CHAPTER XXVII. THE FIRST BLUESTOCKING.

herds,halfhunters,theirflockswanderwildastheirprey.Aretheyhappy?No,notmorehappythanweareatthisday.Aretheygood?No,notbetterthanourselves.Theirnatureisournature—humanboth.Thereisoneinthistribetoooftenmiserable—achildbereavedofbothparents.Nonecaresforthischild.Sheisfedsometimes,butoftenerforgotten.Ahutrarelyreceivesherthehollowtreeandchillcavernareherhome.Forsaken,lost,andwandering,shelivesmorewiththewildbeastandbirdthanwithherownkind.Hungerandcoldarehercomradessadnesshoversover,andsolitudebesetsherround.Unheededandunvalued,sheshoulddiebutshebothlivesandgrows.Thegreenwildernessnursesher,andbecomestoheramotherfeedsheronjuicyberry,onsaccharinerootandnut. Thereissomethingintheairofthisclimewhichfosterslifekindly.Theremustbesomething,too,initsdewswhichhealswithsovereignbalm.Itsgentleseasonsexaggeratenopassion,nosenseitstemperaturetendstoharmonyitsbreezes,youwouldsay,bringdownfromheaventhegermofpurethoughtandpurerfeeling.Notgrotesquelyfantasticaretheformsofcliffandfoliage,notviolentlyvividthecolouringofflowerandbird.Inallthegrandeuroftheseforeststhereisreposeinalltheirfreshnessthereistenderness. Thegentlecharmvouchsafedtoflowerandtree,bestowedondeeranddove,hasnotbeendeniedtothehumannursling.Allsolitary,shehassprungupstraightandgraceful.Naturecastherfeaturesinafinemouldtheyhavematuredintheirpure,accuratefirstlines,unalteredbytheshocksofdisease.Nofiercedryblasthasdealtrudelywiththesurfaceofherframenoburningsunhascrispedorwitheredhertresses.Herformgleamsivory-whitethroughthetreesherhairflowsplenteous,long,andglossyhereyes,notdazzledbyverticalfires,beamintheshadelargeandopen,andfullanddewy.Abovethoseeyes,whenthebreezebaresherforehead,shinesanexpansefairandample—aclear,candidpage,whereonknowledge,shouldknowledgeevercome,mightwriteagoldenrecord.Youseeinthedesolateyoungsavagenothingviciousorvacant.Shehauntsthewoodharmlessandthoughtful,thoughofwhatonesountaughtcanthinkitisnoteasytodivine. Ontheeveningofonesummerday,beforetheFlood,beingutterlyalone—forshehadlostalltraceofhertribe,whohadwanderedleaguesaway,sheknewnotwhere—shewentupfromthevale,towatchDaytakeleaveandNightarrive.Acragoverspreadbyatreewasherstation.Theoakroots,turfedandmossed,gaveaseattheoakboughs,thick-leaved,woveacanopy. SlowandgrandtheDaywithdrew,passinginpurplefire,andpartingtothefarewellofawild,lowchorusfromthewoodlands.ThenNightentered,quietasdeath.Thewindfell,thebirdsceasedsinging.Noweverynestheldhappymates,andhartandhindslumberedblissfullysafeintheirlair. Thegirlsat,herbodystill,hersoulastiroccupied,however,ratherinfeelingthaninthinking,inwishingthanhoping,inimaginingthanprojecting.Shefelttheworld,thesky,thenight,boundlesslymighty.Ofallthingsherselfseemedtoherselfthecentre—asmall,forgottenatomoflife,asparkofsoul,emittedinadvertentfromthegreatcreativesource,andnowburningunmarkedtowasteintheheartofablackhollow.Sheasked,wasshethustoburnoutandperish,herlivinglightdoingnogood,neverseen,neverneeded—astarinanelsestarlessfirmament,whichnorshepherd,norwanderer,norsage,norpriesttrackedasaguideorreadasaprophecy?Couldthisbe,shedemanded,whentheflameofherintelligenceburnedsovividwhenherlifebeatsotrue,andreal,andpotentwhensomethingwithinherstirreddisquieted,andrestlesslyassertedaGod-givenstrength,forwhichitinsistedsheshouldfindexercise? ShegazedabroadonHeavenandEvening.HeavenandEveninggazedbackonher.Shebentdown,searchingbank,hill,river,spreaddimbelow.Allshequestionedrespondedbyoracles.Sheheard—shewasimpressedbutshecouldnotunderstand.Aboveherheadsheraisedherhandsjoinedtogether. "Guidance—help—comfort—come!"washercry. Therewasnovoice,noranythatanswered. Shewaited,kneeling,steadfastlylookingup.Yonderskywassealedthesolemnstarsshonealienandremote. AtlastoneoverstretchedchordofheragonyslackedshethoughtSomethingaboverelentedshefeltasifSomethingfarrounddrewnighersheheardasifSilencespoke.Therewasnolanguage,noword,onlyatone. Again