SUNSET 99 



the valleys. The snow mountains no longer look 

 cold, hard, and austere. Their purity remains as 

 true as ever. And they still possess their uplifting 

 power. But they now speak of serenity and calm 

 not, indeed, of the unsatisfying ease of the sloth- 

 ful, but of the earned repose of high attainment. 

 Great peace is about them deep, strong, satisfying 

 peace. 



The sun finally sets. Night has settled in the 

 valleys. The lights of Darjiling sparkle in the 

 darkness. But long afterwards a glow still remains 

 on Kinchinjunga. Lastly that also fades away. 

 And now night spreads her veil on every part. But 

 here night brings with it no sense of gloom and 

 darkness, much less death. Far otherwise, for now 

 it seems as if we were only beginning our intenser 

 and still wider life. The fret of ordinary life is 

 soothed away in the serene ending of the day. The 

 quietness, profound and meaningful, yet further 

 calms our spirit. Every condition is now favour- 

 able for the life of that inmost soul of us, which is 

 too sensitive often to emerge into the glare and rubs 

 of daylight life, but which in this holy peace, in the 

 presence of the heavenly mountains, and with the 

 stars above to guide it, can reach out to its fullest 

 extent and indulge its highest aspirations. 



