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see　every　man　your　brother？　　Are　you　so　sinless　you　have　right　to　hate？'

〃He　looked；　and　said；　'Yes；　you　are　right；　I　too　have　failed；　and　I　forgive　my　fellow。　　Go；　I　am　satisfied；　I　have　forgiven；'　and　he　laid　him　down　peacefully　and　folded　his　hands　on　his　breast；　and　I　thought　it　was　well　with　him。　　But　scarcely　had　my　wings　rustled　and　I　turned　to　come　up　here；　when　I　heard　one　crying　out　on　earth　again；　'I　cannot　forgive！　　I　cannot　forgive！　　Oh；　God；　God；　I　cannot　forgive！　　It　is　better　to　die　than　to　hate！　　I　cannot　forgive！　　I　cannot　forgive！'　　And　I　went　and　stood　outside　his　door　in　the　dark；　and　I　heard　him　cry；　'I　have　not　sinned　so；　not　so！　　If　I　have　torn　my　fellows'　flesh　ever　so　little；　I　have　kneeled　down　and　kissed　the　wound　with　my　mouth　till　it　was　healed。　　I　have　not　willed　that　any　soul　shall　be　lost　through　hate　of　me。　　If　they　have　but　fancied　that　I　wronged　them　I　have　lain　down　on　the　ground　before　them　that　they　might　tread　on　me；　and　so；　seeing　my　humiliation；　forgive　and　not　be　lost　through　hating　me；　they　have　not　cared　that　my　soul　should　be　lost；　they　have　not　willed　to　save　me；　they　have　not　tried　that　I　should　forgive　them！'

〃I　said　to　him；　'See　here；　be　thou　content；　do　not　forgive：　　forget　this　soul　and　its　injury；　go　on　your　way。　　In　the　next　world　perhaps'

〃He　cried；　'Go　from　me；　you　understand　nothing！　　What　is　the　next　world　to　me！　　I　am　lost　now；　today。　　I　cannot　see　the　sunlight　shine；　the　dust　is　in　my　throat；　the　sand　is　in　my　eyes！　　Go　from　me；　you　know　nothing！　　Oh；　once　again　before　I　die　to　see　that　the　world　is　beautiful！　　Oh；　God；　God；　I　cannot　live　and　not　love。　　I　cannot　live　and　hate。　　Oh；　God；　God；　God！'　　So　I　left　him　crying　out　and　came　back　here。〃

God　said；　〃This　man's　soul　must　be　saved。〃

And　the　angel　said　〃How？〃

God　said；　〃Go　down　you；　and　save　it。〃

The　angel　said；　〃What　more　shall　I　do？〃

Then　God　bent　down　and　whispered　in　the　angel's　ear；　and　the　angel　spread　out　its　wings　and　went　down　to　earth。

And　partly　I　woke；　sitting　there　upon　the　broken　stone　with　my　head　on　my　knee；　but　I　was　too　weary　to　rise。　　I　heard　the　wind　roam　through　the　olive　trees　and　among　the　ruined　arches；　and　then　I　slept　again。

The　angel　went　down　and　found　the　man　with　the　bitter　heart　and　took　him　by　the　hand；　and　led　him　to　a　certain　spot。

Now　the　man　wist　not　where　it　was　the　angel　would　take　him　nor　what　he　would　show　him　there。　　And　when　they　came　the　angel　shaded　the　man's　eyes　with　his　wing；　and　when　he　moved　it　the　man　saw　somewhat　on　the　earth　before　them。　　For　God　had　given　it　to　that　angel　to　unclothe　a　human　soul；　to　take　from　it　all　those　outward　attributes　of　form；　and　colour；　and　age；　and　sex；　whereby　one　man　is　known　from　among　his　fellows　and　is　marked　off　from　the　rest；　and　the　soul　lay　before　them；　bare；　as　a　man　turning　his　eye　inwards　beholds　himself。

