Plain English Part 44

G.o.d said, "Thy hands are pure. Lift up thy robe."

I raised it; my feet were red, blood-red, as if I had trodden in wine.

G.o.d said, "How is this?"

I said, "Dear Lord, the streets on earth are full of mire. If I should walk straight on in them my outer robe might be bespotted, you see how white it is! Therefore I pick my way."

G.o.d said, "_On what?_"

I was silent, and let my robe fall. I wrapped my mantle about my head. I went out softly. I was afraid that the angels would see me.

II.

Once more I stood at the gate of Heaven, I and another. We held fast by one another; We were very tired. We looked up at the great gates; angels opened them, and we went in. The mud was on our garments. We walked across the marble floor, and up to the great throne. Then the angels divided us. Her, they set upon the top step, but me, upon the bottom; for, they said, "Last time this woman came here she left red foot-marks on the floor; we had to wash them out with our tears. Let her not go up."

Then she with whom I came, looked back and stretched out her hands to me; and I went and stood beside her. And the angels, they, the s.h.i.+ning ones who never sinned and never suffered, walked by us, to and fro, up and down; I think we should have felt a little lonely there if it had not been for one another, the angels were so bright.

G.o.d asked me what I had come for; and I drew my sister forward a little that He might see her.

G.o.d said, "How is it you are here together today?"

I said, "She was upon the ground in the street, and they pa.s.sed over her; I lay down by her, and she put her arms around my neck, and so I lifted her, and we two rose together."

G.o.d said, "Whom are you now come to accuse before Me?"

I said, "We are come to accuse no man."

And G.o.d bent and said, "My children--what is it that you seek?"

And she beside me drew my hand that I should speak for both.

I said, "We have come to ask that Thou shouldst speak to Man, our brother, and give us a message for him that he might understand, and that he might----"

G.o.d said, "Go, take the message down to him!"

I said, "But what _is_ the message?"

G.o.d said, "Upon your hearts it is written; take it down to him."

And we turned to go; the angels went with us to the door. They looked at us.

And one said, "Ah! but their dresses are beautiful!"

And the other said, "I thought it was mire when they came in, but see, it is all golden!"

But another said, "Hush, it is the light from their faces!"

And we went down to him.

--_Olive Schreiner_.

The Cry of the People

Tremble before your chattels, Lords of the scheme of things!

Fighters of all earth's battles, Ours is the might of kings!

Guided by seers and sages, The world's heart-beat for a drum, Snapping the chains of ages, Out of the night we come!

Lend us no ear that pities!

Offer no almoner's hand!

Alms for the builders of cities!

When will you understand?

Down with your pride of birth And your golden G.o.ds of trade!

A man is worth to his mother, Earth, All that a man has made!

We are the workers and makers!

We are no longer dumb!

Tremble, O s.h.i.+rkers and Takers!

Sweeping the earth--we come!

Ranked in the world-wide dawn, Marching into the day!

The night is gone and the sword is drawn And the scabbard is thrown away!

--_Neihardt_.

SPELLING

LESSON 12

Last week we learned the rule governing the spelling of derivatives of _one_ syllable ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel when we add a suffix beginning with a vowel.

The same rule applies to words of two or more syllables, accented on the last syllable.

For example:

_Compel_, compelled, compelling.

_Prefer_, preferred, preferring.

+Words accented on the last syllable, when they end in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant when you add a suffix beginning with a vowel.+

When these words take a suffix that begins with a _consonant_, they do _not_ double the final consonant; as, _preferment_.

Words accented on any syllable but the last, do _not_ double the final consonant; as, _offer_, _offered_, _offering_.

Words that have two vowels before a single final consonant do not double the final consonant; as, _reveal_, _revealed_, _revealing_.