After a Dry Summer 179 



thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it 

 bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower 

 and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that 

 goeth out of my mouth ; it shall not return unto 

 me void, but it shall accomplish that which I 

 please, and it shall prosper in the things whereto 

 I send it.&quot; 



It is still a question whether the voice of the 

 people is the voice of God, though we believe 

 that true but that Nature is the action of God 

 is sure. We may fret and complain and worry 

 over what the sun and the rains do or fail to do, 

 but in the domain of law that began before the 

 world was on planets yet unknown in other uni 

 verses of which we have not an inkling, these same 

 causes have been operating forever, and will for 

 ever so operate in myriads of worlds to come. 

 Out of all that exists, or seems to exist, there is 

 nothing that shall last save the soul ; and the 

 small conditions of earth, in Nature as well as in 

 moral and social, national and globe-wide rela 

 tions, are but experiences and disciplines for the 

 soul. If the glory of summer is rich and satisfy 

 ing, or if it be cruel and withering, if autumn be 

 crowned and glorified with colour or dun and dis 

 couraging under drouth, it is all one in the essen 

 tial matter. We reckon in years and days, God 

 and Nature have no dates. 