—afine,full,loftytone,adeep,softsound,likeastormwhispering,madetwilightundulate. Oncemore,profounder,nearer,clearer,itrolledharmonious. Yetagain—adistinctvoicepassedbetweenHeavenandEarth. "Eva!" IfEvawerenotthiswoman'sname,shehadnone.Sherose."HereamI." "Eva!" "ONight(itcanbebutNightthatspeaks),Iamhere!" Thevoice,descending,reachedEarth. "Eva!" "Lord,"shecried,"beholdthinehandmaid!" Shehadherreligion—alltribesheldsomecreed. "Icome—aComforter!" "Lord,comequickly!" TheEveningflushedfullofhopetheAirpantedtheMoon—risingbefore—ascendedlarge,butherlightshowednoshape. "Leantowardsme,Eva.Entermyarmsreposethus." "ThusIlean,OInvisiblebutfelt!Andwhatartthou?" "Eva,Ihavebroughtalivingdraughtfromheaven.DaughterofMan,drinkofmycup!" "Idrink:itisasifsweetestdewvisitedmylipsinafullcurrent.Myaridheartrevivesmyafflictionislightenedmystraitandstrugglearegone.Andthenightchanges!thewood,thehill,themoon,thewidesky—allchange!" "Allchange,andforever.ItakefromthyvisiondarknessIloosenfromthyfacultiesfetters!IlevelinthypathobstaclesIwithmypresencefillvacancy.Iclaimasminethelostatomoflife.Itaketomyselfthesparkofsoul—burningheretoforeforgotten!" "Otakeme!Oclaimme!Thisisagod." "ThisisasonofGod—onewhofeelshimselfintheportionoflifethatstirsyou.Heissufferedtoreclaimhisown,andsotofosterandaidthatitshallnotperishhopeless." "AsonofGod!AmIindeedchosen?" "Thouonlyinthisland.IsawtheethatthouwertfairIknewtheethatthouwertmine.Tomeitisgiventorescue,tosustain,tocherishmineown.AcknowledgeinmethatSeraphonearthnamedGenius." "MygloriousBridegroom!trueDayspringfromonhigh!AllIwouldhaveatlastIpossess.Ireceivearevelation.Thedarkhint,theobscurewhisper,whichhavehauntedmefromchildhood,areinterpreted.ThouartHeIsought.Godborn,takeme,thybride!" "Unhumbled,Icantakewhatismine.DidInotgivefromthealtartheveryflamewhichlitEva'sbeing?Comeagainintotheheavenwhencethouwertsent." ThatPresence,invisiblebutmighty,gatheredherinlikealambtothefoldthatvoice,softbutall-pervading,vibratedthroughherheartlikemusic.Hereyereceivednoimageandyetasensevisitedhervisionandherbrainasoftheserenityofstainlessair,thepowerofsovereignseas,themajestyofmarchingstars,theenergyofcollidingelements,therootedenduranceofhillswidebased,and,aboveall,asofthelustreofheroicbeautyrushingvictoriousontheNight,vanquishingitsshadowslikeadivinersun. SuchwasthebridalhourofGeniusandHumanity.Whoshallrehearsethetaleoftheirafter-union?Whoshalldepictitsblissandbale?WhoshalltellhowHebetweenwhomandtheWomanGodputenmityforgeddeadlyplotstobreakthebondordefileitspurity?WhoshallrecordthelongstrifebetweenSerpentandSeraph:—HowstilltheFatherofLiesinsinuatedevilintogood,prideintowisdom,grossnessintoglory,painintobliss,poisonintopassion?Howthe"dreadlessAngel"defied,resisted,andrepelled?Howagainandagainherefinedthepollutedcup,exaltedthedebasedemotion,rectifiedthepervertedimpulse,detectedthelurkingvenom,baffledthefrontlesstemptation—purified,justified,watched,andwithstood?How,byhispatience,byhisstrength,bythatunutterableexcellenceheheldfromGod—hisOrigin—thisfaithfulSeraphfoughtforHumanityagoodfightthroughtimeand,whenTime'scourseclosed,andDeathwasencounteredattheend,barringwithfleshlessarmtheportalsofEternity,howGeniusstillheldclosehisdyingbride,sustainedherthroughtheagonyofthepassage,borehertriumphantintohisownhome,Heavenrestoredher,redeemed,toJehovah,herMakerandatlast,beforeAngelandArchangel,crownedherwiththecrownofImmortality? Whoshallofthesethingswritethechronicle? "Inevercouldcorrectthatcomposition,"observedShirley,asMooreconcluded."Yourcensor-pencilscoreditwithcondemnatorylines,whosesignificationIstrovevainlytofathom." Shehadtakenacrayonfromthetutor'sdesk,andwasdrawinglittleleaves,fragmentsofpillars,brokencrosses,onthemarginofthebook. "Frenchmaybehalfforgotten,butthehabitsoftheFrenchlessonareretained,Isee,"saidLouis."Mybookswouldnow,aserst,beunsafewithyou.Mynewly-boundSt.PierrewouldsoonbelikemyRacine—MissKeeldar,herma