Goodness

In Alan Paton’s beautiful novel, “Cry the Beloved Country,” there is a young man who was born late in his parents’ lives. He leaves his home in the hill country and goes down to the city. He never writes or sends back news. Finally, his elderly father decides to go to the city to find his boy. Because he hasn’t spent much time in the city, he has a hard time of it there. He is bewildered and confused and he doesn’t know where to begin. Then he is befriended by a city minister who hears his story and resolves to help him. The old man moves in with the minister who goes out of his way, spending time trying to help the father pick up clues, to get on the trail of his son. And when they seem to be making progress, the old man, with tears in his eyes, is trying to thank the minister for all he has done. He can’t quite…