THE TURN OF THE TIDE. 105 



and at even is itself an unspoken prayer. The 

 moment of completion in the history of any great 

 work is always sacred. When the noise and dust 

 of the working days are gone, the great illuminat 

 ing thought shines out unobscured ; and in the 

 perception of this universal element, which on the 

 instant wins recognition from every mind, the per 

 sonal element vanishes ; the mere skill of the 

 workman is forgotten in the new revelation of soul 

 which it has given the world. For the same reason 

 Nature takes on in these few and peaceful days a 

 spiritual aspect, and the most careless finds himself 

 touched, perhaps saddened, he knows not how or 

 why. 



Now again is the old mystery and deep secret 

 of life forced upon thought : &quot; Except a grain of 

 wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself 

 alone ; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.&quot; When 

 the tide was at the flood it was enough to breathe 

 the air and listen to the magical music of advanc 

 ing life ; but now, when the tide begins to recede 

 and leave the vast shores bare and silent, one must 

 think, whether he will or not. Nature, that was 

 careless poet, flower-crowned and buoyant with the 

 promise of eternal youth, turns teacher, and will 

 not suffer us to escape the deeper truths, the more 

 searching and awful lessons. As the physical falls 

 away the spiritual comes into clear and compelling 

 distinctness. Who that goes abroad in these quiet 

 days, and feels the subtle change from the grosser 



