THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 259 



tie was oppressive, and then delicious. Lights 

 gleamed in friendiness from the houses, the 

 stars twinkled with increasing brilliance. I 

 could hear my heart beats, I could hear the 

 "music of the spheres," or thought I could. The 

 third afterglow had utterly faded out. The 

 lights in the houses were being turned up ; one 

 burned brightly from a chamber window. I 

 knew it was set there for me by one whose heart 

 and hand were ever full of kindest ministries — • 

 set there that I might be cheered, and so I was. 



Over my head and all about glowed the stars 

 in familiar constellations. Old and dear 

 friends, loved from earliest boyhood and 

 known by name since college days through that 

 dear old professor's kindness and telescope. 

 How large they appeared, how close about me, 

 looking at me and speaking to mel how they 

 throbbed and blazed! Ah! what communion 

 with Him who formed Orion and the Pleiades, 

 and who gave the morning stars the power of 

 song far back at creation's dawn. 



The village clock struck ten — stillness and 

 conscious joy growing intenser. I would rather 

 be up here alone in the felt presence of "God 

 and His Worlds" than in the gayest or wisest 

 groupings down there. Those are not in their 

 time and place to be despised, but this still 



