No
vulgar intrusive noise disturbs the religious quiet of the scene. One
might believe one's self in a church--a vast temple in which every being
and every natural beauty has its place. I dare not breathe for fear of
putting the dream to flight--a dream traversed by angels.
"Comme autrefois j'entends dans l'ether infini
La musique du temps et l'hosanna des mondes."
In these heavenly moments the cry of Pauline rises to one's lips.
[Footnote: "Polyeuete," Act. V. Scene v.
"Mon epoux en mourant m'a laisse ses lumieres;
Son sang dont tes bourreaux viennent de me couvrir
M'a dessille les yeux et me les vient d'ouvrir.
Je vois, je sais, je crois----"]
"I feel! I believe! I see!" All the miseries, the cares, the vexations
of life, are forgotten; the universal joy absorbs us; we enter into the
divine order, and into the blessedness of the Lord. Labor and tears,
sin, pain, and death have passed away. To exist is to bless; life is
happiness. In this sublime pause of things all dissonances have
disappeared. It is as though creation were but one vast symphony,
glorifying the God of goodness with an inexhaustible wealth of praise
and harmony. We question no longer whether it is so or not. We have
ourselves become notes in the great concert; and the soul breaks the
silence of ecstasy only to vibrate in unison with the eternal joy.
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