dreams-第11章

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And　I　listened。

God　asked　me　what　I　was　listening　to。

And　I　said；　〃A　sound　of　weeping；　and　I　hear　the　sound　of　strokes；　but　I　cannot　tell　whence　it　comes。〃

God　said；　〃It　is　the　echo　of　the　wine…press　lingering　still　among　the　coping…stones　upon　the　mounds。　　A　banquet…house　stood　here。〃

And　he　called　me　to　come　further。

Upon　a　barren　hill…side；　where　the　soil　was　arid；　God　called　me　to　stand　still。　　And　I　looked　around。

God　said；　〃There　was　a　feasting…house　here　once　upon　a　time。〃

I　said　to　God；　〃I　see　no　mark　of　any！〃

God　said；　〃There　was　not　left　one　stone　upon　another　that　has　not　been　thrown　down。〃　　And　I　looked　round；　and　on　the　hill…side　was　a　lonely　grave。

I　said　to　God；　〃What　lies　there？〃

He　said；　〃A　vine　truss；　bruised　in　the　wine…press！〃

And　at　the　head　of　the　grave　stood　a　cross；　and　on　its　foot　lay　a　crown　of　thorns。

And　as　I　turned　to　go；　I　looked　backward。　　The　wine…press　and　the　banquet…　house　were　gone；　but　the　grave　yet　stood。

And　when　I　came　to　the　edge　of　a　long　ridge　there　opened　out　before　me　a　wide　plain　of　sand。　　And　when　I　looked　downward　I　saw　great　stones　lie　shattered；　and　the　desert　sand　had　half　covered　them　over。

I　said　to　God；　〃There　is　writing　on　them；　but　I　cannot　read　it。〃

And　God　blew　aside　the　desert　sand；　and　I　read　the　writing：　　〃Weighed　in　the　balance；　and　found〃　but　the　last　word　was　wanting。

And　I　said　to　God；　〃It　was　a　banquet…house？〃

God　said；　〃Ay；　a　banquet…house。〃

I　said；　〃There　was　a　wine…press　here？〃

God　said；　〃There　was　a　wine…press。〃

I　asked　no　further　question。　　I　was　very　weary；　I　shaded　my　eyes　with　my　hand；　and　looked　through　the　pink　evening　light。

Far　off；　across　the　sand；　I　saw　two　figures　standing。　　With　wings　upfolded　high　above　their　heads；　and　stern　faces　set；　neither　man　nor　beast；　they　looked　out　across　the　desert　sand；　watching；　watching；　watching！　　I　did　not　ask　God　what　they　were；　for　I　knew　what　the　answer　would　be。

And；　further　and　yet　further；　in　the　evening　light；　I　looked　with　my　shaded　eyes。

Far　off；　where　the　sands　were　thick　and　heavy；　I　saw　a　solitary　pillar　standing：　　the　crown　had　fallen；　and　the　sand　had　buried　it。　　On　the　broken　pillar　sat　a　grey　owl…of…the…desert；　with　folded　wings；　and　in　the　evening　light　I　saw　the　desert　fox　creep　past　it；　trailing　his　brush　across　the　sand。

Further；　yet　further；　as　I　looked　across　the　desert；　I　saw　the　sand　gathered　into　heaps　as　though　it　covered　something。

I　cried　to　God；　〃Oh；　I　am　so　weary。〃

God　said；　〃You　have　seen　only　one　half　of　Hell。〃

I　said；　〃I　cannot　see　more；　I　am　afraid　of　Hell。　　In　my　own　narrow　little　path　I　dare　not　walk　because　I　think　that　one　has　dug　a　pitfall　for　me；　and　if　I　put　my　hand　to　take　a　fruit　I　draw　it　back　again　because　I　think　it　has　been　kissed　already。　　If　I　look　out　across　the　plains；　the　mounds　are　burial　heaps；　and　when　I　pass　among　the　stones　I　hear　them　crying　aloud。　　When　I　see　men　dancing　I　hear　the　time　beaten　in　with　sobs；　and　their　wine　is　living！　　Oh；　I　cannot　bear　Hell！〃

God　said；　〃Where　will　you　go？〃

I　said　〃To　the　earth　from　which　I　came；　it　was　better　there。〃

And　God　laughed　at　me；　and　I　wondered　why　he　laughed。

God　said；　〃Come；　and　I　will　show　you　Heaven。〃

。。。

And　partly　I　awoke。　　It　was　still　and　dark；　the　sound　of　the　carriages　had　died　in　the　street；　the　woman　who　laughed　was　gone；　and　the　policeman's　tread　was　heard　no　more。　　In　the　dark　it　seemed　as　if　a　great　hand　lay　upon　my　heart；　and　crushed　it。　　I　tried　to　breathe　and　tossed　from　side　to　side；　and　then　again　I　fell　asleep；　and　dreamed。

God　took　me　to　the　edge　of　that　world。　　It　ended。　　I　looked　down。　　The　gulf；　it　seemed　to　me；　was　fathomless；　and　then　I　saw　two　bridges　crossing　it　that　both　sloped　upwards。

I　said　to　God；　〃Is　there　no　other　way　by　which　men　cross　it？〃

God　said；　〃One；　it　rises　far　from　here　and　slopes　straight　upwards。

I　asked　God　what　the　bridges'　names　were。

God　said；　〃What　matter　for　the　names？　　Call　them　the　Good；　the　True；　the　Beautiful；　if　you　willyou　will　yet　not　understand　them。〃

