Wecametothefearfulhollowwhereoncehadwallowedthemonstersoftheearth:itwasindeed,asIhadbehelditinmydream,alovelylake。Igazedintoitspelluciddepths。Awhirlpoolhadsweptoutthesoilinwhichtheabortionsburrowed,andatthebottomlayvisiblethewholehorridbrood:adimgreenishlightpervadedthecrystallinewater,andrevealedeveryhideousformbeneathit。Coiledinspires,foldedinlayers,knottedonthemselves,or\"extendedlongandlarge,\"theywelteredinmotionlessheaps——shapesmorefantasticinghoulish,blastingdismay,thaneverwine—soddenbrainofexhaustedpoetfeveredintomisbeing。HewhodivedintheswirlingMaelstromsawnonetocomparewiththeminhorror:tentacularconvolutions,tumidbulges,glaringorbsofsepiandeformity,wouldhavelookedtohiminnocencebesidesuchincarnationsofhatefulness——everyheadthewickedflowerthat,burstingfromanabominablestalk,perfecteditsevilsignificance。
Notoneofthemmovedaswepassed。Buttheywerenotdead。Solongasexistmenandwomenofunwholesomemind,thatlakewillstillbepeopledwithloathsomenesses。
Butharktheheraldofthesun,theauroralwind,softlytrumpetinghisapproach！Themaster—ministerofthehumantabernacleisathand！Heapingbeforehisprowahugeripple—frettedwaveofcrimsonandgold,herushesaloft,asifnewlaunchedfromtheurginghandofhismakerintotheuppersea——pauses,andlooksdownontheworld。White—ravingstormofmoltenmetals,heisbutacoalfromthealtaroftheFather\'snever—endingsacrificetohischildren。
Seeeverylittleflowerstraightenitsstalk,liftupitsneck,andwithoutstretchedheadstandexpectant:somethingmorethanthesun,greaterthanthelight,iscoming,iscoming——nonethelesssurelycomingthatitislongupontheroad！Whatmattersto—day,orto—morrow,ortenthousandyearstoLifehimself,toLovehimself！
Heiscoming,iscoming,andthenecksofallhumanityarestretchedouttoseehimcome！Everymorningwilltheythusoutstretchthemselves,everyeveningwilltheydroopandwait——untilhecomes。