University of Virginia Library

SCENE III.

The interior of a Druidical Temple. Caffa discovered alone. Enter Lavercam.
CAFFA.
Blest Lavercam! you are most welcome here!

LAVERCAM.
I come to get the golden Hook to cut
The Mistletoe bough.

CAFFA.
Well, you shall have it soon.
A glorious Reaper thou hast ever been
To me—reaping that rich reward on earth
Which thou shalt reap again in Heaven.

LAVERCAM.
God grant
I may.

CAFFA.
So do the Saints above now reap
Eternal joys—Slessama walking with
Naomi's Ruth, reaping the Fields of Bliss.

LAVERCAM.
So do I hope to gather golden grain
Into the Adamantine Pyramid Bins
Of Heaven.

CAFFA.
Then thine inheritance is hope
In the fruition—not the faith that points
To things unseen—that being buried in
A golden coffin in the silver grave
Of thy good works. Thy Tree is full of fruit.
Thy voice is like the Autumn of the year
In Paradise.

LAVERCAM.
Why not the Summer-time?

CAFFA.
Because the rich perfection of the Spring,
As Autumn is of both.

LAVERCAM.
Thy voice doth sound
Like Summer in the Spring-time of my love.

CAFFA.
What good time of the year is this?

LAVERCAM.
'Tis Spring.

CAFFA.
I thought it our first Sabbath-day in Heaven.

LAVERCAM.
'Tis always Sunday to the souls who love.

CAFFA.
Because Eternity is in their time.
All years to them being but one long day of love—
That day the immortal Sabbath of their souls.

LAVERCAM.
You talk as one who knew the mysteries
Of Heaven.

CAFFA.
And thou the Ænigma of the grave.
For he who goes to God's school will come back learned
In all the infinite riches of the skies.
A perfect lover is the only King—
Love being the only Kingdom come on earth.

LAVERCAM.
Because the Incarnation of God's will—
True marriage being the life to come in this.

CAFFA.
Then we are wedded in the life to come;
For we do live a life of perfect love.
Then we are one in heart as one in soul—
Cemented by that talismanic Seal of Love
Engraven with the Magic Name of God—
Elohim-Ben-Rooakh all around;
For whichsoever way you turn the stone,
Like Solomon's connubial ring, it will
Reveal celestial beauties ever new.

LAVERCAM.
Thy tongue has touched the Altar-coal of Heaven—
Wearing Ezekiel's inkhorn by thy side,
Thy soul is plumed for early flight to Heaven.

CAFFA.
Is not memory the essence of our life,
Through which we live our halcyon days again?
Man has two Edens; one, his youth in time—
The other in Eternity in Heaven.
Midway between these two now stand our souls;
The first is our sweet Youth when near to Heaven;
The other our old Age, when nearer still.

LAVERCAM.
Then why lament the loss of our sweet youth,
When we have promises from God that we
Shall have far richer ones in Heaven, from which
There never shall be any going out?

CAFFA.
Thy words are sweeter far than life to me.

LAVERCAM.
I am most glad they taste sweet to thy lips;
They are forbidden fruit to all besides.
We are instructed to be pure as God.
In hoping to be pure, we grow more so—
Growing the more like Him, the more we hope.

CAFFA.
It is not, then, in any place on earth,
We are to find the Eden that we seek,
But in the Edenic lives of our own souls;
For he who lives the heavenly life on earth,
Will be in Heaven, for Heaven will be in him.
As Paradise was known but by its flowers,
So can we judge the quality of a man,
By the rich fruit he bears. Come in.

LAVERCAM.
I will.

[Exeunt.