Europe and elsewhere, by Mark Twain [pseud.] [with an appreciation by Brander Matthews and an introduction by Albert Bigelow Paine]

EVE SPEAKS

"He has slept enough for his good, and his garden
suffers for his care. Wake him."
"I have tried and cannot."
"Then he is very tired. Let him sleep on."
"I think it is his hurt that makes him sleep so
long."
I answer: "It may be so. Then we will let him
rest; no doubt the sleep is healing it."
II
It is a day and a night, now, that he has slept.
We found him by his altar in his field, that morning,
his face and body drenched in blood. He said his
eldest brother struck him down. Then he spoke no
more and fell asleep. We laid him in his bed and
washed the blood away, and were glad to know the
hurt was light and that he had no pain; for if he
had had pain he would not have slept.
It was in the early morning that we found him.
All day he slept that sweet, reposeful sleep, lying
always on his back, and never moving, never turning. It showed how tired he was, poor thing. He is
so good and works so hard, rising with the dawn and
laboring till the dark. And now he is overworked;
it will be best that he tax himself less, after this, and
I will ask him; he will do anything I wish.
All the day he slept. I know, for I was always
near, and made dishes for him and kept them warm
against his waking. Often I crept in and fed my
eyes upon his gentle face, and was thankful for that
blessed sleep. And still he slept on-slept with his
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