II.
From gracious deeds exhale the perfumes rare Of active rest, glad care, and hopeful trust The soul snuffs these, well pleased, and seems to share, For once, a joy in concord with the dust. Thus simple deeds, through Love, make known th' unknown-- That immaterial most substantial gain Which makes of earth a heaven all its own. And claims from spirit-land no sweeter reign. So, while I learn in thine own atmosphere To live, guard thou with patience all my ways, For chance compels when weakness rules, and fear Of self brings blackest night unto my days; E'en now, through thee, my worst seems less forlorn, And darkness breaks before the blushing morn.
He wondered that the word "soul" had as yet no synonym to express whathe meant without, as he said, "borrowing the language of superstition."For this he claimed poetical license. He was amused at the similarity ofhis verse to some kind of religious prayer or praise. "Perhaps," hesaid, "all loves, when sufficiently refined, have only onelanguage--whether the aspirations be addressed to Chemosh or Dagon orMary or Jahveh, or to the woman who embodies all one knows of good. Butperhaps, more likely, the song that perfect love sings in the heart hasno possible language, but is part of 'the choir invisible whose music isthe gladness of the world,' and to which we have all been trying to putwords, in religions and poems.
"In twenty thousand years from now," he said, smiling, "archaeologistswill be fighting over a discussion as to whether, in these early days,any superstition still existed. Just before they come to blows over thematter my sonnets will be found, produced, and deciphered, and therewill be rejoicing on one side to have it proved that at a certain timeAnno Domini (an era supposed to refer to one Abraham or Buddha) manstill claimed that a local god existed called 'Margaret,' who wasevidently worshiped with fervor.
"But certainly," he added, as he read the sonnet for the third time,"their mistake will not be such a palpable one as that about the Song ofSolomon."