In the Garden of Life.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIX, Issue 4, 22 January 1913, Page 7

In the Garden of Life.

A FANTASY. By MRS G. H. A. RYVES. I A rosebud in my garden beckoned me, and she spake and said : “ Look at my petals unfolding to the sun, and in between them see my golden heart ; and deeper down the little vesicles arranged for fnv seeds. Look right through my stalk and along my leaves, on this side and on that, with all their innumerable veins. See the little pink thorns upon my stem, and look all down along the sap-ways to my roots where they strike into the earth; and you will find my law which is my soul. You will find it spread out all over, and iii, and through me, and you can smell it in my scent." So I found the Law of the rose which is her soul, and labelled it in the book of my mind ; and 1 laid it against the patterns of other flowers 1 had in my mind’s collection, and found it fitted in parts with mam- others. So 1 took note of it all. and wondered at the divisions and subdivisions that could be made of them. Then a shadow suddenly came over the sun ; it was the shadow of a man. And he said to me, pointing to the rose : "This is illusion, an appearance only, there is no real rose." But 1 answered, lightly. “Oh ! you are mistaken, for the rose has just shown me its soul.” " What do we know of a soul ? ’’ he said. " A rose is nothing but a mere name for an appearance which soon disappears. We know of nothing except what is made up of parts ; divided and divided all comes to atoms. Now take away one, and then take away another —this is still a rose, you say; but at last: there is nothing left even to call a rose. It is illusion." But I answered him. " Nay, in that case the rose would have flowered out and faded,——passed away as all things must one day ; yet even among the dust of worlds there will be hidden somewhere the Law of the Rose, which is its soul." But the man insisted that there is no soul; that the rose atoms produce appearance only. " Phenomena arc all,” "and all is illusion.” But I answered still, " Nay. for the rose has shown me its soul, —1 have found its affinity with eternal Law ; the rose has spoken for all its kind." Then a blackbird suddenly burst into song. He sang to me of joy;—yet not to me but to his mate. 1 noted his glossy feathers and his golden beak, ami the brightness of bis watchful eye ; and how be balanced himself upon the elder bough, and how his throat swelled with his song; and 1 knew his Uw, which is his soul, and I put it also into my mind's collection and labelled it and fitted its pattern to that of other birds, and wondered again at the divisions and subdivisions that could be made of them.

Then I turned to the objector and asked him : "Is this also illusion ? ” And he said : " Yes ; here are appearances —here are phenomena,—all go the same way. dust and ashes—dust and ashes.”

Then I saw my Beloved standing by, and 1 went near to him and looked into his eyes, and I saw therein his Law. and 1 saw that it spread all over him and made him what he was : my Lovth, and my Beloved. The shadow of t i.c objector again darkened my path, and J turned and asked him smiling. "Is this also illusion 1 ” and be said: “ What now ? ”

“Surely y#u can tell mo," I said, “surely you know the heart of a man and of a woman—you, who know so much ? "

And he laughed a mocking laugh ; loudly he laughed and • he said : " Oh. you innocent dreamers I a man's heart and a wooiAn's t You will need no one to*, tell you, you will soon know that,

flic greatest of all, as Vo(l hold it, is illusion- even as the least.” Is there but on.* wis • man ? ” I cried. “ I am a woman ami I have my woman’s creed; —speak. Beloved ! Is love illusion ? Is love to perish ? (‘an it be broken to fragments and scattered so that there Im* nothing left of it -as love ? Speak, my Beloved I —speak ! ” And he said : “ 1 have no answer to make this man.” Thereupon the man turned upon his heels and Went his way.

Then my Beloved came near to me. and drew me close to him and looked into mine eyes. “Shall I tell thee?” he asked, “ Can I tell thee if thou dost not alreadv r know ? ”

I answered him. “ I know, Beloved, but I wanted thee to shatter the man’s arguments.” “Nay, but let him go,” he said, “ lot him have his arguments we have oui love?