IN THE FOREST OF ARDEN. 157 



hours came not infrequently to Rosalind and ray- 

 self in the old days before we set out for the Forest. 

 We found unfailing consolation and strength in our 

 common faith and purpose, but the frigidity of the 

 atmosphere made us conscious at times of the effort 

 one puts forth to simply sustain the life of his 

 ideals, the charm and sweetness of those secret 

 hopes which feed the soul. What must it be to live 

 among those who are quick to recognize nobility of 

 motive, to conspire with aspiration, to believe in 

 the best and highest in each other ? It was to taste 

 such a life as this, to feel the consoling power of 

 mutual faith and the inspiration of a common de 

 votion to the ideals that were dearest to us, that 

 our thoughts turned so often and with such long 

 ing to Arden. In such moments we opened with 

 delight certain books which were full of the joy 

 and beauty of the Forest life ; books which brought 

 back the dreams that were fading out and touched 

 us afresh with the unsearchable charm and beauty 

 of the Ideal. Surely there could no better fortune 

 befall us than to be able to call these great minis 

 tering spirits our friends. 



But, strong as was our longing, we were not 

 without misgivings when we first found ourselves 

 in Arden. In this commerce of ideas and hopes, 

 what had we to give in exchange ? How could we 

 claim that equality with those we longed to know 

 which is the only basis of friendship ? We were 

 unconsciously carrying into the Forest the limi- 