They　saw　its　past；　its　childhood；　the　tiny　life　with　the　dew　upon　it；　they　saw　its　youth　when　the　dew　was　melting；　and　the　creature　raised　its　Lilliputian　mouth　to　drink　from　a　cup　too　large　for　it；　and　they　saw　how　the　water　spilt；　they　saw　its　hopes　that　were　never　realized；　they　saw　its　hours　of　intellectual　blindness；　men　call　sin；　they　saw　its　hours　of　all…　radiating　insight；　which　men　call　righteousness；　they　saw　its　hour　of　strength；　when　it　leaped　to　its　feet　crying；　〃I　am　omnipotent；〃　its　hour　of　weakness；　when　it　fell　to　the　earth　and　grasped　dust　only；　they　saw　what　it　might　have　been；　but　never　would　be。

The　man　bent　forward。

And　the　angel　said；　〃What　is　it？〃

He　answered；　〃It　is　I！　it　is　myself！〃　　And　he　went　forward　as　if　he　would　have　lain　his　heart　against　it；　but　the　angel　held　him　back　and　covered　his　eyes。

Now　God　had　given　power　to　the　angel　further　to　unclothe　that　soul；　to　take　from　it　all　those　outward　attributes　of　time　and　place　and　circumstance　whereby　the　individual　life　is　marked　off　from　the　life　of　the　whole。

Again　the　angel　uncovered　the　man's　eyes；　and　he　looked。　　He　saw　before　him　that　which　in　its　tiny　drop　reflects　the　whole　universe；　he　saw　that　which　marks　within　itself　the　step　of　the　furthest　star；　and　tells　how　the　crystal　grows　under　ground　where　no　eye　has　seen　it；　that　which　is　where　the　germ　in　the　egg　stirs；　which　moves　the　outstretched　fingers　of　the　little　newborn　babe；　and　keeps　the　leaves　of　the　trees　pointing　upward；　which　moves　where　the　jelly…fish　sail　alone　on　the　sunny　seas；　and　is　where　the　lichens　form　on　the　mountains'　rocks。

And　the　man　looked。

And　the　angel　touched　him。

But　the　man　bowed　his　head　and　shuddered。　　He　whispered〃It　is　God！〃

And　the　angel　re…covered　the　man's　eyes。　　And　when　he　uncovered　them　there　was　one　walking　from　them　a　little　way　off；for　the　angel　had　re…clothed　the　soul　in　its　outward　form　and　vestureand　the　man　knew　who　it　was。

And　the　angel　said；　〃Do　you　know　him？〃

And　the　man　said；　〃I　know　him；〃　and　he　looked　after　the　figure。

And　the　angel　said；　〃Have　you　forgiven　him？〃

But　the　man　said；　〃How　beautiful　my　brother　is！〃

And　the　angel　looked　into　the　man's　eyes；　and　he　shaded　his　own　face　with　his　wing　from　the　light。　　He　laughed　softly　and　went　up　to　God。

But　the　men　were　together　on　earth。

I　awoke。

The　blue；　blue　sky　was　over　my　head；　and　the　waves　were　breaking　below　on　the　shore。　　I　walked　through　the　little　chapel；　and　I　saw　the　Madonna　in　blue　and　red；　and　the　Christ　carrying　his　cross；　and　the　Roman　soldiers　with　the　rod；　and　the　Blessed　Bambino　with　its　broken　face；　and　then　I　walked　down　the　sloping　rock　to　the　brick　pathway。　　The　olive　trees　stood　up　on　either　side　of　the　road；　their　black　berries　and　pale…green　leaves　stood　out　against　the　sky；　and　the　little　ice…plants　hung　from　the　crevices　in　the　stone　wall。　　It　seemed　to　me　as　if　it　must　have　rained　while　I　was　asleep。　　I　thought　I　had　never　seen　the　heavens　and　the　earth　look　so　beautiful　before。　　I　walked　down　the　road。　　The　old；　old；　old　tiredness　was　gone。

Presently　there　came　a　peasant　boy　down　the　path　leading　his　ass；　she　had　two　large　panniers　fastened　to　her　sides；　and　they　went　down　the　road　before　me。

I　had　never　seen　him　before；　but　I　should　have　liked　to　walk　by　him　and　to　have　held　his　handonly；　he　would　not　have　known　why。

