4 io LITERARY PAPERS 



as any one may prove by testing and proving in daily life the 

 poet's far-reaching conclusions. Now what is the meaning of 

 all this externality of true speaking, true living, true searching ? 

 Absolutely meaningless nothings, as external expressions pure 

 and simple; but pregnant, all meaning and powerful as forms 

 in which our thoughts live and breathe. These thoughts to be 

 vital must be centred in the inner shrine of being with God; 

 they must be firmly anchored by intent in the stream of Truth. 

 Then, and not until then, will the outward forms of our speech 

 and activity become vitalized entities, and not prove worthless 

 husks. 



At the moment of death or great danger the veil is often- 

 times raised and delusions vanish. 



"At the word, the woman's eyes, slow wandering till they neared 

 The blue eyes o'er the bush of honey-colored beard, 

 Took in full light and sense and tore to rags some dream 

 Which hid the naked truth O loud and long the scream 

 She gave, as if all power of voice within her throat 

 Poured itself wild away to waste in one dread note!" 



The thought of death brings another thought that beyond 

 death higher Truth abides. When Alkestis in " Balaustion's 

 Adventure" was borne to take her last look at the sun, and the 

 living to look their last at Alkestis, Balaustion says, 



"We grew to see in that severe regard, . . . 

 What Death meant when he called her consecrate 

 Henceforth to Hades. I believe, the sword 

 Its office was to cut the soul at once 

 From life, from something in this world which hides 

 Truth, and hides falsehood, and so lets us live 

 Somehow." 



Often the realization of our true purpose of living becomes 

 known to us by ways and means insignificant in themselves 

 but great as their influences turn us to broader living and 

 knowledge of good and evil. The flight of the Duchess is an 

 incident where this thought finds expression. Events in our 

 past lives may in years after, through memory, be powerful 

 movers in freeing us from the fetters of Ignorance. Then, 



