(lass _K5_35i_L 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 )^0\ 
 
THE PALM 
 DOVE'S SONG 
 

 THE 
 
 PALM DOVE'S 
 
 SONG. 
 
 d 
 
 

 COPYRIGHT 1901, M. CUM^NAi 
 
 
 / 'Oka. 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 The; Dove's Identity. 
 
 The Dove's Genealogy and Mission. 
 
 The Man Alone in Eden. 
 
 Adam's Fall. 
 
 Adam's Cares. 
 
 Gray Dove's Story of the Man Cubs. 
 
 Adam's Song to Himself Reelected in The 
 
 Lake. 
 
 Adam's Waiting. 
 
 The Coming of Eve. 
 
 Red Dove's Song to The Passion Vine. 
 
 Sleepy Mocking Bird's Song. 
 
 Epilogue. 
 
PROLOGUE. 
 
 The world of men, in truth ; 
 
 Too busy is ; 
 The world of books, too full 
 
 Of heresies ; 
 The world of thought, does deal 
 
 In specialties ; 
 
 "What shall we do?" 
 
 Believe the best, of course, 
 
 Of busy man ; 
 Seek the foundation-stone, 
 
 In every plan; 
 The light has run in lines 
 
 Since time began. 
 
 "To God be true." 
 
THE 
 DOVE'S IDENTITY. 
 
SONG. 
 
 The Palm Dove flew from Paradise, 
 
 And with him flew his mate, 
 Their hearts were bound with the life of Man, 
 
 And bound with his, their fate. 
 
 Mankind went forth from Paradise, 
 
 But was with life content; 
 The Doves flew fast the earth around, 
 
 They were with message sent. 
 
 The Man thought not of Eden-land, 
 
 Shut out from all its bloom; 
 And in the cares of earthly life, 
 
 Forgot his first, best home. 
 
 A Palm Dove came to Man again 
 
 Its message all untold; 
 And Man knew not, and the Dove forgot 
 
 The need of the message old. 
 
 The Man wrought hard success to win, 
 
 The Dove did mute remain; 
 Until the time of the telling was, 
 
 It could not sing again ; 
 
IO 
 
 As frightened child on errand sent, 
 
 Each time it tried to tell 
 Some angel seemed to hush its voice, 
 
 Or demon, sent from Hell ; 
 
 At last, again it caught the thought 
 
 And then flew near and far ; 
 But no one heeding when it spoke, 
 
 Its message told in air. 
 
 One soul alone caught what it told ; 
 
 "It shall sing again," said he, 
 "It shall see the face of Him it loves, 
 
 "And Man from sin help free." 
 
 "It shall know the power of Sin is gone; 
 
 "And, Man redeemed again, 
 "It then in Paradise shall rest, 
 
 "And sing o'er Eden's plain." 
 
 O ye, to whom some message's given, 
 
 Tho' long delayed it be ; 
 Work on, and strive, and speak, and live, 
 
 Gain Heaven's eternity. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 THE DOVE'S GENEALOGY 
 
 AND MISSION. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 Of what my father knew he told 
 To me the part his father told 
 To him ; we tell not all, nor can 
 
 We sing 'til Man has heard 
 And us believed. 
 
 We are the Doves ; 
 We sailed in air 
 Before we sailed with Noah in 
 The flood ; and there was Man near lost, 
 And with him lost our souls, but for 
 
 Our gracious deed. 
 
 When Noah 
 Sent the raven out it went 
 And staid ; but we 
 
 Brought back to him a branch of hope, 
 And with its fair freshness, new life 
 And hope, and love. 
 
 Since then, not once, 
 
 But oft a Dove ransom 
 Has paid for Man, who, ransomed now 
 And once for all, 
 
 Must know that by himself he fell 
 And seek to rise, by self, if he 
 Must needs, or learns he has a soul 
 
 Which calls for God ; for, "By 
 The Grace of God" the wise will rise 
 Toward perfectness. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 THE MAN ALONE IN 
 
 EDEN. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 The Man was placed in Eden, just 
 Before the rock whereon we perched, 
 And there he lay. 
 
 Awaked, he sat, 
 Then rising upright, stood, 
 And wondering seemed of how, and why, 
 And where he'd come ; 
 
 He looked about, gazed at the sun, 
 Its blue he saw, blotting it out 
 With both his hands ; 
 
 He sank to Earth 
 
 And rested there, upon 
 A mound of sand. He looked upon 
 The Earth, and then 
 Upon his feet and hands, 
 
 Spread out 
 Before him his long arms, then gazed 
 From finger-tips out toward a lake 
 
 Which lay beyond ; there first 
 He saw the azure sky mirrored 
 For him, lest he 
 Should fail to look above. 
 
 So new 
 To Man was all, he did not know 
 All else was old but he, the last 
 
 And least creation ; small 
 Indeed, but seeking reasons how, 
 And whence, and why 
 He'd come, and whither he would go. 
 
18 
 
 In bliss and ignorance he sat, 
 Nor knew his Maker had a right ; — 
 
 Since He Himself knew life 
 From span to span ; one perfect soul 
 T* enclose in clay. 
 
 Afar we heard the trumpetings 
 Of elephants ; 
 
 The Man, too, heard ; 
 He turned about, and watched their slow 
 
 And stately march. 
 
 When him 
 They saw, they swerving came, and formed 
 About the Man 
 A semi-circle, vast and dark, 
 And halted for a sign ; 
 
 Then Adam 
 Arose and stood, while with his new- . 
 
 Found hands unconsciously 
 He made a sign to those great beasts ; 
 With his thin wrists 
 And helpless hands he'd spoke to them 
 Unwittingly. 
 
 Approached toward him 
 The stately leader of the herd ; 
 
 Its mighty frame before 
 The Man kneeling, rested upon 
 The trembling earth. 
 The Man stepped lightly forth, drew near 
 The beast, and lightly sate upon 
 Its neck ; 
 
 Slowly the pondrous beast 
 
 Swayed to its feet, and stood ; 
 Stately it stood, leader of all 
 Its kind ; 
 
 Upon 
 Its neck, and with it ; raised Mankind 
 Above the level of all beasts 
 As had been its command. It gave 
 
19 
 
 A signal, at which sign 
 The great herd parted ; then appeared 
 The second in size 
 To it ; which stood in place, facing 
 The Man, who intent viewed them all. 
 
 Instant each trunk arose, and waved 
 
 In air; instant a sound 
 Of trumpetings from them proclaimed 
 Aloud to Heaven 
 Man recognized by them as lord, 
 And by them loved. 
 
 From that time forth 
 The Man and herd were friends ; the wise 
 
 And gentle leader or 
 His mate, Adam's guardians ; they went 
 And came with him. 
 
 Life then was new, the man content. 
 The Sun by day its rays cast down, 
 Adam lived within its light ; trees leaned 
 
 Toward him, upon him cast 
 Blossoms and fruit. 
 
 He picked the leaves, 
 Spreading them out 
 Upon the sand ; he placed those most 
 Alike in clustering rows. 
 
 The husks 
 He took of palmetto, and coarse 
 Grass wove like them, so like 
 It seemed. 
 
 With vines he bound long rolls 
 Of woven grass 
 Together like a mat ; with moss 
 He padded it, then on the back 
 Of elephant bound fast with ropes 
 
 Of pliant vines ; at last 
 He had a rude howdah, fit for 
 A king ; 
 
20 
 
 In it 
 He lay, and rode about, alert 
 To all that came in sight by dawn ; 
 In safety lay through darkest night ; 
 
 Dread night, dread Moon, whose oft 
 Changing made him afraid ; and left 
 Him so; 
 
 For her 
 He longed, but knew she was the Sun's 
 Fair mate ; the Sun's alone, not Man's ; 
 The Sun seemed friend, likewise the trees ; 
 Also the beasts which came 
 From out the woods and jungles dense 
 To gaze on Man. 
 In turn he them surveyed. 
 
 When each 
 One passed the Man, he spake to it, 
 And thus its name was fixed for time ; 
 
 Some habit, mark, or sign, 
 Some fancied likeness, called Man's thought 
 In speech from out 
 His lips. 
 
 He beasts observed, and all 
 Their ways like his ; they ate, they slept, 
 They walked, they ran, — not slowly trode 
 
 Like elephants, which beasts 
 Were gone, at times, for days, and then 
 Adam felt alone. 
 
 One beast beside, Man saw, 
 
 A beast 
 Most strange, walking upright, like him; 
 This beast had wings, which, like great leaves, 
 
 Closed and unclosed themselves ; 
 As if at will they rose and fell 
 Like wings of bats ; 
 This entertained the Man, and in 
 The hot mid-day these wings gave forth 
 A breeze which soothed and fanned the Man, 
 
21 
 
 And kept him close beside 
 The courteous beast. 
 
 As for this great, 
 This gorgeous beast, 
 This dragon-crocodile ; we do 
 Not know ; we cannot tell what joy 
 Filled all its heart ; what dreams, what soft 
 
 And timid flutt'rings rose 
 As Adam* touched its leathry sides, 
 So cool and moist. 
 
 All other beasts, with this, and his 
 Great elephants, seemed like hugh toys 
 To Man, so diverse from their kind 
 Was he. 
 
 The fan- winged beast 
 He liked, and oft had Adam, seated 
 Upon its head, 
 
 The surface of the lake skimmed o'er 
 Watching the fish that nimbly swam 
 The sparkling waves, waves blue as sky 
 Above. 
 
 Of beasts, the two 
 Which most amused the Man, were tall 
 Giraffes, which in 
 The trees above Man's easy reach 
 Could thrust their heads about, and pick 
 The ripened fruits and nuts for him ; — 
 
 And bears unwieldy, in 
 Whose furry coats he hid his hands ; 
 They, too, were friends. 
 
