Plain English Part 66

_In the dark_ one night I lay _upon my bed_. And _in the dark_ I dreamed a dream. I dreamed G.o.d took my soul _to h.e.l.l_.

And we came where h.e.l.l opened _into a plain_, and a great house stood there. Marble pillars upheld the roof, and white marble steps led up _to it_. The wind _of heaven_ blew _through it_. Only _at the back_ hung a thick curtain. Fair men and women there feasted _at long tables_. They danced, and I saw the robes _of women_ flutter _in the air_ and heard the laugh _of strong men_. They feasted _with wine_; they drew it _from large jars_ which stood somewhat _in the background_, and I saw the wine sparkle as they drew it.

And I said _to G.o.d_, "I should like to go up and drink." And G.o.d said, "Wait." And I saw men coming _into the banquet house_; they came in _from the back_ and lifted the corner _of the curtain_ _at the sides_ and crept in quickly; and they let the curtain fall _behind them_; they bore great jars they could hardly carry. And the men and women crowded _round them_, and the newcomers opened their jars and gave them _of the wine_ to drink; and I saw that the women drank even more greedily than the men. And when others had well drunken they set the jars _among the old ones_ _beside the wall_, and took their places _at the table_. And I saw that some _of the jars_ were very old and mildewed and dusty, but others had still drops _of new must_ _on them_ and shone _from the furnace_.

And I said to G.o.d, "What is that?" For amid the sounds of the singing, and over the dancing of feet, and over the laughing across the winecups, I heard a cry.

And G.o.d said, "Stand away off."

And He took me where I saw both sides of the curtain. Behind the house was a wine-press where the wine was made. I saw the grapes crushed, and I heard them cry. I said, "Do not they on the other side hear it?"

G.o.d said, "The curtain is thick; they are feasting."

And I said, "But the men who came in last. They saw?"

G.o.d said, "They let the curtain fall behind them--and they forgot!"

I said, "How came they by their jars of wine?"

G.o.d said, "In the treading of the press these are they who came to the top; they have climbed out over the edge and filled their jars from below; and have gone into the house."

And I said, "And if they had fallen as they climbed--?"

G.o.d said, "They had been wine."

I stood away off watching in the suns.h.i.+ne, and I s.h.i.+vered.

And after a while I looked, and I saw the curtain that hung behind the house moving.

I said to G.o.d, "Is it a wind?"

G.o.d said, "A wind."

And it seemed to me that against the curtain I saw pressed the forms of men and women. And after a while, the feasters saw it move, and they whispered one to another. Then some rose and gathered the most worn-out cups, and into them they put what was left at the bottom of other vessels. Mothers whispered to their children, "Do not drink all, save a little drop when you have drunk." And when they had collected all the dregs they slipped the cups out under the bottom of the curtain without lifting it. After a while the curtain left off moving.

I said to G.o.d, "How is it so quiet?"

He said, "They have gone away to drink it."

I said, "They drink it--their own!"

G.o.d said, "It comes from this side of the curtain, and they are very thirsty."

And still the feast went on.

Men and women sat at the tables quaffing great bowls. Some rose, and threw their arms about each other and danced and sang. They pledged each other in the wine, and kissed each other's blood-red lips.

Men drank till they could drink no longer, and laid their heads upon the table, sleeping heavily. Women who could dance no more leaned back on the benches with their heads against their lovers' shoulders. Little children, sick with wine, lay down upon the edge of their mothers'

robes.

I said, "I cannot see more, I am afraid of h.e.l.l. When I see men dancing I hear the time beaten in with sobs; and their wine is living! Oh, I cannot bear h.e.l.l!"

G.o.d said, "Where will you go?"

I said, "To the earth from which I came; it was better there."

And G.o.d laughed at me; and I wondered why He laughed.

--_Olive Schreiner_.

SPELLING

LESSON 18

There are a number of words that are ordinarily followed by a preposition with its phrase. We make a great many mistakes in the use of the proper preposition with these words. Our spelling lesson this week covers a number of these words with examples ill.u.s.trating the appropriate preposition to be used with each word. Learn to spell these words, look up their meaning in the dictionary and use each word with its proper preposition in sentences of your own construction.

+MONDAY+

+Abhorrence+, of; We have an abhorrence _of_ war.

+Abhorrent+, to; War is abhorrent _to_ us.

+Acquaint+, with; I will acquaint you _with_ the facts in the case.

You will then be acquainted _with_ the facts.

+Acquit+, of; The man was acquitted _of_ the charge.

+Adequate+, to; Our resources are not adequate _to_ the demand.

+TUESDAY+

+Angry+, with, at; We are angry _with_ persons and angry _at_ things.

+Astonished+, at or by; (Never with) I am astonished _at_ you, or _by_ you, not _with_ you.

+Confer+; We confer _with_ people, _upon_ or _about_ matters.

+Contrary+; A thing is contrary _to_ our ideas, (not _from_ or _than_).

+Controversy+; with, between, or about, (not over). I had a controversy _with_ you. There is a controversy _between_ the two _about_ the result.

+WEDNESDAY+

+Convicted+, of (not for). He was convicted _of_ the crime.

+Copy+; We copy _after_ people, _from_ things, and _out_ of books.

+Deprive+, of, (not from). We are deprived _of_ an education.

+Desire+, of and for; We may speak of the desire _of_ a man, meaning man's desire; but we should always say "He has a desire _for_ position, _for_ wealth," etc.

+Die+, of, for and from; A person dies _of_, not _from_, a disease. He dies _from_ the effects of an injury. One person may die _with_ another, but never _with_ a disease, for the disease does not die.

+THURSDAY+

+Differ+, from, among, about, concerning, with; Persons or things differ _from_ each other; that is, they are dissimilar in appearance. Two persons may differ _with_ each other; that is, contend or disagree. Several persons differ _among_ themselves _about_ or _concerning_ some matter.

+Dissent+, from (not to). There was a general dissent _from_ that idea.