336 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



— tlie mountains, of sublime ! We must uncliain tlie winter 

 — quell the torrid sun ! — 



We must charm the water — ^make its sedges spread — 

 Must win all bitter berries up and make them turn to bread ! 

 E'en the insensate sod 



Must wake to know its life, 

 To feel it has a God, 

 And join the upward strife! 



So she spoke, in a rapid, distinct manner, for some moments, 

 and then abruptly ceased. This wild and half-poetical rhap- 

 sody impressed me quite as solemnly as the mythical mutterings 

 of a Pythoness would have done, and I could make no reply. 

 Very soon she commenced speaking again, in a voice still 

 more subdued. 



" This sounds to you as altogether vague, because the 

 thoughts are new. But do you know these thoughts are as 

 old as humanity ? Men have always thought so — when they 

 had brains to think with ; they have not, except in isolated 

 instances, dared to speak what they knew ! They have hidden 

 their sense in allegories — they have spoken in double mean- 

 ings — or they have demonstrated in words. This was not 

 sufficient. Mankind requires something more than words ! 

 The hieroglyphics of our infancy, as a race, must not be ren- 

 dered into demonstration alone — but into physical realities. 

 We must speak in creations — like Gods ! — if we wish to be 

 worthy of our trust. We must prove that he — and we ! — 

 possessing the ' one talent' — (which simply means our earth) ! 

 are worthy ; and that it may not be given to him possessing 

 five ! In a word, we shall not and cannot wrap that ' one 

 talent in a napkin !' AVe must work in our own despite and 

 for our own self-respect — must be doing for the good of others, 

 as well as ourselves !" 



" But how ?" said I, humbly — " It is easy enough to dig !" 



" yes ! — to delve is the lot of our race ! But we must 



**" 4 



