Book III

First Words and First Works

by C. M. S. Mason

I

Two Follow Christ
St. John i. 37-40

the two who heard John speak left him, amazed,
And followed Jesus. Turning round, He saw.
"What seek ye ?" said He, word of common speech
For thousand small occasions ; sword of the Spirit,
Searching out purpose, judging aimless ways :
"What seek ye ?" still His word to thee and me.
the question fell as a rebuke on these ;
Why track His steps ? In shamefaced awkwardness,
"Master, where dwellest Thou ?" say they ; no words
Save blunt, intrusive query came to them.
("Master, we would know where Thou art," our cry.)
Beholding them, "Come and see," His word.
They went and saw. Had they but told whose house
Sheltered the Christ, the name e'en of the street,

107
108

One other shrine for Christian thought there were!
And they abode with Him that day ; - two hours
Christ gave Himself, poured out new wine of life ; ---
And they knew what they sought. As the sun set,
They came forth shining from the Light of the World!

One of the two was Andrew, gentle saint,
Of the four chosen for they lovèd much :
The other, was he John, the scribe who wrote
The words of life Christ spake to common folk?
But wherefore not a word of all that speech
Jesus held with the two in those two hours?
As lover may not breathe in common air
The words she spake when first he told his love,
Is't that this lover the surpassing sweetness
Disclosed to Him in Christ may not reveal?
Or, somewhere in the world, is, yet, a parchment
On which John wrote those first enthralling words ?