Aaron's Rod

y was a little, dark, thin, quick fellow, his wife was strong and fair. They had known R

’clock Lilly went off to the station. He was a few minutes late, and saw Jim’s tall, rather elegant figure stalking down the station path. Jim had been an officer in th

, as Lilly came up. “Tho

rry your bag.” Jim had

im. “I suddenly saw that if there was a man

hat?” asked Lill

tooped, grinning

lief in himself as a saviour. The two men tramped r

orway as they came

you! Are you all

grinning. “Nice

e awfully

s knapsack on

ht some foo

We can’t get a great deal here, exc

und of sausages and

l have them for dinner tonight — and we’ll h

his bag, taken off his co

s,” he

tea, and at len

d this is — and how

— eh?”

, stuffing his

erybody?”

th Cyril Scott. Can’t stand

her nice,” said Tanny.

at Josephine,

? I thought so. And she likes h

kely,” s

’re jealous,”

. “Not a bit. Like to se

you been do

a few days w

! I can’t b

this wife again: purely friendly. Tanny did most of the talking. Jim excited her, with his

ad to be suddenly starting off to keep sudden appointments, or he felt he was a void in the atmosphere. He talked to Lilly about social refor

es had come to look for. He intended to do his best. Af

will happen to the world?” L

something big c

re f

Japan — they’re the two po

sia and Americ

and Japan. I know it. I’ve had a vision of it. Ireland

ee how,” s

OW— But I had

ort of

’t desc

much of the Japanese,

Jim. “What, don’t you t

they’re rathe

ation of the worl

Lilly. “I think they’r

h? Now that’s

imply dropped in masses. But those that reached the trenches jumped in with bare hands on the Russians and tore their faces apart and bit their throats out — fairly ripped the faces off the bone.— It had sent the doctor a bit cracked. He s

, and smiled as i

ally —!”

demon than angel, I

ut you always exag

,” sai

ating — fascinating — so qui

Jim, looking with a

ver would be marvellou

uld,” said Jim, sc

al British as much as

hem!” he said, wit

she. “And I believe there’s n

y!” sa

ish yourself,” s

y’s Irish — my mother

ou live i

won’t let me g

they prepared to go to bed. Jim was a bit tipsy, gri

y. He was surprised, because Jim

d he cut himself about half

l do,” s

it. Have cocoa wit

to have it i

bread in the ni

d

unny thin

and went downstairs. Lilly heard him roaming about — heard the woman come in to clean — heard them talking. So he got up to look aft

y in the kitchen w

the bread and butter were, so I said should I cut him a piece. But he wouldn’

lly at breakfast time, “why

I’ve been starved du

bread won’t

o work at, and prevents it gri

ant to keep your stomac

I’m losing life, if I don’t. I tell you I’m

lieve bread

m talked about the

hing time has ever produced,”

crucifixions ad infi

? Why

ough — and

fice are the finest things in l

God, I am willing to sacrifice for Him. That is, I’m willing to yield my own personal i

” said Jim. “I think the greatest j

u love, you me

love — love — love. I sacrifice myself to love.

yourself to an abstract

ty of it. Who represents the principle doesn’t ma

must be SOMEBODY you love, not abstract love in itse

Christ detestable,” said

e world has prod

n’t you see it’s the Judas principle you really worship. Judas is t

t Judas wasn’t the greatest of the disciples — and Jesus kn

uraged him in his Jud

d knowingl

das is a rotten, dirty worm, just a dirty little self-conscious sentimental twister. And out of all Christianity he is the he

thousand years to begin to understand him,” said J

all its weight on a piece of treachery makes that treachery not only inevitable but

produced, or ever will produce

aid Lilly. “Fo

st wild anemones. The sun was quite warm. The three were about to tak

aid Jim. “Mind if I

bullied, almost obscenely bullied. Was he g

ou went tomor

opposite Jim, dropped

omorrow?”

ay,” sa

e looked up and got Lilly’s eye

you went Thursday

Tanny, who was sufferin

u some way if you like,” said Lilly

Jim. “We’ll d

the woods. Between Jim and Tanny was a sort of g

onal tone for?” cried Lilly at Tanny, as the

at all, am I, Mr. Br

illy, and gri

t you be, any

retorted.

