THE BAPTISM OF DIRT 



No one but the artist knows how eloquently 

 still and prophetic September is. It is her rest 

 that floods him with inscrutable delight, and 

 coaxes out of him the longings and the hopes 

 that enter into and unite with the great inarticu 

 late psalm. I say &quot; hopes &quot; deliberately ; and 

 yet faith would be a better word, for the aesthetic 

 nature gets mildly and religiously intoxicated: 



&quot; His faith is fast 

 That all the loveliness he d sing 



Is made to bear the mortal blast 

 And blossom in a better spring.&quot; 



It is only the artist who can see the possible 

 sunrise in the actual sunset. 



In the Doctor s office in the city there is hung 

 upon his wall one Scripture motto. I have often 

 looked at it wonderingly, asking myself what it 

 meant, and how it came to be there. This is 

 what it says : 



&quot; For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One 

 of Israel. In returning and in rest shall ye be 

 saved. In quietness and confidence shall be your 

 strength, and ye would not.&quot; 



One day I was waiting there with an artist 

 friend, who was badly run down, and needed 

 advice. We expected the Doctor to come in at 

 any moment. My friend stood looking at the 

 text, musingly. 



&quot; Well,&quot; I asked, &quot;what do you make of it ? &quot; 



He looked at me dreamily, and said : 

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