 Upon their backs, so broad and soft, 
 He often sat, and stroked their curly 
 Fur; he often lay beside 
 
 Them when he slept ; when cold, 
 On sunny side ; when shone the sun, 
 He lay upon 
 
 The side where fell the shade ; Man had 
 So many friends. 
 
22 
 
 Above the beasts 
 Were other friends ; the Sun, the Moon, 
 Serene, oft changing Moon 
 Which menaced him when risen, when gone, 
 Man, terrified, 
 
 Crept close to elephant or bear 
 And loved to hear them breathe ; these, with 
 Himself — upon the coming of 
 The radiant, rising Sun 
 Saluted it, each his own way. 
 Then all us birds 
 
 Sang joyously. Those were the days 
 When peace on earth was here, and all 
 The noisy crowd of boys was not, 
 
 With war of gun and stick, 
 And stone ; such tranquil days I would 
 See Eden again. 
 
 When high the sun arose, a weight 
 
 Over great crocodile seemed thrown; — 
 
 A weight of sleep, heavy as lead. 
 
 Its first sleep o'er, then oft 
 
 Waked it, to see the man was safe, 
 
 Then closed — content — 
 
 Its three eyelids, in haste to dream 
 
 Its dreams again, or lose itself 
 
 In sleep. 
 
 This beast was named "Satan," 
 And it loved Man ; loved him 
 
 With all its heart, and him alone 
 
 Of all that lived. 
 
 Great joy the Man gave it; one touch 
 
 Of Man's warm hand upon its side, 
 
 Its leath'ry side, made ripples — run 
 
 To mountain waves of joy — 
 
 Flow fast from tipmost snout and tail 
 
 Back to its heart, 
 
 Its beastly heart, and out again. 
 
 It clasped its wing upon the spot 
 
23 
 
 The Man had touched to keep it warm; 
 
 Its flattened, heavy head 
 It trembling waved from side to side 
 In rapturous 
 Delight. 
 
 The Man was its one chance 
 For Heaven, and him it loved. So passed 
 The equal days and nights, and Adam 
 
 Was listless, then, perchance, 
 Industrious. Daily he bathed ; 
 And bathed in state ; 
 
 Great elephants bathed first within 
 The margin of the lake, then stood 
 The herd with look intent, while from 
 
 The lake the leader of 
 The herd approached the waiting Man 
 And — none too gently — 
 Sprayed him well with water from 
 His trunk ; the Man would catch his breath, 
 And jump about until he'd bathed 
 
 Enough ; with hands, or in 
 The sand he'd dry himself, then run 
 Lightly beside 
 The elephant ; 
 
 The herd, alert, 
 Then raised on high their trunks, and gave 
 Salute to Man, their leader's king. 
 
 From elephant to bird 
 Each living friend of Man's seemed bound, 
 From common cause, 
 By law inviolate, one of 
 Its kind to choose from all the rest 
 As special one, from thence to be 
 Its own ; to live, and eat, 
 And rest by it. 
 
 Such mate had not 
 The crocodile 
 
24 
 
 Beelzebul, whom Adam found 
 Beside the lake, sunning itself ; 
 An insect large it seemed, 
 
 Alike to man in this, 
 They were unlike each creature else ; 
 No bond but this 
 Existed then, and Satan thought 
 No jealous thought. 
 
 Then was invent 
 An attribute of earthly mould, 
 
 "Platonic love," and it 
 The ffcrpent felt ; no cause had it 
 For jealousy. 
 
 Most gladly staid the crocodile 
 Beside the margin of the lake 
 Where it had found, unvexed, secure, 
 A tranquil resting-place. 
 
 Since it, from Heaven cast out, had made 
 
 A resting place, — 
 
 Apart from those who'd fallen with it; 
 
 Its eyes the heinousness of Sin 
 
 Had seen, and lost its love for it, 
 
 And for the baleful train 
 Which followed in its track 
 And brought no joy. 
 For Sin no love Adam bore, he had 
 Not seen its form, nor all its foul, 
 Fetid and fatal loathesomeness ; 
 
 Beast Satan had ; — and Hell 
 Once left, with all its brood of Sins, 
 The great beast's deathless soul ; — 
 For it had chosen to be a beast 
 In look (tho' not in fact) t' escape 
 The place, nor once again endure 
 
 The sweet and sickly stench 
 Of Sin's vile wiles ; — his soul — for whoso 
 
25 
 
 Has a soul 
 
 Is him or her — loathed Sin's embrace. 
 Once out of Hell, and free, he staid ; 
 But left the gates of Hell unclosed ; 
 And inwardly they swing, 
 And ever inward swing and yawn 
 For whoso comes. 
 
 O'er birds Sin has no power, but this 
 We know ; Hell freely lets men in 
 But never out. 
 
 There is no need 
 That Hell should hold the one 
 Repentant one, since men are found 
 To willingly 
 Take up his work. 
 
 These with great zest, 
 And in apparent glee, carry 
 It on for sake of gain, nor care 
 
 Who falls, nor what befalls 
 Themeslves ; nor care their wives, children, 
 Nor worldly friends, 
 Until too late they find they've made 
 Themeslves within Hell's flames ; horrid 
 And endless flames, — a place of woe 
 
 Like that they made on earth 
 For wives and babes, and hungry men 
 Unhoused, unfed, 
 
 No need of "chiefs" in Hell, since these 
 Do work for Hell, and take their hire 
 In coin, and pay again into 
 
 Town treasuries license 
 To sin. The license does not say "Thou must 
 For us then, lose 
 
 Thy soul." By their free will they bind 
 Themselves by name, that there be no 
 Mistake, and sell they do, of that 
 
 Which makes of Man a beast. 
 A curse rings in their ears, the noise 
 
26 
 
 Of which they'd stop 
 With fire, and have it done, if they 
 But could; but no, the mete they on 
 Earth meted out, shall be their share 
 
 In Hell, where wealth, so gained, 
 Can buy no ease ; so they in vain 
 In torment moan, 
 
 And weep, and rage; knowing at last 
 That what is gained by helping Sin 
 To rule the Earth, is lost when weighed 
 
 In balance with a mind 
 Which justly suffers for the woes 
 It helped create. 
 
 Adam could not know of this, but we 
 Have learned it since. Adam was a child, 
 Childlike his way seemed clear, from day 
 
 To day was spread before * 
 Him all the world, his world, and this 
 Sufficient was. 
 
 On elephant he rode about, 
 
 And when he liked, he staid at home. 
 
 The tall giraffe oft plucked him fruit 
 
 Placed high beyond his reach. 
 Once Adam essayed to climb for fruit, 
 We birds did laugh. 
 
 From passing drooping boughs Adam wit 
 From trial had learned ; he coiled his hair 
 About his head in many folds 
 
 And pinned with thorns, when he 
 Began to climb ; arrived on high 
 He downward fell ; 
 But for a lock of hair which caught 
 Upon a branch, full to the ground 
 He'd gone ; the branch he clutched, and firm 
 Footing upon a branch 
 Below. 
 
 Then stood the Man aloft, 
 
27 
 
 A branch above, 
 
 A branch below ; himself held fast. 
 
 So stood he there, and thought, and then 
 
 Plucked out with his free hand, and hair 
 
 By hair, the lock which held 
 Secure from farther fall, a Man 
 Both sad and wise. 
 
 This done, he clambered downward to 
 His grave old elephant, who laid 
 Moist, cooling leaves upon the wound. 
 
 When Adam again began 
 To climb, he was held fast by trunk 
 Inflexible. 
 
 At home, down from the woods the bears 
 Arrived; upon their backs were stored 
 Sweet honey-combs ; 
 
 Their friend they thus 
 Remembered when they 
 Returned. Far in the rocks these tame 
 And cunning bears 
 
 Had found stored up, and brought away 
 The glorious honey-combs. 
 
 Of this 
 They'd eat their fill at once, — the bees 
 Came not, and — satisfied — 
 They thought of Adam, or lazily 
 Had brought some home. 
 The bees flew not in Eden, they lived 
 Outside ; and stored, without a thought 
 Of theft, their treasure-cells within 
 The rocks or trees. 
 
 Adam loved 
 The sweet and blossom-scented food; 
 He laid his face 
 
 Close, close beside the bear's, and growled 
 And hummed like it ; and clasped its neck, 
 Its shaggy neck, with both his arms 
 
 And thought aloud, "When next 
 "A little bear appears, I'll have 
 
28 
 
 "It for my mate, 
 
 "We then will go and find the honey 
 
 "For ourselves, and stay away." 
 
 The other creatures that he touched 
 Were young of birds. 
 
 He watched 
 Their nests and fed the young with fruits 
 And nuts ground fine 
 Between his teeth. 
 
 He watched the nests 
 Of birds, and if in tree-leaves hid 
 His elephant would hold the lithe 
 
 And swaying branches down, 
 Or patiently would wait, while Adam 
 Stood secure for hours 
 Upon its pachydermous back, 
 And watched the nest ; the eggs he'd count, 
 One, three ; five, six ; he knew at sight. 
 
 He touched the eggs, and dropped 
 Them, too. To him it was a most 
 Intense surprise 
 
 That pebbles from a tree should break, 
 And forth should spill their contents out, 
 Strange, strange indeed; beyond the facts 
 He'd learned ; nor could he them 
 Repair ; in vain he tried his best, 
 There seemed no way. 
 He sought for stones, and filled the nest, 
 He filled it full, full to the brim ; 
 He noticed this, birds never claimed 
 
 Nor sat thereon, when thus 
 He'd done. Thoughtful he then became. 
 From out the nest 
 
 Two eggs he'd take, and in their place 
 Two pebbles lay. Then watched he well, 
 And, O, his joy; the old birds did 
 
 Not notice it ; alas, 
 In time the birdlings came, beside 
 
29 
 
 Them lay the stones 
 As they were placed ; no yellow, wide 
 And gaping mouths ; no skinny throats, 
 Came stretching up midst tender wings 
 
 Emerging from their shells ; 
 Nor would they break when dropped. He stored 
 In vain pebbles 
 
 Of every size, to match the eggs 
 Of all the birds within his reach. 
 Man waiting, watched and worked, ofttimes 
 
 He lay full length upon 
 The elephant and dreamed, his couch 
 Of grass his nest. 
 
