Or any sense, the song which rang through heaven A sweeter song than that which celebrates A sinner's penitence-when our two souls And charge us both, as we would not be shamed In our own day of judgment, to confess To keep our souls asunder? Did He not When oft you looked at us, your eyes all filled Of rest, among the glories of that world In which our love is known, and looked upon As something to assure us, when we come To enter it more fully, of a right D To stand far nearer to the central Throne Than many whom this world has glorified You heard that song, and therefore you will hear That in the strength of this our inward troth Which may be useful for the world that is, But which to us, who grasp the world to come, Of what we know, and what we have confessed To be the sole foundation of our love. This, then, explains our secrecy. I fain As after action it is smoothed away, Some pain which was not needed might be brought To you, to Gertrude, most of all to him Whom I must guard from self-accusing thoughts I had not proved, by adding deed to thought, They serve to cover greed of rank by men Or wealth by women,-wealth for which they sell Their souls and bodies, doubling the disgrace That follows women whom the world agrees To hold condemned. This, mother, have we done Against my first intention; yet the thought That you thereby may certainly be saved Some pain for me, who rather, as you know, I am not In mood to write much further; we shall go, I feel your blessing round me; if your doubt By that communion which the soul alone That much has tried it, estimates aright. Kiss Gertrude for me, mother, tell her all; I know that she will trust her Eucharis. 37 LETTER V. EUCHARIS TO GERTRUDE. San Remo Oct. 2, 18-2. SHAME, say you, sister, shame? O would that I Felt half the shame for what you glory in (For are you not my sister?) have been doomed For I was well forewarned that all the world |