I Read when God would answer once for all
The question, What is love?—that Woman was
His thought expressed. I knew that it was true,
But long I looked for one who had rent the veil
Of earthly sense and found it so; who saw
In heaven's clear light, her heart was God's own heart
In perfect full expression. Once at last
I crossed the shining path of such a one.
Upon her face the record still was left
Of suffering and struggle like to that
Of Good and Evil in that conflict they
At last shall fight unto the death. But o'er
It all was stamped the Spirit's fine repose,
The impress of a stillness and a strength
Within the veil where just a few abide,
Our guardian angels, and look out upon
The earth, with eyes that rest the weariest ones
On whom their benediction e'er descends.
On looking into them you see as in
A vision then, the meaning and the end
Of all the restless, struggling years behind
You, and upon your darkness shines a light
And makes the way unto that one fair end
Clear in a never failing, guiding stream.
Of her I asked Love's meaning to us now,
So far as we could understand and live
It in our present lives. These words she said:
"To mortal man Love's symbol is the cross,
Self-sacrifice its holy measure. Its
Essence we may not know for myriad years,—
Not until all things earthly shall have passed
Through their last death and burial and have come
Unto their resurrection; which is but
Their comprehension full and perfected
Of Love. We love another here and now,
If deep within, we know we are for time
That other's deepest need; and rising up
Go out prepared to meet that need and then
To till it to the fullest evermore.
The present symbol of our love, the cross,
Our sinning, suffering self, we once held dear
As mortal life, but now deny, and see
As nothing unto us forevermore.
This cross we bear till in the service of
Our loved one and our God, we are grown strong
And free to throw it from us far away.
So Love, at last, shall have to man
No more the name of burden or of sacrifice."
