but Fears paid no heed. Dov's face was bleeding, for Honey was a fast man with his fists.

Dov did not strike back, but suddenly his hand shot out and one of Honey's fists was completely enclosed. Dov said nothing, but his eyes glittered. He began to squeeze, holding the hand high in the air.

Honey Fears was a strong man. He could put a wrapping around his fist and break a two-by-six simply by striking it. Always he had won his battles by sheer brute strength and a thick skull that deadened all of his opponents' blows. He tried to wrench his hand away, but it might as well have been encased in cement. He struck Dov in the face with a blow that would have felled a lesser man, but then suddenly the pressure on his hand increased.

Honey's jaw sagged, and he gasped, “Let go of me!”

But Dov, for once, had lost his even temper. The insult to Reisa had inflamed him, and now he simply tightened his grip.

Fears cried out, “You're breakin' my hand!” He clawed frantically at Dov's massive paw with his free hand, but it did no good. The pressure kept increasing. Honey Fears then did what he had never thought to do. He began screaming, for his bones were literally being crushed.

Reisa ran to Dov crying, “Let him go, Dov! Let him go!”

Dov looked down at her, and reason came back to his eyes. A crowd had gathered around—including Ben, who stood there like a cocked gun watching the scene. When Dov released Fears's hand, the big man held it to his chest, and the look that he gave Dov was pure venom. His face a dirty white, he whispered, “No man does that to me! I'll kill you!”

He turned then and walked away, and Green staggered to his feet to follow him.

The crowd was murmuring, and Reisa felt very faint. Ben came over to stand beside her. “Are you all right, Reisa?”

“Yes.” Reisa turned to Dov and put her hand on his arm. “Dov, you must be careful.”

“He say bad things about you.”

“I know, but you must be careful. You could hurt somebody.”

Ben stared at Fears and Green as they staggered away. “You'll have to watch out for those two, Dov.”

“They could never whip Dov,” Reisa declared stoutly.

“No, but they could shoot him in an ambush. I think they've done it before.”

This frightened Reisa, and she said, “Let's pack up and leave.”

“Suits me,” Ben said, and he and Dov fell at once to repack the merchandise.

The cold wind tossed the tops of the pin oaks that sheltered the wagon. The three had already eaten supper, and Dov, as usual, had crawled under the wagon, wrapped up in his blankets, and fallen asleep instantly.

Reisa was sitting beside Ben, soaking up the warmth of the fire. Both had wrapped blankets around their shoulders and were watching the fire send up pointed yellow and red tongues of flame. Occasionally a gust of wind would catch the fire, sending myriads of golden sparks high into the air, swirling like a miniature whirlwind. Reisa watched them for a time, then murmured, “Look at those sparks. They look like they're going to join the stars overhead.”

“They are pretty, aren't they? I've always loved the stars. I've envied sailors knowing the names of them and how to use them to navigate.”

The two talked for a time, but finally Reisa fell silent. She had been shaken by the encounter with Fears and Green. “You don't really think Fears would shoot Dov, do you?” she asked finally.

“If they got a chance and could get away with it, they would.”

“How can men be so evil?”

“The Bible says it's because Adam and Eve fell.”

“I know that story.” Reisa was very lonely and did not want to go to sleep. As a matter of fact, for some reason she had been despondent for some time. The fight with Green and Fears had merely brought her more and more into a depressed state.

Her head dropped, and when Ben looked over he saw, by the light of the fire, that her face was sad.

“Don't worry about it,” he said. He moved closer to her and suddenly did something he had never done before. She looked so helpless, forlorn, and depressed that he put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. “It's all right, Reisa. I'll keep an eye on Dov. We won't let him go anywhere alone.”

“That's good of you, Ben. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him.”

“That's not all that's worrying you, is it?”

For a moment Reisa hesitated. The weight of his arm was comforting to her. She turned, and he was aware of the smooth roundness of her shoulders and the straight lines of her body. The light was kind to her, and he was aware of her womanliness in breast and shoulder.

She seemed to be unaware of his gaze by that single eye. “I'm worried about my grandfather. I have been ever since Hilda's mother died. She's all alone—and I would be, too, if anything happened to him.”

“You mustn't dwell on that. He may live for many years yet. He could live to be ninety.” He did not remove his arm but kept it across her shoulders. “Don't worry,” he said. “I hate to see you troubled.”

“You know that book, Ben, about poetry, that I brought from Russia?”

“Sure. It's a good book. I don't know much about poetry, but I've read some of it. What I understand is good.”

“There's a poem in there that's always held me somehow or other. It's a sad poem, and I didn't memorize it on purpose, but I read it so many times that it's just burned into my mind, it seems.”

“What is it? Say it for me.”

She began to say almost in a whisper the words of the poem:

So, we'll go no more a roving
,

So late into the night
,

Though the heart be still as loving
,

And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath
,

And the soul wears out the breast
,

And the heart must pause to breathe
,

And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving
,

And the day returns too soon
,

Yet we'll go no more a roving
,

By the light of the moon.

“It sounds good,” Ben said quietly, “but the fellow that wrote it must have been mighty sad.”