The doer of good

The original story "the doer of good" by oscar wilde (http://www.planetmonk.com/wilde/poemsinprose/doer.html)
was excellent but only told half the story. I decided to write the other half to make up for it.


It was night time and He was alone. And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city. And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laugh of the mouth of seeming-gladness and the loud noise of many lutes. And He knocked at the gate and certain of the gate-keepers opened to him. And He beheld a house that was of marble and had fair pillars of marble before it. The pillars were hung with garlands, and within and without there were torches of cedar. And He entered the house.
And when He had passed through the hall of Chalcedony and the hall of jasper, and reached the long hall of feasting, He saw lying on the couch of sea purple one whose hair was crowned with red roses and whose lips were red with wine.
And He went behind him and touched him on the shoulder and said to him, “Why do you live like this?” And the dolor in his eyes dimmed the beauty of the palace.
And the young man turned around and seemed to recognized Him, and made answer and said, “But I was a leper once, and you healed me. How else should I live?”
He spake not a word but sought out a chalice of deep red wine. And He dipped His finger in it and did make with it on the ivory table some short marks, and, lo, the wine did turn to blood and root itself firmly in the table, so that no man could remove the writing.
And the young man did rise with composure to read what He had written. And he did blanche and tremble forth with at what they signified.
And He passed out of the house and went again into the street.
And after a little while He saw one whose face and raiment were painted and whose feet were shod with pearls. And behind her came, slowly as a hunter, a young man who wore a cloak of two colors. Now the face of the woman was as the fair face of an idol, and the eyes of the young man were bright with lust. And He followed them swiftly and touched the hand of the young man and said to him, “Why do you look at this woman and in such wise?” And the young man turned around and seemed to recognize Him and said, “But I was blind once, and you gave me sight. At what else should I look?”
And He touched the cloak of two colors and, lo, it came undone at the seams and fell in two ribbons at his feet. “Verily unto you I say, dawn of sun over night I have given you without seeking your gainsay, but this my next gift is for you to keep an you chose. Be no more known by your cloak of duplicity and be whole.”
And he leaned and whispered in the ear of the young man such words of wisdom as did make his eyes start and fall in thought.
And the young man remained in pensive stance as He ran forward and touched the painted raiment of the woman and said to her, “Is there no other way in which to walk save the way of sin?”
And the woman turned and seemed to recognize Him, and laughed and said, “But you forgave me my sins, and the way is a pleasant way.”
And He knelt at her feet and grasped a pebble in His hand and showed it to her and wiped it clean and threw it into the mud anew. Then He took her hand and touched the pearls and spoke, “The pearls I meant for you were not of this ilk, indeed this would not bear up in the company of even the least of them but would have been placed in the street to keep proper company.” And He bent her head and bestowed on her forehead the blessing-kiss
And he passed out of the city.
And when He passed out of the city He saw seated by the roadside a young man who was weeping.
And He went towards him and touched the long locks of his hair and said to him, “Why are you weeping?”
And the young man looked up and recognized Him and made answer, “But I was dead once and you raised me from the dead, what else should I do but weep?”And He responded “Why what else but dance, laugh, sing, shout, for you and I alone among men have seen past the dark shroud and know the bright beauty of the unknown! Speak of what you have seen to no man, for it is useless. But live the life you glimpsed past the great divide and draw the denizens of this world into the next, for we must strive to live in both worlds.”
And the young man made answer, “But I weep because I am mortal and will forget, The sins of my past will regrow their old luster as this new world becomes a distant memory than present fact to me.”
And He threw his arms around him in comradely fashion and spake unto him, “But I will visit you often as I do now. I have many babes here in this valley that need my teaching. You will not always recognize me, but I am there al the same. What say you? Thrice have I met with disappointment and vanquished it by planting the seed whose flower blooms eternally. But they have need of the water of your testimony. Will you weep and despair, or will you hope?”
And the young man threw of his cloak of mourning and sped towards the town with the light of day on his countenance.






And it happened that he met one dressed in simple garments sitting at the gates of a large house. And he heard the sound of joy coming from the house and he saw dancing mirth in the eyes of the young man. And as he walked by the young man called out to him and beseeched him to stay and take council with him.
And he stayed and they took council together. And the one with red lips spake unto and said, “It has not been many nights since I took up my vigil here. The Lord of this house is expected to return at any time and I do not wish to be taken by surprise a second time.” And he said unto him, “But surly this merrymaking will not be to your masters’ taste, if he returns and finds the household in the throes of celebration and not in preparation?”
“Verily, I say, he has already come and done so. Much to my shame he appeared but a fortnight ago and found me in the midst of all those luxuries whose innocence is their danger. I recognized Him but knew Him not. And He asked of me wherefore I lived in the manner I did. I made answer and spake that it was because He had healed my of my malady that I now partook of all that was pleasurable in the world. He spake not a word to me but drew on the table these words in His very blood: Now that you know the truth, your sins be upon your own head. Friend, I trembled at the sight of my doom, and hastened to make amends. I have been sitting here ever since, hoping I might catch Him as He passed by. But find Him I could not, and the food and wine I had prepared as my atonement feast were going to waste. And it happened that a beggar, being exceedingly exposed to the elements, passes by in such extremities of cold that I hastened him to my table and had him fed. And then I reasoned it would be for naught to turn away any who seemed so distressed when I had plenty, and that tainted eternally by the memory of the sins I committed with it. And so the beggars and the destitute and the paupers have been eating and drinking my food and wine, and they have been dancing my dances, to the accompaniment of my musicians, for I have had enough of such things for now”
And the weeper asked him fervently if he too could enter in and see such a thing.
And the one with vine leaves in his hair answered him that he could.
The doors were held open for him and he entered into the courtyard of fountains and his eyes fell on a beggar dressed in tattered robes. And the beggar raised his head and, lo, it was He and his eyes sparkled with merriment.
And the weeper left the house of rejoicing and made his way into town.
And it came to pass that he was assailed in the streets by ruffians and a stranger rescued him from his plight. And the stranger wore a green coat all of one color.
And the stranger would accept nothing for his deed and laughed that he had all he needed, speaking “I have seen the dawning of the day to the soul as surly as I have seen the dawning of the sun. And what could you possibly offer that can compare?” And the weeper looked behind the stranger and saw Him smiling as he walked past.
And he left the stranger in the street and ran to follow Him.
And the weeper continued though the town and saw coming toward him a woman of surpassing beauty, her face shone liken to that of a pagan idol and the beauty of her was terrible to see. And the weeper looked on her and was distressed, for her eyes were milky stone and no life was in them. He looked and trembled for here was one who had seen and heard and understood and yet chose a path of a different nature to walk. Truly, the weeper though unto himself, here is reason for weeping indeed. And he walked past her with a sadness in his heart.