Amy Redpath Roddick

“ Ay low enough, God knows,
May He protect!
[As Charles disappears, following David,
enter Albert.] Albert. The King? Ernst. Enticed away
Like Master Eginhardt. Those woods have closed
On Majesty, ah woe the day! Albert. Ah woe
Indeed! where shall we turn? Old man, come steer
My course; the ship is rudderless, the captain
Has gone. Ernst. And so you call on me, a peasant;
Forgetting noble birth and heritage!
Go search your prized gentility, your schooling,
Your war-time prowess, your hunting skill, your pride,
Vain-glory, your anything. Leave me. I have
A friend—another friend, to mourn. ”

“ The weeds now have their hour of beauty,
The dying cedar hedge is fashioned of golden tissue,
The falling apple blossoms are fairy butterflies,
And the peace of God
Enfolds the troubled heart of man! ”

“ Emma
opens door, left. Eginhardt throws a cloak
over her. They stand looking out.] A watchman sings without.
Here are lodged the sacred clothes;
Bow your heads and stainless be.
Earth is draped with glistening snows,
Garbed anew with purity.
Let each soul be undefiled,
God and man be reconciled.
Let each soul be undefiled,
God and man be reconciled.—— Emma. The watchman's song has drifted from his tower.
He steps within. O seize the moment, fly! Eginhardt. [He makes a movement, then stops.] But Emma! that snow—unspotted— Emma. That glitters 'neath
The moon! It seems a miracle. ”

“ Mingling them with its joys and successes,
Till “the good old days” become as perfect
As our garden,
In the twilight hour!
AT LENNOX.
The silver birch, on the mountain top, laughed for sheer joy of being alive!
She looked down on the valley and saw the peaceful farms and the green meadow, where man’s only labour was driving a ball from hole to hole, and beyond she saw the gentle slopes of wooded hills and the pure gold of the setting sun and she was happy, for was not all this created just for her!
So she laughed, and every leaf fluttered for joy! ”

“ I go to the House of God, the mountain top, with its foundation of finite rock and its roof of infinite space; and there, from the finite my soul aspires to the infinite, from sin to perfection, from the known to the ideal, from disorder to harmony, from man to God. ”

“ Has daily Mass,
The Palace School left you thus weaponless?
63Must you, of this ninth century, turn back
To pagan thought to fight the power of ill?
O fie! fie! fie! a peasant must accoutre,
Must offer arms to noblemen? If help
There be, 'tis by that cross. Fall on your knees
In humble supplication, tell your beads,
Make Christian vows, invoke the Saints, wake Heaven
With moans and pleading sobs. But he, whose horse
Outstrips the rest, must foam its mouth and froth
Its flanks until good Father Hildebold
Be traced,—our Lord Archbishop. Say to him
That Ernst has sent—six years may be too late. ”

“ A calmness rests upon me, a calm I cannot break,
Though worlds are trembling round me and freedom is at stake.
Because I have no sorrows, because my heart’s at rest,
I cannot weep with others, whose hearts are not so blest;
I tremble for no hero upon the fields of France,
I cannot curse the Nero who planned this gory dance.
Though woman fast is winning her place in Council Halls,
By work where talent leads her, by work where mercy calls,
I feel no keen elation to know her triumph’s near,
A triumph most unselfish, a heavier weight to bear. ”

“ The Flower of Happiness grows in the fields of the Poor and in the gardens of the Rich and may be gathered by all who want it and have the will to reach for it. It hangs high up on the Tree of Life though, and many never see it at all. They are so busy digging for gold or weeping over graves, they forget to look up. ”

“ Our David? and this his special tale, why at
This point he likes to thrust his wooden sword
As though to stab a threatening foe. Ay youth
Can combat death; but what of age? Eginhardt. Talk'st thou
Of age? whose cheeks are soft and round. I will
Admit thou hast enough of woman's wisdom
To delve some crisscross lines or tiny crows-feet.
But none I see, not one wee crease and that
Reflects some credit on thy husband's care;
Six years! and lovers still! was ever known
Such foolish pair. [He kisses her.] Emma. Was ever? Eginhardt. ”