I　asked　God　how　it　was　I　could　not　see　the　third。

God　said；　〃It　is　seen　only　by　those　who　climb　it。〃

I　said；　〃Do　they　all　lead　to　one　heaven？〃

God　said；　〃All　Heaven　is　one：　　nevertheless　some　parts　are　higher　than　others；　those　who　reach　the　higher　may　always　go　down　to　rest　in　the　lower；　but　those　in　the　lower　may　not　have　strength　to　climb　to　the　higher；　nevertheless　the　light　is　all　one。〃

And　I　saw　over　the　bridge　nearest　me；　which　was　wider　than　the　other；　countless　footmarks　go。　　I　asked　God　why　so　many　went　over　it。

God　said；　〃It　slopes　less　deeply；　and　leads　to　the　first　heaven。〃

And　I　saw　that　some　of　the　footmarks　were　of　feet　returning。　　I　asked　God　how　it　was。

He　said；　〃No　man　who　has　once　entered　Heaven　ever　leaves　it；　but　some；　when　they　have　gone　half　way；　turn　back；　because　they　are　afraid　there　is　no　land　beyond。〃

I　said；　〃Has　none　ever　returned？〃

God　said；　〃No；　once　in　Heaven　always　in　Heaven。〃

And　God　took　me　over。　　And　when　we　came　to　one　of　the　great　doorsfor　Heaven　has　more　doors　than　one；　and　they　are　all　openthe　posts　rose　up　so　high　on　either　side　I　could　not　see　the　top；　nor　indeed　if　there　were　any。

And　it　seemed　to　me　so　wide　that　all　Hell　could　go　in　through　it。

I　said　to　God；　〃Which　is　the　larger；　Heaven　or　Hell？〃

God　said；　〃Hell　is　as　wide；　but　Heaven　is　deeper。　　All　Hell　could　be　engulfed　in　Heaven；　but　all　Heaven　could　not　be　engulfed　in　Hell。〃

And　we　entered。　　It　was　a　still　great　land。　　The　mountains　rose　on　every　hand；　and　there　was　a　pale　clear　light；　and　I　saw　it　came　from　the　rocks　and　stones。　　I　asked　God　how　it　was。

But　God　did　not　answer　me。

I　looked　and　wondered；　for　I　had　thought　Heaven　would　be　otherwise。　　And　after　a　while　it　began　to　grow　brighter；　as　if　the　day　were　breaking；　and　I　asked　God　if　the　sun　were　not　going　to　rise。

God　said；　〃No；　we　are　coming　to　where　the　people　are。〃

And　as　we　went　on　it　grew　brighter　and　brighter　till　it　was　burning　day；　and　on　the　rock　were　flowers　blooming；　and　trees　blossomed　at　the　roadside；　and　streams　of　water　ran　everywhere；　and　I　heard　the　birds　singing；　I　asked　God　where　they　were。

God　said；　〃It　is　the　people　calling　to　one　another。〃

And　when　we　came　nearer　I　saw　them　walking；　and　they　shone　as　they　walked。　I　asked　God　how　it　was　they　wore　no　covering。

God　said；　〃Because　all　their　body　gives　the　light；　they　dare　not　cover　any　part。〃

And　I　asked　God　what　they　were　doing。

God　said；　〃Shining　on　the　plants　that　they　may　grow。〃

And　I　saw　that　some　were　working　in　companies；　and　some　alone；　but　most　were　in　twos；　sometimes　two　men　and　sometimes　two　women；　but　generally　there　was　one　man　and　one　woman；　and　I　asked　God　how　it　was。

God　said；　〃When　one　man　and　one　woman　shine　together；　it　makes　the　most　perfect　light。　　Many　plants　need　that　for　their　growing。　　Nevertheless；　there　are　more　kinds　of　plants　in　Heaven　than　one；　and　they　need　many　kinds　of　light。〃

And　one　from　among　the　people　came　running　towards　me；　and　when　he　came　near　it　seemed　to　me　that　he　and　I　had　played　together　when　we　were　little　children；　and　that　we　had　been　born　on　the　same　day。　　And　I　told　God　what　I　felt；　God　said；　〃All　men　feel　so　in　Heaven　when　another　comes　towards　them。〃

And　he　who　ran　towards　me　held　my　hand；　and　led　me　through　the　bright　lights。　　And　when　we　came　among　the　trees　he　sang　aloud；　and　his　companion　answered；　and　it　was　a　woman；　and　he　showed　me　to　her。　　She　said；　〃He　must　have　water〃；　and　she　took　some　in　her　hands；　and　fed　me　（I　had　been　afraid　to　drink　of　the　water　in　Hell）；　and　they　gathered　fruit　for　me；　and　gave　it　me　to　eat。　　They　said；　〃We　shone　long　to　make　it　ripen；〃　and　they　laughed　together　as　they　saw　me　eat　it。

The　man　said；　〃He　is　very　weary；　he　must　sleep〃　（for　I　had　not　dared　to　sleep　in　Hell）；　and　he　laid　my　head　on　his　companion's　knee　and　spread　her　hair　out　over　me。　　I　slept；　and　all　the　while　in　my　sleep　I　thought　I　heard　the　birds　calling　across　me。　　And　when　I　woke　it　was　like　early　morning；　with　the　dew　on　everything。

And　the　man　took　my　hand　and　led　me　to　a　hidden　spot　among　the　rocks。　　The　ground　was　very　hard；　b