then pour some of the water upon him, and immediately that brother was cleansed.
436. A brother asked an old man, saying, “If I find a brother concerning whom I have heard [that he hath committed] some offence, I never rest until I have brought him into my cell; but if I see a man who leadeth a good life I bring him unto myself gladly.” The old man said unto him, “Do that which is good twice over unto the former man, for he is sick, and he needeth help.”
437. An old man used to say, “Defeat cometh to a man if, when he is reviled and treated with contempt by his brother, he doth not shew him evenness of heart before he repenteth and asketh him to forgive him.”
438. There was a monk, and away on the mountain, which was about ten miles distant from him, was another monk; and the first monk had some bread in his cell, and he meditated in his mind and determined to invite the other monk to come and partake of his bread. And again he thought in his mind, saying, “Since the bread is with me I shall give my brother the labour [of walking] ten miles [if I invite him to come here], but it will be more helpful [to him] if I take one half of the bread which I possess, and carry it to him”; so he took the bread to carry it to the cell of the other brother. Now as he was journeying along, he tripped up, and fell, and injured one of his fingers, and as the blood was running down he began to cry because of the pain; and there appeared unto him suddenly an angel who said unto him, “Why weepest thou?” And the monk said unto him, “I have hurt my finger, and it paineth me”; and the angel said unto him, “Dost thou weep because of this? Weep not, for the number of every step which thou takest for our Lord’s sake is written down, and is estimated at a great reward (or hire) before Him, and the report of the labour of such things goeth up to Him. And that thou mayest be certain that such is the case, behold, in thy presence I will take some of this blood and carry [it] to our Lord”; and immediately the monk was healed, and with rejoicing and thanksgiving to God he set out again on his journey to go to his companion. And having come to him and given him the bread, he related unto him concerning the love for man which is found in the good Lord, the Creator of the universe, and then went back to his cell. Now after one day he took the other half of the bread and went to carry it to another monk. And it happened that he also was found to be burning with anxiety to emulate works of this kind, and he wanted to do even as the other monk had done; and having set out to go and carry the bread of the first monk, they hap-