“ So she called all the Sciences and all the Arts to her aid and for long they communed together. Then the Sciences and the Arts went to work, accompanied by a sweet and perfect Charity, who now sought her only reward in her power to serve and to love, and they found the roots of the many evils that beset the world and one by one they destroyed them.
No angry whisperings now, no gruesome beggars more; but soft laughter and willing helpers everywhere abound. ”

“ Is holy silk. Guta. If I should contradict
'Twould be for sake of bickering. The holes
Are plain enough. Thou seem'st to treasure them,
And yet the hole thou comest from is lined
With gold, they say. Emma. The woman's mad!
Ernst. Thou talk'st
Too much, my wife. Guta. [Addressing Emma.] 'Tis true. Take no affront.
But if I may not talk, who will? a silence
Is often more discourteous than words
And gives the Devil chance—
[The noise of some one
approaching is heard.] Ernst. To show his horns.
And thou hast said it! hush! hush—
[Enter Eginhardt.] ”

“ Even amongst those who do see it many are afraid to pluck it, fearing its beauty and fragrance might injure their souls. Others strive for it; but the rock, on which they stand, is so overlaid with greed and lust that, when the Flower is within their reach, they slip, clutching but a broken stalk. ”

“ Had dimmed; with deep, upwelling thought that strives
And gladsome awe, they faced the Evening Star; whose print
Was on their baby's brow, had marked their lives.
Then Innocence would laugh and stretch her hands and prayer
Half-breathed would rise that happiness remain.
The Evening Star flung beams of trust and through the air
Oft "Innocence" was voiced by winds again.
And Innocence grew tall as passed the years; but frail
At times she seemed, still more when strangers neared. ”

“ So she looked more closely at the beggars and she saw here a blind one, there a lame one, and many, many who were sick and weary, and her heart was touched. So she came down from her pedestal and soothed and comforted the needy, even finding cures for a few of them. Now she was admired and loved more than ever, and greater than ever she felt was that future reward she was heaping up for herself. ”

“ Who spinnest love tales as others gossip. Come!
A lengthy walk! Ernst. And leave the youth? O youth!
First love! sweet raptures, mine no more—no more— Guta. Come, come away; thou moonstruck fool! white hairs
Are no safe shielding 'gainst man's foolish bent.
39 [Ernst and Guta mount the steps but as they descend
the other side they pause and look round unnoticed by
Emma and Eginhardt.] Emma. ”

“ Emma. My Father often sits
And broods beside the larger pond. Eginhardt. I've noticed;
So had it searched most carefully. Last night
The ring was found. Conceal it 'mid thy pearls,
Then tell the King thou lov'st his servant. He will
Refuse thee nought.
12 Emma. Can we buy happiness
At such a price? win lasting peace and true,
Sustaining joy? [She moves and, unnoticing,
brushes the silk from the table.] O see! the silk has
fallen. ”

“ The furniture is covered with skins. There are interesting collections of curios, dried grasses and ferns; and everywhere freshly gathered asters in horn mugs. The whole presents a most artistic appearance. Emma sits on a couch beside a cradle, crooning a slumber song to the infant in her arms. Beside her sits Eginhardt, attaching feathers to his arrows. Through the door, centre back, fruit trees are seen. Six years have greatly changed Emma and Eginhardt. ”

“ The joy, imprinted on their faces, spread to ours.
We laughed in turn as they; but knew not why we laughed.
It was indeed a merry meal in which we shared,
That July day, in fort-bound Metz.
Next day, in France, we were to know at what we laughed
With those large built, full blooded German men of rank,
For when we asked a grieving woman why she wept,
She sobbed: “Because the Germans will make war on France!”
THE CALM THAT COMES WITH YEARS.
I cannot write of turmoil, I cannot write of strife,
Long since has gone the passion, I used to think was life. ”