 Week after week, and month by month 
 He wondered and observed. 
 
 The young 
 Of all the birds and beasts grew like 
 The old; in time matured, 
 From tiniest birdling to the baby 
 Elephant ; 
 
 Not one grew like to him of all 
 That moved about ; not one had such 
 A foot, nor one a hand nor arm 
 
 Like his, not one, not one ; 
 The trees and plants he loved, but they 
 Were always there. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 ADAM'S FALL. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 Then came a lonely day when all 
 The elephants were gone. In march 
 Ordered they went, and two by two, 
 
 The young beside their dam. 
 Alone was Adam, no one but he, 
 Except that beast, 
 The crocodile. 
 
 Satan himself 
 Was left as guard. In vain did strive 
 The beast ; in vain did stand upright ; 
 
 His napping time had come 
 And drowziness him seized ; but Adam 
 Slept not, nor sat, 
 In all the glare of blazing day. 
 Down Satan sank, watchful he'd be 
 Though he himself should sleep. He thought 
 
 "Adam is alone, what harm 
 "Can come to Man, what harm indeed ?" 
 So Satan slept. 
 
 Man was alone; one pair of bears 
 Slept on serene ; the small one of 
 The other pair, alert and full 
 
 Of fun, played close at hand. 
 The wakeful little beast played there 
 Alone awhile ; 
 
 She was the one who oftenest brought 
 Sweet honey-comb to Adam. Her mate'd 
 Been gone for days, was this one left 
 
34 
 
 For Adam then? Man thought 
 Why not for him? He felt all through 
 His frame of flesh 
 A shudder run ; 
 
 He fondled and 
 Caressed the beast, he fawned around, 
 And kissed the brute, his frenzied mind 
 
 No difference saw in race. 
 What subtly stole his sense away? 
 A languorous dread 
 To fear soon changed, to trembling fear, 
 For, far off in the woods, he heard 
 The lusty call to her of her 
 
 Returning mate. 
 
 Down ran 
 The little bear into the lake 
 Nor thought of Adam ; 
 Unlucky Adam, her furry coat 
 Clutching; he ran, and stumbled down, 
 And sank with her into the lake. 
 
 Man Adam was drowned, since he 
 Of beast, and with a beast, had him 
 Mated. 
 
 The bear unconsciously swam on, 
 
 She, witless, by her gifts had won 
 
 The Man. 
 
 Was Adam drowned ? Why not ? 
 
 Above his head the bright 
 
 And merry wavelets floated in 
 
 The Sun. 
 
 Before 
 
 That day we doves had sung, but since 
 
 We never sing ; we chirp, and coo, 
 
 And mourn. 
 
 Above Adam's head arose 
 Some bubbles bright of air. 
 
 The Man had loved a beast ; again 
 
 Man rose above 
 
35 
 
 The waves ; he gave a scream of fear, 
 The first despairing scream of fear ; 
 Brute that she was, the bear had heard 
 
 The scream, and turned ; — close shut 
 Her mouth over the waves of Adam's 
 Long, floating locks; 
 Then swam, and drew him to the shore ; 
 She drew him, senseless, o'er the sand 
 That scorched beneath the sun. From her 
 
 Wet sides she shook out showers, 
 Drenching the Man with drops. She saw 
 Her mate's return. 
 She buried from his sight the Man ; 
 She reared; an instant stood upright; 
 Then dropped, and sprang to meet her spouse, 
 A sound 
 
 Unique enstopped our ears, a laugh 
 From Satan's jaws. 
 
 On haunches raised, with head thrown back, 
 From saw-like lips full tensely strained 
 Came chuckles vast ; a noise most like 
 
 Unto the noise of pent 
 But gurgling water, rolled from out 
 His frog-like throat 
 When laughed that fallen prince. 
 
 From both 
 His eyes, half closed in mirthfulness, 
 Now sparkled out, twinkled unchecked 
 
 The thought that he alone 
 Possessed the knowledge firm of the 
 First fall of Man ; 
 A fall supreme, complete and sure. 
 How simple, matchless even, that he, 
 Beelzebul, should close his eyes 
 
 For one instant to thus 
 Secure the upper hand of Man. 
 That he, in sooth, 
 
 Scant time should nod his cumbrous head 
 In dreamless sleep before some sense 
 
36 
 
 Unknown, alert ; an instinct wrought 
 
 About the edge of sleep, 
 Him warned, instant and opportune, 
 To Man's ordeal ; 
 
 In point of time the first great nurse 
 To scorn his charge, and him neglect 
 And so gain death instead of life 
 
 For him. 
 
 The same instinct 
 That waked, had warned him hold his tongue, 
 Throw up his head, 
 And backward look ; 
 
 Thus fell Man Adam 
 Beneath his power — but tempted not. 
 
 The senseless Man, within the sand 
 
 Enshrined, lay still. 
 
 The bear 
 Rejoiced to have again her mate, 
 The Man was dead; 
 Alive or dead nothing Man was 
 To her, happy the beasts had lived 
 Before he came, and happy now 
 
 He'd gone again. 
 
 Satan 
 Alone'd miss Man, but, laughing still, 
 He saw the small 
 Bear rise, and quickly drop again ; 
 She skurried on to her rough mate, 
 Together to the lake they came, 
 
 Together drank, returned, 
 Then ran into the woods ; as quick 
 Returned from thence, 
 And with them other bears. 
 
 Instinct 
 With inquiry, they rolled the Man 
 From out his grave into Sun's glare ; 
 
 Around, and back and forth 
 Over the sands ; with their pink tongues 
 
37 
 
 They licked the Man ; 
 No sign of life gave he ; and then 
 Beast Satan wept ; then groaned aloud 
 The lonely crocodile, and lashed 
 
 His body with his wings. 
 He wept great drops, great streams of pearls 
 That shimm'ring ran 
 All down his slimy, skin-tight jaws, 
 For long and vain he'd tried the heart 
 And love of manly Adam to win. 
 
 To Satan, doubly doomed, 
 His single loneliness seemed worse 
 Than dual woe, 
 Now Adam was gone. 
 
 Satan himself 
 Had long lost Heaven, and had attained, 
 By many trials, on Earth foothold; 
 
 With him, could Adam have gone, 
 Almost in Hell would be again 
 Have taken up 
 
 His place. Earth gained, Man lost, was worse 
 Than Hell ; Adam gone, no use had he 
 For either Heaven or Hell, the Earth 
 
 Was both ; himself, Satan, 
 The most compacted far of all 
 Its molecules. 
 
 He grieving, lost himself. He wept 
 Afresh. 
 
 He could not hope for death, 
 Nor dream to enter Heaven, not e'en 
 
 Tho' penitent, unless 
 Himself he lost, and gained, instead, 
 A better life ; 
 
 Another life, by entrance to 
 This earth, and thence through life and death 
 As mindless human being ; 
 
 How 
 Accomplish it ? Had he 
 Not endless ages toiled to look 
 At human kind? 
 
38 
 
 But one of these he'd seen, but one, 
 And he now dead, and fast to clay 
 Turning before his eyes. His loss 
 
 Too great a punishment 
 Seemed then ; to close one's eyes, because 
 Secure, and find 
 
 Sin stolen in, and Death ; them he'd 
 Forgot in love for that one Man. 
 "Out, wretched fiends," he gurgling 
 Moaned, "I call on God 
 "To drive you out ; this is no place 
 "For such as you ! 
 
 "Go, furious ones ; seize tree, rock, fish ; 
 "The beasts, the birds, but let Man live. 
 "Adam's gone, you him have lost, he's safe 
 
 "In Heaven." 
 
 "In Heaven ? E'en there 
 "He may remembrance take of me. 
 "My shape, vile and 
 "Ungainly, better mem'ry is 
 "Than that would be of heinous Sin, 
 "Which precedes Death one step. 
 
 "Had Adam 
 "Come forth from Heaven, he had 
 "No memory of it. God was 
 "A Presence loved ; 
 "A Presence felt, oft coming ; tho' 
 "So near, invisible to Man. 
 "That Presence seemed to love Man well, 
 
 "The Sun Him loved, the great 
 "Blue Sun within its rim dazzling. 
 "I think me now 
 "Of how he daily bowed to it 
 "As God's great home." 
 
 Long in this vein 
 Sad Satan spake, and solace found 
 
 But sobbed the while, gath'ring 
 Himself into one huddled heap 
 Of misery, 
 
39 
 
 By grief poignant, devitalized ; 
 There Adam lay, a mortal* clod 
 Lifeless, beside the sandy dune; 
 
 The Sun warmed him, the bears 
 With fuzzy tongues stroked on and on, 
 Nor wearied not ; 
 
 From head to foot they Man did turn. 
 Afresh burst forth the grief of him 
 Satan called ; he wept again, and cursed 
 
 Himself for that he'd slept ; 
 All loss seemed his, his living heart 
 Within his breast 
 Was, bursting with its pain of love 
 For that which loveless was, and cold, 
 And still, and gone away without 
 
 Good bye. 'Twas then began 
 The trumpetings of elephants, 
 And we who heard 
 Turned and beheld one than the rest 
 Whiter, surpassing them by far 
 In stateliness of form and mein, 
 
 Stride on alone. Upon 
 Its back a shrouded figure sat. 
 The bears growled loud ; 
 Quick scurried to the lake, swam through, 
 Through bushes tore their way, soon passed 
 From sight, and in the mountain's woods 
 
 Were lost. 
 