Alassio；　Italy。



VIII。　　LIFE'S　GIFTS。

I　saw　a　woman　sleeping。　　In　her　sleep　she　dreamt　Life　stood　before　her；　and　held　in　each　hand　a　giftin　the　one　Love；　in　the　other　Freedom。　　And　she　said　to　the　woman；　〃Choose！〃

And　the　woman　waited　long：　　and　she　said；　〃Freedom！〃

And　Life　said；　〃Thou　hast　well　chosen。　　If　thou　hadst　said；　'Love；'　I　would　have　given　thee　that　thou　didst　ask　for；　and　I　would　have　gone　from　thee；　and　returned　to　thee　no　more。　　Now；　the　day　will　come　when　I　shall　return。　In　that　day　I　shall　bear　both　gifts　in　one　hand。〃

I　heard　the　woman　laugh　in　her　sleep。

London。



IX。　　THE　ARTIST'S　SECRET。

There　was　an　artist　once；　and　he　painted　a　picture。　　Other　artists　had　colours　richer　and　rarer；　and　painted　more　notable　pictures。　　He　painted　his　with　one　colour；　there　was　a　wonderful　red　glow　on　it；　and　the　people　went　up　and　down；　saying；　〃We　like　the　picture；　we　like　the　glow。〃

The　other　artists　came　and　said；　〃Where　does　he　get　his　colour　from？〃　　They　asked　him；　and　he　smiled　and　said；　〃I　cannot　tell　you〃；　and　worked　on　with　his　head　bent　low。

And　one　went　to　the　far　East　and　bought　costly　pigments；　and　made　a　rare　colour　and　painted；　but　after　a　time　the　picture　faded。　　Another　read　in　the　old　books；　and　made　a　colour　rich　and　rare；　but　when　he　had　put　it　on　the　picture　it　was　dead。

But　the　artist　painted　on。　　Always　the　work　got　redder　and　redder；　and　the　artist　grew　whiter　and　whiter。　　At　last　one　day　they　found　him　dead　before　his　picture；　and　they　took　him　up　to　bury　him。　　The　other　men　looked　about　in　all　the　pots　and　crucibles；　but　they　found　nothing　they　had　not。

And　when　they　undressed　him　to　put　his　grave…clothes　on　him；　they　found　above　his　left　breast　the　mark　of　a　woundit　was　an　old；　old　wound；　that　must　have　been　there　all　his　life；　for　the　edges　were　old　and　hardened；　but　Death；　who　seals　all　things；　had　drawn　the　edges　together；　and　closed　it　up。

And　they　buried　him。　　And　still　the　people　went　about　saying；　〃Where　did　he　find　his　colour　from？〃

And　it　came　to　pass　that　after　a　while　the　artist　was　forgottenbut　the　work　lived。

St。　Leonards…on…Sea。



X。　　〃I　THOUGHT　I　STOOD。〃

I　thought　I　stood　in　Heaven　before　God's　throne；　and　God　asked　me　what　I　had　come　for。　　I　said　I　had　come　to　arraign　my　brother；　Man。

God　said；　〃What　has　he　done？〃

I　said；　〃He　has　taken　my　sister；　Woman；　and　has　stricken　her；　and　wounded　her；　and　thrust　her　out　into　the　streets；　she　lies　there　prostrate。　　His　hands　are　red　with　blood。　　I　am　here　to　arraign　him；　that　the　kingdom　be　taken　from　him；　because　he　is　not　worthy；　and　given　unto　me。　　My　hands　are　pure。〃

I　showed　them。

God　said；　〃Thy　hands　are　pure。Lift　up　thy　robe。〃

I　raised　it；　my　feet　were　red；　blood…red；　as　if　I　had　trodden　in　wine。

God　said；　〃How　is　this？〃

I　said；　〃Dear　Lord；　the　streets　on　earth　are　full　of　mire。　　If　I　should　walk　straight　on　in　them　my　outer　robe　might　be　bespotted；　you　see　how　white　it　is！　　Therefore　I　pick　my　wa