“ The cloaking space, that something must respond.
A something e'en more wonderful than branchlets sprayed
In weird fantastic tire 'gainst heaven's deep;
And lo the mystic blush of evening gently rayed,
Wee cloudlets strayed from mist like flocks of sheep.
A wind! or was't a cry? The infant gasped for breath.
Belike soft bleating lambs had wakened her,
Belike the new-born soul was lured toward lanes of death,
The rosy flush had held a messenger. ”

“ Blowing whiffs of scented clover,
Whiffs of sweetest peas.
On the moving waters of the Horicon
Comes a red canoe,
Bearing Cupid, with an arrow
Pointed at the crew,
Sharing youthful dreams together,
In that red canoe!
[C] “The Horicon,” meaning tail lake, is the Indian name given by Cooper to Lake George. ”

“ If duty weighs, good Eginhardt, we'll lean
On younger arms; so take my horn and blow
A lusty blast, we have the heart to work;
And God will aid.
[Eginhardt blows the horn, while Charles turns to his
venison and Emma quiets the baby. An answering call
comes faint, then louder.] Eginhardt. Run David, run, and point
The way. [Exit David.] I'll go a step to greet old friends,
Prepare their minds.
[Exit.] Emma. [Laying the baby in his cradle.] Hush, hush—
[She pours some wine for Charles.] ”

“ A few only, with their feet firmly planted on the plane of moderation and their faces turned towards God, gather this wondrous Flower. At moments it may wilt; but the true Flower always revives, and whiffs of its sweetness go to gladden many hearts as they, who have plucked it, walk amongst their fellow-men.
THE MOUNTAIN TOP.
A man of mature years and thoughtful mien was slowly ascending the mountain slopes when he met the good minister, with prayer book under arm, on his way to church.
“My dear sir,” said the latter, “your steps have passed the House of God, and this the Sabbath morn!” ”

“ So that peace is war's purpose, the scope of all military discipline, and the limit at which all just contentions level. All men seek peace by war, but none seek war by peace. For they that perturb the peace they live in, do it not for hate of it, but to show their power in alteration of it. They would not disannul it; but they would have it as they like;"— Charles. "As they like;"—and so they suffer! but that
Is past. O Eginhardt, 'tis thee! thy voice!
Thy gesture! and Emma, my daughter Emma, I know
Thee now. Come let me feel, make certain, my dear,
Dear child, ay, ay; 'tis not a dream. ”

“ Eginhardt. [Sitting on the couch.] Thou know'st the
story? Emma. [Sitting on a stool near him.] A rumor,
Unmeant to reach the King, my Father's ears,
And so 'twas crushed. But now the ring I hold
Demands the truth. O Eginhardt, tell all,
Omitting nought, e'en though the listening hurts. Eginhardt. A lesser soul might rather seek relief
From words unsaid; but thou, with thy clear eyes,
Need'st probe beneath like— Emma. Like that Father; whose
Sweet confidence has been outwitted. Eginhardt. Rather
Betrayed unwittingly, a force outside
Ourselves. Emma. That can be crushed ”

“ Some few of mortal birth have forced a way;
But what they saw none know, for none have since
Returned. Emma. Ay, peasants' talk; but e'en if true—
St. Augustine, I've heard, hath not denied
There may be other hidden agencies
Than those of scriptural warrant—yet this silk
44Will serve as amulet. I have no fear.
Hast thou? Eginhardt. I'd be ashamed to so confess
And once indeed I peeped. Emma. And saw?
Eginhardt. We'll let
It be for now. Thou'rt weak and famished. Rest
Thee here. I'll do some foraging.
[Exit through door of hut.] Emma. [After a pause, gathering up the silk.] ”

“ They stand prettily poised listening, each with the right
forefinger raised. The scene grows quite dark again
while delightful strains of heavenly music are heard.
After a time they die away. The scene lightens, Charles is
discovered still sleeping. All trace of Wish-maidens, tables
and dwarfs have disappeared unless it be David, a little
green-clad figure, who enters from the copse, losing his
hat on a thornbush. ”