 Before the herd 
 The one lone elephant advanced, 
 Moved fast and still ; 
 To Adam it came and stood, while from 
 Its back the shrouded one arose 
 And in its shining draperies 
 
 Down floated to the ground, 
 It stretched its hands and touched the Man, 
 It turned him face 
 Upward, and gently breathed into 
 His mouth until the breast of Adam 
 
4Q 
 
 Rose high ; then forced the air forth from 
 
 The lips of Adam until 
 The breath of Man anew and well- 
 Established was. 
 
 The figure, kneeling, paused and looked 
 On Man, then in an instant rose, 
 And took its place unwillingly 
 
 Upon its waiting beast ; 
 Into its ear whisp'ring, left Adam 
 To softly breathing rest. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 ADAM'S CARES. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 Slowly the year had nearly run 
 
 Its course ; Adam sighed.for half his first, 
 
 Best manhood' gone. 
 
 In thought he was 
 
 Oft lost; and in the vague 
 
 Remembrance of his death ; he mourned 
 
 That he still lived. 
 
 Almost was Satan Adam's friend ; 
 By night, by day he kept that most 
 Unhappy Man in sight, and felt 
 
 A grief supreme, if Adam 
 But gazed on other beast, beside 
 Himself, intent. 
 
 The birds charmed Man ; their birdlings, too ; 
 The blossoms, and the buds, not less 
 Of trees, than those of Earth. Upon 
 
 His matted couch of grass 
 Not on the Earth, but on the great 
 Broad back of his 
 
 Strong elephant he lay, and dreamed — 
 His head upon the beast's huge head. 
 It fanned him with its ears ; it seemed 
 
 To know Man home-sick was ; 
 It plucked bright blossoms from the trees, 
 And fairest fruits, 
 
 And held them over to the child-like 
 Man, in hope to please or coax. 
 
44 
 « 
 Quick Adam moved, and roused himself, 
 
 His head on elbow leaned ; — 
 A growl from out the far-off woods 
 Rolled down from heights 
 Beyond his sight ; a strange but yet 
 A well-remembered sound, a growl ; 
 And then appeared in view — a beast ? 
 
 A man? a man-like beast, 
 Who walked erect like Adam, but dressed 
 In hairy skin. 
 
 Close at its side another shape 
 Came shuffling on. Fast to its neck 
 Were clinging forms, and they seemed gray, 
 
 And strange to us, and strange 
 To Man,' who with his hand his eyes 
 Shaded and gazed. 
 
 The foremost man's exultant stride 
 Showed by its pace it bore a prize 
 Within its arms. 
 
 Upon its breast 
 
 There lay revealed to us, 
 On closer view, four bundles held 
 Of varying size 
 
 And shape ; for two were rough and brown, 
 And they were cubs of bears ; and two 
 Beside, most weakly clung, nestling 
 
 Close to the great bear's neck ; 
 Their skin seemed pink and white, like birds, 
 These then it'd brought 
 To Man. 
 
 My mate and I drew near, 
 We looked inquiringly at Adam, 
 Who, shivering, had raised himself 
 
 And upright sat, staring. 
 Satan glowering crouched, he'd never seen 
 A standing bear 
 
 But once before. What taught the bear 
 To stand? What right had it such near 
 
45 
 
 Approach to Adam to make, while he 
 
 Thus sat on elephant ? 
 It was most strange. 
 
 The walking bears 
 Seemed bold, they looked 
 Expectantly at Man ; they'd brought 
 Sweet honey-comb; with it, another 
 Gift, and now presented it. 
 
 Beside the Man 'twas laid, 
 The gift of two of Man's own kind, 
 Two infant men ; 
 
 Then, backing off, the scornful bear 
 Dropped to the ground two robust cubs, 
 Its own. Were they helpless ? They ? No, 
 
 For had not they a great 
 Bear- father? Close to neck cleaving 
 Of Mother-bear, 
 
 Two others clung, pink- white, helpless ; 
 With their weak hands they grasped her neck 
 And nestled, cuddling there in fear. 
 
 These Bruin raised, and laid 
 Full gently, down by Adam, then dropped 
 On all fours to 
 
 The ground. It caught its cubs and by 
 Their mother laid the little bears. 
 
 She weary was of this most slow, 
 
 Unusual work, weary 
 Of walking far, and bringing in 
 Her arms honey, 
 
 While strange beasts to her head did cling; 
 Relieved of these, at once she fell, 
 She sank to earth ; then leisurely 
 
 She nursed her cubs, content, 
 Her Bruin looking on. My mate 
 And I watched Adam. 
 
 Seated within his nest upon 
 
 Great elephant, he gazed, speechless, 
 
4 6 
 
 Upon his naked, helpless young; 
 
 His offspring, weakly clothed. 
 In skin. 
 
 Had elephant beheld, 
 Their questioned lives 
 An answer and a finish might 
 Have had. 
 
 A new cry then we heard, 
 Adam heard it, too ; list'ning, he looked 
 To see from whence it might 
 Have come ; 
 
 A thin and wedge-shaped face, 
 Chest viol-shaped ; 
 Within the face a mouth appeared 
 And from it issued forth a wail, 
 The strangest sound Adam's ear had heard. 
 
 It did not touch his heart, 
 He did not know he had a heart ; 
 The cry rang loud, 
 An answering cry in Adam arose, 
 Not Pity's cry, his own despair 
 Cried out. His arms the helpless one 
 
 Enclosed and it pressed close 
 To him, he could not help them if 
 They all should weep. 
 Why had the great bear-father brought 
 To him these large-of-head-and-small- 
 Of-bodied things? He'd give them back 
 
 To it. 
 
 Thus we saw Man, 
 He helpless was ; at side of him 
 And in his arms 
 
 Nestling, the Man beheld his soft 
 Image, the evolution of 
 Himself; his first, displayed there; 
 
 Four chimpanzees, the first 
 Of monkey-kind, should they to him 
 Apologize ? 
 No ! they but looked at him who'd called 
 
47 
 
 Them forth, — and cried again. They say 
 The sun did dance, at which we closed 
 
 Our eyes. 
 
 We birds are not 
 Allowed to love outside our kind, 
 (This reason is 
 
 We birds permitted are to live). 
 The small and weakly young ones moaned, 
 And trembling sobbed. Man Adam, himself 
 
 Trembling, bade elephant 
 Kneel down ; then, from its side sliding, 
 He stooped him down 
 And gently laid his cub beside 
 The resting bear, that she might feed 
 It with her own. 
 
 Entreatingly 
 
 Adam looked at father-bear, 
 Which by him stood ; then clambered to 
 His mat; from thence 
 He handed Bruin all the rest ; — 
 Three weakling little man-like cubs. 
 With surly look the bear received 
 
 Them back into his care, 
 And growling to its mate some words 
 It laid them down. 
 The bear-cubs and the tiny men, 
 Beside their common nurse, fed soon 
 And well, and slept. 
 
 This was the tale 
 The gray doves told, they are 
 Our cousins from abroad, they roani 
 Where'er they will. 
 
GRAY DOVES' STORY OF 
 THE MAN CUBS. 
 
GRAY DOVE'S STORY CONCERN- 
 ING THE MAN CUBS. 
 
 It happened in the far-off woods, away, 
 Were father-bear, and mother-bear. One day 
 Six cubs beside her lay, two brown, four gray. 
 
 "Where did you find these grayling cubs, my 
 
 dear?" 
 "I found them just beside my own, right here, 
 "They're not like mine, there's something wrong, 
 
 I fear." 
 
 "Do you stay here, and rest, and feed them all, 
 "I'll go and search, and when you hear me call, 
 "Bring every cub, and do not let one fall." 
 
 But father-bear returned alone, and cross, 
 Without the white bear-mother ; with the loss 
 Of sleep and food. Then — with a mighty toss 
 
 Of his great head, declared aloud, "They must 
 "Be man-cubs ; now I think it fair and just 
 "That he should take the care of them ; I'll dust 
 
 "My paws from caring for more cubs than mine, 
 "We'll take them with the honey, it is time; 
 "He'll love his cublets, the're not mine, nor thine." 
 
52 
 
 Day after day, most curiously, 
 
 Man Adam watched his cubs. He stroked 
 
 Their sides, and saw in what, if aught, 
 
 They differed from their mates. 
 Were these small beings like himself? 
 Or would they grow 
 
 Like birds ? no wings he saw ; and would 
 Their skin be smooth and fine like his ? 
 Was he once small as they ? Would they 
 
 Grow downy, like the birds ? 
 Or, like the bears, have fur ? They ate, 
 They grew, they came, 
 They went like bears. 
 
 Their brother-cubs 
 Were sometimes rude and rough in play, 
 Then man-cubs took to climbing ; first 
 To father-bear, and next 
 To trees. 
 
 High there they sat, serene, 
 Or, chatt'ring fast 
 
 They broke off sticks and leaves ; they tore 
 Off blossoms ; picked the fruits and nuts, 
 And rained them rattling down, in gay 
 
 Mischief, upon the bears 
 Below ; Adam grieved, that these small cubs 
 Could him out-climb. 
 
 He watched their pranks, they seemed to mock 
 
 At him ; he envious grew of them ; 
 
 He shuddered when they came too near; 
 
 The elephants, as one, 
 Distrusted them ; the crocodile 
 Was jubilant. 
 
 Poor mother-bear, whose eyes once shone 
 With fun, grew dull, and leaden-eyed; 
 It dreadful was that she could care 
 
 For such ungainly cubs 
 As these. 
 
