ix. THE VERONICA. ^3 



What the blossom is to the rest of the plant, the face 

 of man is to his body and his whole being. Human 

 life flowers in the human face. It brings the whole 

 man to the surface; and as the mirror of the inward 

 man, it reflects every subtle shade of thought and every 

 varying light of feeling. It is moulded from within 

 according to the likeness of the mind and heart which 

 it envelops. The matter of the universe in it bears the 

 soul's expression. God re-creates the world in the face 

 of man. In it alone He fully accomplishes His divine 

 idea. The loveliness of nature becomes in it conscious 

 of itself. The light of the sun is transfigured in its eye 

 into the light of intelligence ; the crimson of the rose 

 passes on its cheek into the bloom and blush of love ; 

 the murmur of the stream and the sigh of the wind are 

 transformed upon its lips into music and eloquence. 

 It implies society ; for were man destined to live alone 

 his countenance would not have been formed as it is to 

 exhibit upon it every thought and emotion that ani- 

 mate him, which, in spite of the most careful drilling 

 of the features, reveal themselves to others by unmistak- 

 able signs. Think how it would be with us if we had 

 only the presence of our friends without their faces. 

 There could be no intercourse of love, no meeting of 

 heart with heart, no sharpening by the countenance of 

 a friend as iron sharpeneth iron. Life would be a dark, 

 dreary void, like the earth without the sun. 



In like manner the blossom is the face of the plant, 

 in which all that is in its life appears to view, and the 

 beauty hidden in the dark cloud of its foliage breaks 



