work of calling to
God the creations permeated by His Word?

But already the sublime _hallelujah_ was sounding in the ear of the
desolate ones as the distant undulations of an ended melody. Already
the celestial lights were fading like the gold and crimson tints of a
setting sun. Death and Impurity recovered their prey.

As the two mortals re-entered the prison of flesh, from which their
spirit had momentarily been delivered by some priceless sleep, they felt
like those who wake after a night of brilliant dreams, the memory
of which still lingers in their soul, though their body retains no
consciousness of them, and human language is unable to give utterance to
them.

The deep darkness of the sphere that was now about them was that of the
sun of the visible worlds.

"Let us descend to those lower regions," said Wilfrid.

"Let us do what he told us to do," answered Minna. "We have seen the
worlds on their march to God; we know the Path. Our diadem of stars is
There."

Floating downward through the abysses, they re-entered the dust of the
lesser worlds, and saw the Earth, like a subterranean cavern, suddenly
illuminated to their eyes by the light which their souls brought with
them, and which still environed them in a cloud of the paling harmonies
of heaven. The sight was that which of old struck the inner eyes
of Seers and Prophets. Ministers of all religions, Preachers of all
pretended truths, Kings consecrated by Force and Terror, Warriors and
Mighty men apportioning the Peoples among them, the Learned and the Rich
standing above the suffering, noisy crowd, and noisily grinding them
beneath their feet,--all were there, accompanied by their wives and
servants; all were robed in stuffs of gold and silver and azure studded
with pearls and gems torn from the bowels of Earth, stolen from the
depths of Ocean, for which Humanity had toiled throughout the centuries,
sweating and blaspheming. But these treasures, these splendors,
constructed of blood, seemed worn-out rags to the eyes of the two
Exiles. "What do you there, in motionless ranks?" cried Wilfrid. They
answered not. "What do you there, motionless?" They answered not.
Wilfrid waved his hands over them, crying in a loud voice, "What do you
there, in motionless ranks?" All, with unanimous action, opened their
garments and gave to sight their withered bodies, eaten with worms,
putrefied, crumbling to dust, rotten with horrible diseases.

"You lead the nations to