53 
 
 Man would have gladly thanked 
 And petted her, 
 But half afraid was he of her 
 Rough mate, Man could not speak to her 
 When it was by, so shy he'd grown. 
 
 From time to time when brought 
 Bruin its young, not all were bears, 
 Two agile apes 
 
 Appeared ; all in due time came more 
 Strange beasts ; and orang-cubs, in pairs 
 Or threes, or singly strown ; perchance 
 Man evoluting out ; 
 A stroke far greater than the Man 
 Could patiently 
 Endure. 
 
 Could there, indeed, be no 
 Release ? Again he thought, "And will 
 "I have to choose a mate from these 
 
 "New beasts which last have come ?" 
 They had not made a kinship claim, 
 Nor had he made. 
 
 Should he again seek sleep like that 
 He once had found? He from the back 
 Of elephant could slip, and lay 
 
 Him in the lake ; he'd look 
 And see its utmost depths ; he looked, 
 And saw — himself. 
 
ADAM'S SONG TO HIS IMAGE 
 REFLECTED IN THE LAKE. 
 
SONG. 
 
 What's that being 
 
 Looking at me? 
 
 I can see its face. 
 
 I will go, and 
 
 Live beside it, 
 
 Wand'ring from this place. 
 
 I move, it moves 
 
 Coming to me, 
 
 We will here remain, 
 
 See its beauty, 
 
 I embrace it, — 
 
 It has gone again. 
 
 I will come — am 
 
 Coming. See it 
 
 Reaching toward me ; — wait ! 
 
 I come quickly 
 
 Thy hands holding. 
 
 They're so cold, my mate. 
 
58 
 
 The Man was gone, his face so 'fair, 
 
 With curls clust'ring ; long locks, which fell 
 
 In shim'ring waves about his form 
 
 Athletic, lithe, God-like; 
 All gone in blindly seeking love 
 However false. 
 
 The elephant seized Man, and dragged 
 Him from the depths. Had it known him 
 Incapable of sense it would 
 
 Have saved his lake- ward plunge; 
 Saved ; — Man was well, but wroth. 
 
 Nor evermore 
 
 Could he approach its waves; for thorns 
 Sprang up ; the elephant forbade ; 
 Likewise the crocodile. From rocks 
 
 Not far away, a pure 
 And glitt'ring fountain sprang, rippling 
 And running down 
 The sand, throwing itself within 
 The lake beyond the bounds now set 
 For Adam ; hedged out, by them, from death. 
 
 His life, though full of thought 
 And simple learning of the ways 
 Of plants, birds, beasts ; 
 Unhappy was; and Discontent 
 Its arms about him threw at times; 
 Then Horror seized, and crushed the Man 
 
 When he beheld the brutes 
 Most like to him, and they did mock 
 And leer at him. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 GOD'S PROMISE. 
 
Ex. 22, 19; 
 
 Lev. 18; 23; 20, 15, 16; 
 Deut. 27, 21. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 Time passed ; a great hush fell one day, 
 While sounds of music, low and sweet, 
 Fell o'er Adam's soul, and swaying all 
 
 About him lay. It was 
 Th' approach of God, in mortal form, 
 He spoke, Adam heard. 
 Each elephant a salute gave 
 Noiseless ; Man trembling sat. 
 
 God bade 
 Him come to Him ; together stood 
 The Twain. 
 
 Then passed each beast 
 In slow parade; the bears and Satan 
 Walked upright; 
 
 Of monkey-kind, not one was with 
 The beasts ; they ranked themselves as birds 
 And sat in trees. 
 
 Now last of all, 
 Came soulful crocodile ; 
 With rare glitt'ring he walked abroad 
 In bright sunshine. 
 
 His drooping wings, as graceful sleeves 
 Appeared; his tail, like trailing gown; 
 Modest his head was bowed ; within 
 
 His heart was fear. 
 
 When Satan 
 Passed, God said — and we know how 
 He thundered it — 
 
64 
 
 Curst be the man who of a beast 
 Does make his mate; he shall be put 
 To death — and he shall have no part 
 
 With Me, or Mine ; nor in 
 My sight, nor in My Heaven; for he 
 Unworthy is. 
 
 Satan toiled on, his heart bereft 
 Cried sharp, "In vain my glittering, 
 "Am I not doomed to Hell direct ?" 
 
 "My place, and outside show's 
 "Decreed; and fixed my rank on Earth, 
 "I give up power, 
 
 "My heart wants love alone, not glint 
 "Of sun on golden scales. I want 
 "Man Adam's love ; from that now shut 
 
 "By law, I dust would be, 
 "That roots of trees might pierce my sides, 
 "Or blossom fair 
 "My earthly body, hateful house, 
 "Might soon destroy. No change of place 
 "Nor shape — save by decree — to me 
 
 "Can come ; I thank thee, God ; 
 "Since Earth a home for me allowed 
 "Is— I'll serve." 
 
 Long while he crouched, withdrawn apart 
 From all the rest ; then threw him down 
 Upon his armored side, and thus 
 
 Discoursed unto the ground ; 
 "In gratitude I'll serve the Man 
 "For evermore." 
 
 "I've been in Hell, — and nothing there 
 "Was worth the pains to go, or pains 
 "When there ; escaped, — on Earth, bondage 
 
 "Itself is joy, bondage 
 "In service of a mind which learns 
 "By taking thought ; 
 "Which finds a charm in life itself, 
 
65 
 
 "And in its forced employ. At worst 
 "Even Man, cast off from God, can live 
 
 "The equal of the beast. 
 "I, Satan, shaped in Heaven, fell down 
 "To Hell's mid-depths." 
 
 "I am content to stay in mud 
 "As earthly crocodile, rather 
 "Than be confined in hearing of 
 
 "Hell's discord ; and its noise 
 "And clamor for 'The one who dragged 
 "The Angels down.' " 
 
 In softened mood, he murmured on, 
 "It is but just Hell-ward I should 
 "Return; I'll go — if sent; once there, 
 
 "I'll take it turn and turn 
 "About with Cerberus, and join 
 "With him in toil 
 "Of keeping human beings out ; 
 "Allowed on Earth, I'm spirit-slaved 
 "By something never felt before; 
 
 "It stirs my heart when Adam 
 "But looks at me, it binds me fast. 
 "If love binds so 
 "Why should I care for power? 
 
 "Did God 
 "Want love ? Was not He vastly more 
 "Than satisfied with power? I had 
 
 "The power to crush this Man ; 
 "His intense love I more desired. 
 "His gentle thoughts 
 "And works were wonderful to me. 
 "In Man is shown much more of rare 
 "Design than seems to run through dust, 
 
 "Beasts, trees, the sky and lakes. 
 "Whatever eyes may rest upon 
 "He's more than all." 
 
66 
 
 'His eyes subdue the skies ; he's like 
 'A tree ; his feet the roots, his arms, 
 'His hands are branch and twigs ; each shrub 
 
 "Belittles him, and yet 
 'He's greater than them all ; Man^f thinks." 
 
 "His matted couch 
 'Is sign sufficient he can take 
 'Comfort at ease. Results he plans 
 'Beyond each brutish mind. 
 
 "In sand 
 'That's smooth, the shapes of trees 
 'And rocks, now outlines he quite well ; 
 "Once he did more; 
 'Wet clay he moulded into balls; 
 'Then balls of varied size and shape 
 'Made he; by twos these placed, then made 
 
 "Them like to me. It pleased 
 'Me well to have his glowing eyes 
 'Study my face 
 
 'And form, though hideous ; these frail, 
 'Crude images broke he, at first — 
 'Then kept. The other beasts then he 
 
 "Fashioned, until of us 
 'He had a whole menagerie. 
 'Thus then, worked he; 
 'He wanted but a model real, 
 'And fairly standing in his sight, 
 'Himself t'amuse with making men." 
 
 "His treasured images 
 'Are dust; — since monkeys look so like 
 'In kind to him, 
 'He's ceased his image-work." 
 
 To this 
 'The summary amounts : I, Satan, 
 'Must help Man right to do, or fall 
 
 "Both headlong back to Hell. 
 'It easy is to think, but on 
 'All fours to walk, 
 
6 7 
 
 "Or strange to look upright on twos 
 "Is easier far for Hell's once chief, 
 "Than joyous be in their doing. 
 
 "As crocodile I these 
 "Can do, can watch, can wait, could snatch 
 "Man up when wrong ; 
 "In stress could swallow him; and, quite 
 "Content, make food for worms ; this I'll 
 "Reserve 'til all thfngs else have failed. 
 
 "But now, 'tis better far 
 "That I, a love-sick crocodile, 
 "Bestir myself 
 
 "At once, and think while serving, how 
 "I best can aid the Man content, 
 "Eternally." 
 
 So dreamed aloud 
 The crocodile, until 
 
 His dreams almost an angel's seemed 
 
 Even to us birds. 
 
 He saw himself, by nature's force 
 And time; to worms, and useful juice 
 Of plants reduced, and thought what plant 
 
 He'd choose to give his life 
 Unto. If choice were freely given 
 He'd be a vine — 
 A vine with fruitage ; 
 
 But a vine 
 Would climb ; would that please Him who sat 
 Above, and ruled small Earth, and made 
 
 The elements which formed 
 The Earth ? As Angel he had climbed, 
 And been thrown down ; 
 As vine, he'd crawl, nor cast aloft 
 One leafy branch ; his ripened fruit 
 Could feed the birds, and they could sing 
 
 God's praise ; the sound could go 
 
68 
 
 Below, above ; and should his soul, 
 Cast forth from out 
 
 His form, by vine-root's grasp, find Hell 
 Its restless, endless home; e'en there 
 The melodies of birds, vine-fed, 
 
 Might pierce their way, and bring 
 Comfort in midst of gnawing pain's 
 Discouragements. 
 
