THE CHILD-ANGEL, A Dream
Iwassuddenlytransported,howorwhitherIcouldscarcelymakeout——buttosomecelestialregion.Itwasnottherealheavensneither——notthedownrightBibleheaven——butakindoffairylandheaven,aboutwhichapoorhumanfancymayhaveleavetosportandairitself,Iwillhope,withoutpresumption.
Methought——whatwildthingsdreamsare!——Iwaspresent——atwhatwouldyouimagine?——atanangelsgossiping.
Whenceitcame,orhowitcame,orwhobidite,orwhetheritcamepurelyofitsownhead,neitheryounorIknow——buttherelay,sureenough,wrappedinitslittlecloudyswaddlingbands——aChild-Angel.
Sun-threads——filmybeams——ranthroughthecelestialnaperyofwhatseemeditsprincelycradle.Allthewingedordershoveredround,watchingwhenthenew-bornshouldopenitsyetclosedeyes,which,whenitdid,firstone,andthentheother——withasolicitudeandapprehension,yetnotsuchas,stainedwithfear,dimstheexpandingeye-lidsofmortalinfants,butasiftoexploreitspathinthoseitsunhereditarypalaces——whataninextinguishabletitterthattimesparednotcelestialvisages!Norwantedtheretomyseeming——Otheinexplicablesimplenessofdreams!——bowlsofthatcheeringnectar,——
whichmortalscaudlecallbelow——
Norwerewantingfacesoffemaleministrants,——strickeninyears,asitmightseem,——sodexterouswerethoseheavenlyattendantstocounterfeitkindlysimilitudesofearth,togreet,withterrestrialchild-ritestheyoungpresent,whichearthhadmadetoheaven.
Thenwerecelestialharpingsheard,notinfullsymphonyasthosebywhichthespheresaretutored,but,asloudestinstrumentsonearthspeakoftentimes,muffled,sotoacmodatetheirsoundthebettertotheweakearsoftheimperfect-born.And,withthenoiseofthosesubduedsoundings,theAngeletsprangforth,flutteringitsrudimentsofpinions——butforthwithflaggedandwasrecoveredintothearmsofthosefull-wingedangels.Andawonderitwastoseehow,asyearswentroundinheaven——ayearindreamsisasaday——continuallyitswhiteshouldersputforthbudsofwings,but,wantingtheperfectangelicnutriment,anonwasshornofitsaspiring,andfellfluttering——stillcaughtbyangelhands——forevertoputforthshoots,andtofallfluttering,becauseitsbirthwasnotoftheunmixedvigourofheaven.
AndanamewasgiventotheBabeAngel,anditwastobecalledGe-Urania,becauseitsproductionwasofearthandheaven.
Anditcouldnottasteofdeath,byreasonofitsadoptionintoimmortalpalaces:butitwastoknowweakness,andreliance,andtheshadowofhumanimbecility,anditwentwithalamegait,butinitsgoingsitexceededallmortalchildreningraceandswiftness.Thenpityfirstsprangupinangelicbosoms,andyearnings(likethehuman)touchedthematthesightoftheimmortallameone.
AndwithpaindidthenfirstthoseIntuitiveEssences,withpainandstrifetotheirnatures(notgrief),putbacktheirbrightintelligences,andreducetheiretherealminds,schoolingthemtodegreesandslowerprocesses,sotoadapttheirlessonstothegradualillumination(asmustneedsbe)ofthehalf-earth-born,andwhatintuitivenoticestheycouldnotrepel(byreasonthattheirnatureis,toknowallthingsatonce),thehalf-heavenlynovice,bythebetterpartofitsnature,aspiredtoreceiveintoitsunderstanding,sothatHumilityandAspirationwentoneven-pacedintheinstructionofthegloriousAmphibium.
But,byreasonthatMatureHumanityistoogrosstobreathetheairofthatsuper-subtleregion,itsportionwas,andis,tobeachildforever.
Andbecausethehumanpartofitmightnotpressintotheheartandinwardsofthepalaceofitsadoption,thosefull-naturedangelstendeditbyturnsinthepurlieusofthepalace,wherewereshadygrovesandrivulets,likethisgreenearthfromwhichitcame:soLove,withVoluntaryHumility,waitedupontheentertainmentofthenew-adopted.
Andmyriadsofyearsrolledround(indreamsTimeisnothing),andstillitkept,andistokeep,perpetualchildhood,andistheTutelarGeniusofChildhooduponearth,andstillgoeslameandlovely.
BythebanksoftheriverPisonisseen,lone-sittingbythegraveoftheterrestrialAdah,whomtheangelNadirloved,aChild,butnotthesamewhichIsawinheaven.Amournfulhueovercastsitslineaments,nevertheless,acorrespondencyisbetweenthechildbythegrave,andthatcelestialorphan,whomIsawabove,andthedimnessofthegriefupontheheavenly,isasashadoworemblemofthatwhichstainsthebeautyoftheterrestrial.Andthiscorrespondencyisnottobeunderstoodbutbydreams.
AndinthearchivesofheavenIhadgracetoread,howthatoncetheangelNadir,beingexiledfromhisplaceformortalpassion,upspringingonthewingsofparentallove(suchpowerhadparentalloveforamomenttosuspendtheelse-irrevocablelaw)appearedforabriefinstantinhisstation,and,depositingawondrousBirth,straightwaydisappeared,andthepalacesknewhimnomore.Andthischargewastheself-sameBabe,whogoethlameandlovely——butAdahsleepethbytheriverPison.