olution was
taken: the dream must be made a reality. It was night, and her father
slept. She pressed a kiss on his hand, and then took her distaff, and
fastened the end of the thread to her father's house. But for this,
blind as she was, she would never have found her way home; to the
thread she must hold fast, and trust not to herself or to others. From
the Tree of the Sun she broke four leaves; these she would confide to
wind and weather, that they might fly to her brothers as a letter and
a greeting, in case she did not meet them in the wide world. How would
she fare out yonder, she, the poor blind child? But she had the
invisible thread to which she could hold fast. She possessed a gift
which all the others lacked. This was _thoroughness_; and in virtue of
this it seemed as if she could see to the tips of her fingers, and
hear down into her very heart.

And quietly she went forth into the noisy, whirling, wonderful world,
and wherever she went the sky grew bright--she felt the warm ray--the
rainbow spread itself out from the dark world through the blue air.
She heard the song of the birds, and smelt the scent of orange groves
and apple orchards so strongly that she seemed to taste it. Soft tones
and charming songs reached her ear, but also howling and roaring, and
thoughts and opinions, sounded in strange contradiction to each other.
Into the innermost depths of her heart penetrated the echoes of human
thoughts and feelings. One chorus sounded darkly--

"The life of earth is a shadow vain
A night created for sorrow!"

but then came another strain--

"The life of earth is the scent of the rose,
With its sunshine and its pleasure."

And if one strophe sounded painfully--

"Each mortal thinks of himself alone,
This truth has been manifested"--

on the other side the answer pealed forth--

"A mighty stream of warmest love,
All through the world shall guide us."

She heard, indeed, the words--

"In the little petty whirl here below,
Each thing shows mean and paltry;"

but then came also the comfort--

"Many things great and good are achieved,
That the ear of man heareth never."

and if sometimes the mocking strain sounded around her--

"Join in the common cry: with a jest
Destroy the good gifts of the Giver."

in the blind girl's heart a stronger voice repeated--

"To trust in thyself and in God is best;
His good will be done for ever