 His changing, fettered heart Hell's census 
 Took, counting the spirits bound 
 At will, at council called in Heaven. 
 
 Could he release them all 
 Should he return ? They'd followed him 
 In truth, but why ? 
 He'd not compelled, and Hell itself 
 Might change, now he was out. It had 
 Of Heaven the mental elements ; 
 
 Musicians in one discord 
 Fuged ; Heaven's music far away ; 
 Ear tortured they ; 
 
 Great artists, who'd oft done the clouds 
 Of Heaven in tints by them alone 
 Impossible; God's alchemists 
 
 Direct' their work in Heaven, 
 None fallen were. 
 
 Throughout the list, 
 In thought, he went ; 
 Nor could he deem but they as well 
 Without his ken, — for present needs ; 
 Later, if ordered there, he'd go 
 
 And suffer, too, if they 
 Released were not ; to Earth and shape 
 He yet was bound. 
 
 To his keen, anguished sense had come 
 God's words to Adam, he thought he knew 
 Their meaning well, if Adam could 
 
 Not love a beast, his fate, 
 In present outer shape, was fixed. 
 A mental beast, 
 
69 
 
 Intolerant and vain, he once 
 
 Had been ; Hell's fires had calcined part ; 
 
 But, fitted to his shape, his mind 
 
 Had filled it out complete 
 'Til Adam came, and in his sweet 
 Companionship 
 
 He learned a meaning new to him ; 
 That power existed out of self, 
 And was a Spirit, sent from God, 
 
 Which conquered other loves, 
 Beside the love for God Supreme, 
 Throughout all space. 
 
 This fainting Satan'd learned. — Adam heard 
 God's words, but did not catch their thought 
 Of awful import. 
 
 God called Adam 
 
 To stand near Him ; then called 
 The apes ; He called for all the race 
 Of monkey kind. 
 
 These showed to Man. Are these thy sons? 
 Man Adam? dost thou call such as these 
 Daughters and sons? Hast thou no soul? 
 
 The Man looked at the tribe 
 Before him grouped, but said no word ; 
 He did not know. 
 
 At their lean arms he looked, at his ; 
 Saw their shorn heads, felt his long locks 
 Of waving earth-red hair, and brow 
 
 All decked with little curls, 
 Which oft he'd plucked out by the roots, 
 And felt no hurt — 
 Because his eyes they'd covered up. 
 At quadrumanian feet he glanced, 
 And at his shapely ones ; in one 
 
 Swift glance surveyed 
 The man-like, climbing beasts ; his own 
 Fair skin was smooth, 
 Theirs hairy was. Chatt'ring, toward him 
 They stretched their hands ; Adam cast himself. 
 
70 
 
 Face down to earth, — Hast thou done this? 
 
 Then thou shalt die. God grasped 
 The Man, and high he lifted him — 
 My mate then spoke, 
 A soft "Ya-hu ; Ya-hu."* The Lord 
 Of Heaven heard, // this bird speaks 
 Shall I not hold mine wrath? The Man 
 
 Must know he has a soul, 
 And feel the grasp of pain. Slow down 
 The Man was lowered; 
 The Earth he touched, and then the Lord, 
 Who could Man's shrinking side have crushed, 
 Clutched it. 
 
 Thou hast a soul, it feel. 
 With wrench of hand, twisting 
 The muscles hard. He watched Adam's face, 
 Thence came a sound 
 
 From out Adam's mouth ; the first great "Oh !" 
 Of pain ; this all the list'ning Earth's 
 Resounding waves answered ; the sound 
 
 Circling, went swirling round 
 From every tree, rock, hill and plain; 
 That "Oh" of pain, 
 
 That cry of pain ; that something which, 
 Not seen, nor heard, made self supreme; 
 It was then born, nor time, nor love, 
 
 Nor fear could prove to Man 
 Its non-existence ; God then loosed His hand, 
 Pains like thy soul, 
 
 Feel' st thou thy soul? It shall thee chide, 
 And thou'lt be true and clean in time. 
 A kindred mate thou'lt have like to 
 
 Thyself and she will seem 
 Thy soul; zvith thee will live; she'll thee 
 Surpass in grace; 
 In wisdom be thy peer; and far 
 Beyond in seeing quick and clear 
 
 *"Oh God, oh God." 
 
7i 
 
 A future good; thou' It her excel 
 
 In strength, regarding needs 
 At hand superlative. But thou 
 Thyself must curb. 
 
 Thou'lt have thy separate soul, nor canst 
 Thou always have thy mate with thee; 
 Each sight of her, her every act, 
 
 Should thee remind — in some 
 Degree — of Me, and what I thee 
 Have told. 
 
 Love Me supreme; then, if she fails, 
 I'll comfort thee. 
 
 Rest now, within 
 Mine arms; I'll hold thee close; rest Man, 
 
 And sleep ; I love thee so. 
 Thou'lt live; and work, and sing. Again 
 I'll come, and when 
 
 I come, thou'lt sleep so sound thou'lt have 
 No knowledge what I bring to thee 
 Until thou seest my good gift. 
 
 The pain-tired eyelids closed, 
 His Father holding him; He smoothed 
 Adam's knitted brows, 
 And sang to him. The birds mingled 
 Their songs with His. No words were sung; 
 But sounds since used by insect choirs, 
 
 To lull to sleep ; He bent 
 And kissed the Man, and laid him down 
 And went away. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 ADAM'S WAITING. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 At dawn, and day by day, Adam waked 
 
 And prostrate bowed before the Sun 
 
 As place, he thought, most like the home 
 
 Where God might dwell. He loved 
 To think of Him, although to grieve 
 God's heart he feared. 
 
 Himself he bathed within the rock- 
 Fountain ; he learned to whistle ; sung 
 The songs of little birds, — that he 
 
 Might sing them to his mate 
 When she should come; as had _ in faith 
 Been promised him. 
 
 Now garlands fair he wove, to deck 
 
 His coming bride ; her wanting, wreathed 
 
 With them great elephants. Of trees 
 
 With swaying branch, festoons 
 He made, which ran from tree to tree, 
 He grief forgot. 
 He stored up honey in a cave 
 He'd built of stones ; about its sides 
 Heaped sand and moss; with joy his heart 
 
 Was filled. 
 
 His fear and dread 
 Constant became, lest apes should turn 
 To men like him ; 
 But no, a magic bound seemed set. 
 
76 
 
 He grieved where they at aught surpassed, 
 For they could climb secure. What if 
 
 His mate should long for that 
 Beyond his grasp? but then, he thought, 
 Will she not love 
 
 A Man more than a climbing beast, 
 However high its place? Waiting, 
 The Man of best would worthy be ; 
 
 Working, be worthy Heaven. 
 Within his side, a throbbing heart 
 He felt ; oft times 
 It beat with fear if he but looked 
 Out toward the dreadful, man-like apes ; 
 With joy and reverence it beat 
 
 When he recalled to mind 
 The faithful promise God had made 
 While hushing him, 
 No longer home-sick, tired, nor robbed 
 Of sleep — unless for very joy. 
 We thought it strange, I and my mate 
 
 Whom I so dearly loved; 
 Beside a promised mate, this new- 
 Made Man had then 
 A soul, which more and better was. 
 Since soul and life seemed each a part 
 Of each, we, too, wished for these souls. 
 
 The life of Man my mate 
 Had saved, Would God not give us birds 
 A living soul ? 
 
 We'd sing ; and wait, and see, for we 
 Him also loved. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 THE 
 
 COMING 
 
 OF 
 
 EVE. 
 
RECITATIVE. 
 
 Like other days, the longed-for day 
 Dawned clear. When rolled the sun on high 
 Our quiet hour disturbed was ; 
 
 The twitt'ring silence of 
 The wood awoke to trumpetings 
 Unusual. 
 
 Advanced full soon toward us a tribe 
 Of elephants, vast beasts and white 
 Compared with .those of Eden, our home. 
 
 Upon them rode in state 
 Spirits of might in garments clothed 
 From Heaven's looms. 
 
 The Lord of all came, too. Swiftly 
 
 Appeared a newly opened plain 
 
 Hedged thick with thorns, all blossoming ; 
 
 Mountains, rocks heaped on rocks 
 Encircling and receding rose 
 Beyond the hedge, 
 Their cones the azure sky piercing, 
 Shone luminous with snow and ice 
 Beneath sun rays ; rays dazzling still 
 
 'Though passing fast fair Eden's 
 Meridian. Then Paradise 
 In brightness gleamed. 
 Appeared an entrance new ; through this, 
 With measured tread, the stately herd 
 Their precious burdens bore, nor saw 
 
8o 
 
 The Man these shining forms, 
 Nor heeded he ; his senses fine 
 In sleep were locked. 
 
 Transplendent ones, Angels from Heaven, 
 Eden's bowers amidst, sat mute and gazed 
 Upon their heavy, lumbering steeds ; 
 
 Nor knew that these were kings 
 Of beasts, and trained to follow sounds 
 Angels heard not. 
 
 Of sound these beasts each modulation 
 Knew that breathed in vain to harps 
 Within Angelic ears ; so trained 
 
 Were they to signals given 
 That without thought the Angels rode, 
 Marched, throned on them, 
 Eden's bowers amidst; and sate transfixed 
 Beneath its fragrant, spicy shade; 
 Beheld entranced its beauteous 
 
 Simplicity; saw Adam 
 Unconscious that to him was given 
 An homage rare. 
 
 The palms in Eden were wonderful, 
 Both greater and the lesser kinds, 
 Gathered in groups, and set in lanes; 
 
 In vain search we, to Heaven 
 They were transplant' to charm the sight 
 Of Angels there. 
 
 Within Eden's entrance was the small 
 Rock- fountain Adam loved, not far 
 Beyond, stored safe, sweet honey-hoard 
 
 In caches made by him 
 Within the ground ; the busy man 
 Had right to rest. 
 