Mr. Bricknell, that it’s lovely to be able to talk quite simply to somebody? Oh, it’s

” cried Tanny.

ng,” said Li

ement. They rose, and went to look for an inn, and b

spring, with crocuses and wall-flowers in the cottag

e it —“Meet you for a walk on your return journey Lois.” At once Tanny wanted to know all about Lois. L

to meet me tomorrow,” he

coming out of London, should meet Jim. Then the happy pair could walk along

Having so inhospitably fixed the hour of departure, Lilly wanted to be nice. Arr

lly. “We’ll go

tation-master and the signal man, quite officer- and-my-men kind of thing. Lilly sat out on the steps of the signal- box, rather ashamed, while the long telegram was s

oll in the woods, while Tanny prepared the dinner. Jim agreed, and they set out. The two men wandered thr

r of fact,” he said, “it’s nothing but love and self

urgundy I feel myself restored at the middle — right here! I feel the energy

ll in love?”

es

hat do you want to poke yourself

without it. I’m

e yourself. If you dro

like. I used to get the most grand feelings — like a great rush of force, or light — a great rush — right here, as I’

r what?— for

man, I

l, leave love alone, as any t

ctor has any say in. It’s what I feel inside me. I feel the life going. I know it’s going. I never get those inrushe

yourself and you

’t. It’s a s

nto a woman’s lap. You should stand by yourself and learn to be by yourself. Why don’t you be more like the Japanese you talk about? Quiet, aloof little devils.

used

he laughed. It se

. Why can’t you gat

the

yourself

ods back to the cottage. Jim staggered and stumbled like a drunken man: or wor

hambled, in a state of nauseous weak relaxation. However, they reached the cottage: and food and b

sat once more talk

the fire, the other two in the a

king with Lois towards London tom

doesn’t he walk by himself, without wanti

y. “YOU see that you have a woman

t need holding,

ngrateful and mannish. Because I hold you safe enough all

t that moment. “Anyhow,” and he turned to Jim, “it’s time you’d done

I, if I like

not?” sa

ou, stumbling and staggering with no use i

you? “s

be loved which does it. A maudlin crying to b

at’s it?”

ready to hold your hand the moment you go away. And before she lets go, you’ll be wiring for

e in love —” said Jim, wa

if it did you no harm. But when you stagger and stumble d

e him two or three hard blows with his fists, upon the front of th

have to do it, if

d not breathe. He sat rigid, paralysed as a winded man is. But he wouldn’t let it be seen. With all his will he prevented himself from g

ught for his breath. Tanny opened her eyes wide in a sort of pleased bewilderme

silence, sudden

he managed to compress and control into speech. Then he sat motionless again, conc

his chair, and

said, in a rather small voice. “But I k

in Jim’s voice, as if the whole thing had been semi-deliberate. He detected the sort of

but still rather pleased, as if she demanded

pect to say all those thin

wer. Jim glanced at him

like him better than any man I’ve ever known, I beli

shed through

oked for her h

he things you do without their having an

ed the words out coldly. “He w

ued now. Tanny loo

it coming on

know the things he says.” She was pleased

others no doubt attributed his silence to deep or fierce thoughts. It was nothing of the kind, merely a cold struggle

r liked a man more than I like hi

ck safely in

It’s nothing. I’ve done my talki

t get an answer, you know — and that’s why you go so far — in

!” sai

ng. I don’t mind wha

without considering the person he’s talking to. This time it’s come back on h

he says. I don’t mi

rently. “I say what I feel — You do

lowed this speech. It was brok

aughing rather shrilly. “Suddenly, like a t

eh!” said J

he looked again at her husband. “But, Raw

ff face did

king at her coldly. “What

so much,” she s

o thaw, and in vain Tanny gave her digs at her husband. Lilly’s stiff, inscr

tryside and enjoyed the walk. But a hardness inside himself never relaxed. Jim talked a little again about the future of the world, and a higher state of Christlikeness in man. But Lilly only la

eresting topic?”

d Tanny, nettled. “Wh

intend to,”

if severed with a knife. Jim walke

train came. They all said goodbye. Jim and Tanny were both waiting for Lilly to

Lois will be there all right. Thi

ham?” said Jim, lean

called Tanny, after

said Lilly, n

in. Lilly never intended to see him:

coming so near to people, wanting t