And what the dream voice said to me was something like this:-
'If thou wouldst have happiness, choose neither fame, which doth not
long abide, nor power, which stings the hand that wields it, nor
gold, which glitters but never glorifies; but choose thou Love, and
hold it for ever in thy heart of hearts; for Love is the purest and
the mightiest force in the universe, and once it is thine all other
gifts shall be added unto thee. Love that is passionate yet
reverent, tender yet strong, selfish in desiring all yet generous in
giving all; love of man for woman and woman for man, of parent for
child and friend for friend--when this is born in the soul, the
desert blossoms as the rose. Straightway new hopes and wishes,
sweet longings and pure ambitions, spring into being, like green
shoots that lift their tender heads in sunny places; and if the soil
be kind, they grow stronger and more beautiful as each glad day
laughs in the rosy skies. And by and by singing-birds come and
build their nests in the branches; and these are the pleasures of
life. And the birds sing not often, because of a serpent that
lurketh in the garden. And the name of the serpent is Satiety. He
maketh the heart to grow weary of what it once danced and leaped to
think upon, and the ear to wax dull to the melody of sounds that
once were sweet, and the eye blind to the beauty that once led
enchantment captive.
Pages:
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104