 So sound Adam slept, that all had passed 
 Each to his place and statue-like 
 Remained, like Burmahn idols carved 
 
8i 
 
 From tabreez-stone. Adam's herd, 
 With watchful eyes that turned toward him, 
 Stood guard. 
 
 The elipse complete, at farther end 
 An altar stood of stone; huge, vast, 
 Entire; a monolith scarred not 
 
 By human hands ; there lay 
 Lilies of creamy hue, and white, 
 Like Easter flowers ; 
 Pale roses, smooth of stem, blushing; 
 Chrysanthemums ; of violets, 
 A fragrant, incense shedding cloud ; 
 
 Spice- weed and ferns ; on edge 
 Of rock these found a footing place 
 And seemed to thrive; 
 While, from its base, wild columbine 
 Sprang up, 
 
 A plant designed in Heaven, 
 And thence transplant' by eagle's aid 
 
 To Earth. Such gard'ning done, 
 Aquila seemed to watch their growth 
 In nature's care. 
 
 Secure their earthly home, and growth 
 Assured, from out their shapely gold 
 And scarlet throats music came forth 
 
 From earth, by dainty stem 
 Conveyed. So still it was, we heard 
 The ferns bend down 
 
 To catch the sounds from out these flowrets 
 Spreading horns ; sweet sounds from Heaven. 
 
 We held our breath in fear to miss 
 
 One note, for only then 
 Were they connected up by wires 
 Invisible. 
 
 Their golden throats resounding rang 
 With harmonies from Heaven afar, 
 And carried thence through endless space ; 
 
 Seraphs the players were. 
 
82 
 
 In time, ears trained will hear these tones 
 
 And learn Heaven's songs ; 
 
 The bad then good will grow ; that they 
 
 May onward follow to the source 
 
 Of perfect harmony. 
 
 Then first 
 
 Was felt the thrill which greets 
 Orchestral score, created by 
 A thinking mind ; 
 
 Not nature's tuneful pipings, squacks 
 And roars ; but all subdued to place 
 And harmonized in Heaven ; 
 
 'Twas bliss 
 
 To hear ; a glorious, hushed 
 Salute of honor ; first to God, r 
 Then Man, God's work. 
 
 Stood all the beasts in place, nor moved 
 'Til music ceased, for sweet and clear 
 A love-song rose ; Earth's love to God, 
 
 And Heaven's to God, and God's 
 To new-made Man, who lay asleep 
 Within his nest. 
 
 Out toward the monolithic stone 
 The largest of the stranger herd 
 Walked slow ; something upon it lay 
 
 Which glistened white ; and laced 
 About with strands as fine as spiders 
 Ever spin ; 
 
 Amidst the filmy strands, wove in 
 And out were blossoming lotus, pink 
 And white ; above, one lotus lay, 
 
 All gold at heart, petaled 
 With crimson hue ; the sacred plant 
 Of Indes' land. 
 
 All wreathing, binding it in place, 
 A purple passion-vine entwined 
 Itself; 
 
83 
 
 Within the wreathing vines 
 And milk-white swathing webs 
 Lay gentle Eve, in dreamless sleep's 
 Embrace enwrapped. 
 Beneath her head an Angel's folded 
 Wing, above her lay its mate, 
 Her form from rays of sun shielding, 
 
 Once more of use to her 
 Before its final dissolution, since 
 It was willed so. 
 
 God touched the Man to waken him, 
 This is thy mate — Man Adam — wake! 
 Look! here's thy mate; loved Adam, live 
 
 And with her tend this place, 
 Keep thou My law, and forget not 
 Oh, son of Mine — 
 I've given thee all thou needest here 
 And made the earth so fair that thou 
 Canst perfect be, nor think of sin. 
 
 Work then, and live; sinning 
 Thou'lt die, and be shut out from Heaven, 
 Away from Me. 
 
 Then ceased the words; an influence sweet 
 Enthralled the Man beyond the power 
 Of simple words.. 
 
 His elephant 
 Was courteous host alike 
 To Angel guest and waiting beast, 
 In place of Man. 
 Beside the stranger elephant 
 Stood Adam's faithful guard, nor did 
 It think but that its guest and Adam's 
 
 The other was, its look 
 Indifferent, tho' watchful it 
 Of child-like Man ; 
 
 It served an unseen guide in all 
 Its ways with Adam, and came and went 
 According to command of that 
 
8 4 
 
 Great Presence, which controlled 
 Both them, and every living thing 
 But mortal Man. 
 
 The Earth was made laws to obey- 
 Not made for Man ; he was to have 
 No laws save those to labor, and 
 
 To love. 
 
 Heaven's walls'd enclosed 
 An idler's paradise, hence un- 
 Provoked revolt. 
 
 The pit of Hell nothing contained 
 Of love, nor were revolting souls 
 Contented there. 
 
 A new Earth placed, 
 
 How could Man's life be planned 
 And simplified toward liberty 
 And happiness ? 
 
 Let Man be law; a perfect Man 
 Could need no perfecting ; could run 
 In circle small for aye ; while Earth, 
 
 In circle not so strict, 
 Would take the Man around, and tilt 
 Him back and forth 
 Within a circling year, to climes 
 Untold ; he could stand still, and have 
 Variety. What use had Man 
 
 For laws ? chance might account 
 To him for everything, which he 
 Himself wrought not. 
 Should man inquire, and search, some laws 
 He'd find, binding material things ; 
 For self, no laws ; could aught spoil such 
 
 A work ? The plan'd been wrought 
 With thought for child-like Man, who slept 
 Like any child. 
 Unmindful lay he in his mat 
 On elephant, asleep. At last 
 
85 
 
 His spirit heard ; his body still 
 
 Engulfed in sluggish rest. 
 Beast Satan heard, "This Man's law was, 
 " 'Obey and work.' " 
 
 Man must obey without a thought 
 
 Or knowledge of result ; — save this, 
 
 That God would be displeased, and Heaven 
 
 Would be no place for him. 
 That God should wish a home where He 
 Could be at peace 
 
 Was far beyond the serpent's ken ; 
 He hoped Man would obey ; but cast 
 An anxious thought out toward the form 
 
 Which lay so closely swathed ; 
 Its coming moved torment anew 
 Within his heart. 
 
 One law had shut him out from Adam, 
 The law of kind ; 'til now they two 
 In loneliness were equals both ; 
 
 Far better so, than Adam 
 And Eve content, and he alone, 
 And in their sight. 
 
 "Adam not alone" ? — his envy burned, 
 Again he vows forgot, his soul 
 Shuddered ; on that one chance alone 
 
 Could he gain Heaven ; he could 
 Find blessedness complete for him 
 As Adam's friend. 
 
 "What lay within those swathing folds?" 
 Quick ran his thoughts all knowledge through, 
 Experience to him had come 
 
 In line of "warriors, powers, 
 And principalities;" not maids 
 In silk cocoon. 
 
86 
 
 Should she prove precious, he with Adam 
 Could strive ; and, conquering him, bear off 
 His mate. 
 
 A tree forbid grew near ; 
 
 Around its base a screen 
 Of ferns and fennel grew, a safe 
 And near retreat. 
 
 Cast he a look toward Man, as one 
 
 In act to spring; he paused, then crouched 
 
 He low ; and lying on the ground, 
 
 Amidst the ferns and flowers 
 That girt the great tree's base, he made 
 His silent way. 
 
 Then we forgot the slimy beast 
 
 Which lay beside the "knowledge-tree ;" 
 
 Nor saw we him again 'til days 
 
 To weeks and months had run, 
 So still he lay that we drew near 
 The sleeping pair. 
 
 Observant, from the perfumed rock, 
 The Presence of the Lord saw all, 
 Himself invisible ; then rose 
 
 Enchanting music's chords 
 From golden trumpet throats, to ears 
 Of Angel guests 
 
 Who raised their heads, surprised ; the sounds 
 Familiar seemed ; they were transmit' 
 To far off Earth, from Heaven direct, 
 
 By grounded circuit, through 
 The columbine ; a perfect flower designed 
 For Paradise. 
 
 To make Earth Heaven, it nothing lacked ; 
 God's presence ; Angels ; all that art 
 Could paint, or ear enjoy, — why wake 
 
 That drowsy Man? He seemed 
 
87 
 
 The center of all interest 
 To eye and thought. 
 
 When God elects to be alone 
 
 He draws angelic bounds, Himself 
 
 Invisible. 
 
 Great storks from sky 
 Descend', themselves adjust 
 
 On ledge of rock, and nestle there 
 
 Like little birds 
 
 Beside the parent bird. Hushed were 
 
 Our simple notes ; while high from out 
 
 The aquilegia's horns loud tones 
 
 Symphonious rose, tho' played 
 
 In distant Heaven, and played to wake 
 
 The dreaming Adam. 
 
 Of stranger herd of elephants 
 One only there remained, and it 
 The leader was, and bore a Queen 
 
 To grace the waiting Earth. 
 Adam's faithful guard, bearing the Man, 
 Stood, with its. mate ; 
 
 Of Adam's herd, all else had gone ; 
 Each, passing by, had paired with one 
 Of stranger herd ; they slowly paced 
 
 In solemn march. 
 
 The white 
 Beast's glitt'ring riders turned, each one, 
 And looked toward Adam. 
 The Angels passed the leafy gate 
 Nor saw it once ; intent were they 
 On Eden's bloom, and its one Man. 
 
 Full gently had great ropes 
 Of bloss'ming vines swung down; to their 
 Fixed resting place 
 
 They swung, and held the passage-way 
 Secure. 
 
88 
 
 The glitt'ring ones were shut 
 Without, to heavenly march which oft 
 
 They'd heard, and followed where 
 It called ; their earthly steeds had heard, 
 And ordered march 
 In spite of them ; 
 
 They were shut out, 
 Those shining ones, but knew it was 
 A part of some wise plan. In thought 
 
 In Eden they lingered still ; 
 Shut out, they felt at liberty 
 To roam at will ; 
 
 They saw how planned was Earth, so placed 
 For Man's abode, that Angels e'en 
 Might be content, environed so ; 
 
 Man's limitations felt — 
 For Man must step, or creep, or jump— 
 Of upward flight incapable, — 
 They'd Angels be. 
 
 Earth's freedom they'd 
 Enjoy, now their 's it was ; to Heaven 
 
 Return content — unless, as now — 
 When earthward sent as choicest of 
 Heaven's messengers. 
 
 Within Eden's bounds two beings lay 
 Upon whose fate unmeasured woes 
 Or many joys for ages wait. 
 
 Since then, no one can say 
 That God's to blame for aught, save once, 
 Or, maybe, thrice; 
 A message sent to Noah when 
 About the Earth to drown ; He called 
 Forth Abraham, who would have lived 
 
 His century, and three- 
 Score years and ten, without God's call ; 
 He Angels sent 
 
 To warn ; and gave men dreams ; aside 
 From these, — 
 
8 9 
 
 And the one time when from 
 His throne His Son went forth to save 
 
 What seemed to Him — the Son — 
 Such mighty loss of souls and lives; 
 No record's given. 
 
 Since God then, made one soul to live 
 
 Upon this Earth, He lets all live, 
 
 And work with tremblings oft their own 
 
 Salvation out, unless 
 They take that offered through His Son ; 
 God's Man was Adam. 
 
 Unconscious Man slowly awaked 
 
 And turned himself, and looked ; what noise 
 
 Had him disturbed ; and, whispering low 
 
 Of coming joy — and him 
 Cursing — had gone away? Into 
 The sky he gazed, 
 It seemed the same ; but as he rose 
 He glanced around ; his dreaming must 
 Be true ; a garden strange he saw ; 
 
 The tree was safe near which 
 His store of honey lay concealed, — 
 And rock- fountain ; 
 
 Amazed, he sat upright, and then — 
 Saw Eve, a white cocoon, all bound 
 About with swathing, filmy threads, 
 
 Milk-white, and strong; held fast 
 By wreathing, purple-blossomed vines 
 Of passion-flower. 
 
DOVE'S SONG TO THE PASSION 
 VINE. 
 
SONG. 
 
 "O Passion-vine, so rough and blue, 
 Dear Passion-vine, hold fast and true, 
 
 Thy branches clasp a soul within, 
 A soul which has no thought of sin." 
 
 "Loved Passion-vine, could we, like thee 
 
 Bind life and immortality, 
 The blood-drops from our hearts we'd give 
 
 To see thy prisoner rise, and live." 
 
 Upon his friendly, waiting beasfe 
 Adam closer drew, to see within 
 The chrysalis ; 
 
 From its rent side 
 
 A bare, pink arm shone through 
 Its web-like, spun-silk covering 
 To greet his eyes ; 
 
 From the fair arm drooped, nerveless, a 
 Slim wrist and hand ; a human hand 
 Like his. At signal by Man given 
 His elephant knelt down 
 Beside the standing one. 
 
 Strange sight; 
 Adam stood, and stared; 
 A mortal hand ; a pinkish arm 
 And wrist ; escaping from a rent 
 Within a great cocoon ; as fair 
 
94 
 
 And smooth as those from which 
 He'd seen emerge great butterflies 
 And brilliant moths. 
 
 He studied the small hand ; and clasped 
 
 It in his own firm hand. He saw 
 
 The covering Angel's wing, caught down 
 By slightest strands of film ; 
 
 He saw the wing was laid above 
 
 The cocoon's silk 
 
 And did not pass within, as did 
 
 The hand and arm. — My mate and I 
 
 Had left our nest and young alone, 
 That seeing, — we might see 
 And know Adam's every act, and word, 
 
 And very thought. 
 
 He placed Eve's hand in his, her wrist 
 He gently moved, and lifted it ; 
 He touched her arm ; with his cold hand 
 He snapped the thread that held 
 The covering Angel's wing in place ; 
 It fell to dust. 
 
 He heeded not, but looked where it 
 Had lain, and saw — Eve's gracious face, 
 Her quiet, sleeping face ; this then 
 
 Was real ; but not like his 
 The face; — within the fountain's rim 
 He had learned his, 
 And oft had played at mirroring 
 Himself, to prove identity. 
 She could not fly away, — as did 
 
 The birds ; one wing was gone, 
 She could not fly with one alone; 
 And then Adam smiled. 
 
 Her slender wrist lay still within 
 
 His hand, — warm now — his blood lagged not, 
 
95 
 
 But shot throughout his veins like rays 
 
 Of living fire. He was 
 Alone with her he had a legal 
 Right to love. 
 
 His waving hair fell to his feet — 
 
 His body veiled ; it custom was 
 
 To him, when sought he sleep. He'd bound 
 
 It fast with clematis 
 Which, like a well-wrought broidery, 
 A royal robe 
 For this first earthly princeling made. 
 
 He looked again, and caution came 
 To him ; he thought how oft he'd all 
 
 Too rough handled the homes 
 Of birds in trees, or e'en the silk 
 Of blossoms bright ; 
 
 Eve's tranquil, breathing face was fair, 
 Compared with any flower he knew ; 
 Close round her brow, serene and still, 
 
 Curled rings of hair, like vine- 
 Tendrils, unlike was she to all 
 Beside himself. 
 
 Adam knew Eve's hand was warm ; and in 
 Her wrist a throbbing stroke of life 
 Ebbed to^ind fro, like that his heart 
 Sent running, coursing all 
 Throughout his veins ; if he but dared 
 He'd rend the web. 
 
SLEEPY MOCKING BIRD'S 
 SONG. 
 
SONG. 
 
 "O, Adam, be content, hasten 
 
 And go away ; 
 What's hidden here, will keep 'til morn, 
 
 It's come to stay. 
 
 Those heavy eyelids, weighted down, 
 
 Have hid from view 
 The learning of their loss of Heaven, 
 
 Because of you. 
 
 Go, Adam, thou hast been asleep, 
 
 And from thy side 
 Enough of mortal clay hast lost 
 
 To form thy bride. 
 
 Her soul is what she brought from Heaven, 
 
 And that's asleep, 
 Don't wake her, first of mortal Men, 
 
 But silence keep." 
 
 We Doves, alarmed, thought of our nest 
 And little birds therein; the night 
 Might fall, ere Adam had seen his mate ; 
 
 We chirped and cried ; we ceased 
 In fright, the Man had heard ; he raised 
 His eyes in thought. 
 
IOO 
 
 Eve's hand he clasped above his heart 
 In sweet contentedness ; unto 
 Fast setting sun his face he turned 
 
 And raised his hand toward Heaven, 
 He God's self thanked for happiness 
 Almost complete; 
 
 Besought his Father to remain 
 A Presence ever near, and prayed 
 Him help His Adam keep in mind 
 His promises. 
 
 A mid- 
 Day gleam of light on Adam shone 
 While gentle Man 
 Over himself the mastery 
 Of God's love felt, 
 
 His hand rent then 
 The sheltering web, revealing her, 
 For him fit mate. 
 
 Adam looked; 
 Then softly touched her wakeful, blushing, 
 Sleepy face. 
 
EPILOGUE. 
 
EPILOGUE. 
 
 I fast was shut in dungeon's walls, 
 A prisoner released from death; 
 
 And then, released from blindness' thralls 
 I listened there, with bated breath 
 
 To Palm Dove, spent with flying far, 
 Which fell on window ledge, its "coo" 
 
 Not that of other doves ; through bar 
 Of window grate it took; "Ya-hu. 
 
 j> 
 
 "Ya-hu," its cry; "Oh God! oh God!" 
 The meaning was, it fed with me, 
 
 And slept beside mine head. Had rod 
 Of gold blossomed, could word from God 
 
 Be sent by Dove again? "Release 
 
 "Me God, from hence; the word of Dove 
 
 "I'll then translate; it should speak 'Peace', 
 "Man's raging hate toward Thee, to love 
 
 "Should turn ; for all in sight that's now 
 "Fresh from Thy hand, is beauty yet ; 
 
 "Nor Art, Science, nor thought from brow 
 "Of man evolved, can e'er beget 
 
 "More than the ant, or bee, or flash 
 "Of lightning wild, should ages since 
 
 "Have taught to him. With Thee, no trash 
 "Of wheat unsearched through is." The 
 Prince 
 
104 
 
 Of Peace was wise; that Earth was round, 
 It nothing was, to tell ; the course 
 
 Of stars ; Earth's poise in space, if found 
 In time would small use be ; man's force 
 
 Too puny far, them to control. 
 
 He showed himself God's son, and said 
 " 'My Father does these works ;' 'A soul 
 
 " 'That's saved, is worth the Earth, but 
 dead 
 
 " 'In sin ;' 'I come to save ;' 'Dost thou 
 " 'Love me ?' My father will love thee 
 
 "And thou in city fair shalt bow 
 
 "In praise ; 'Thy shining mansion see 
 
 " 'Where many mansions are.' ' The Dove 
 Within my cell found rest ; and I 
 
 Did talk with it ; my spirit throve 
 As fed on Manna from the sky. 
 
 Released from care, shut out from friend, 
 No prison wall held me; in green 
 
 Valley I lived; flowers before me bent; 
 Within my flesh I walked unseen, 
 
 The I the Dove did recognize 
 
 As from my casement opened wide 
 
 It flew refreshed toward Paradise 
 Its mate to see, its Spirit Bride. 
 
M . f 
 
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