Lilith

"Father," I cried, "where is she? Where are the dead? Is the great resurrection come and gone? The terror of
my loneliness was upon me; I could not sleep without my dead; I ran from the desolate chamber. −−Whither
shall I go to find them?"
"You mistake, my son," he answered, in a voice whose very breath was consolation. "You are still in the
chamber of death, still upon your couch, asleep and dreaming, with the dead around you."
"Alas! when I but dream how am I to know it? The dream best dreamed is the likest to the waking truth!"
"When you are quite dead, you will dream no false dream. The soul that is true can generate nothing that is
not true, neither can the false enter it."
"But, sir," I faltered, "how am I to distinguish betwixt the true and the false where both alike seem real?"
"Do you not understand?" he returned, with a smile that might have slain all the sorrows of all his children.
"You CANNOT perfectly distinguish between the true and the false while you are not yet quite dead; neither
indeed will you when you are quite dead−−that is, quite alive, for then the false will never present itself. At
this moment, believe me, you are on your bed in the house of death."
"I am trying hard to believe you, father. I do indeed believe you, although I can neither see nor feel the truth
of what you say."
"You are not to blame that you cannot. And because even in a dream you believe me, I will help you.−−Put
forth your left hand open, and close it gently: it will clasp the hand of your Lona, who lies asleep where you
lie dreaming you are awake."
I put forth my hand: it closed on the hand of Lona, firm and soft and deathless.
"But, father," I cried, "she is warm!"
"Your hand is as warm to hers. Cold is a thing unknown in our country. Neither she nor you are yet in the
fields of home, but each to each is alive and warm and healthful."
Then my heart was glad. But immediately supervened a sharp−stinging doubt.
"Father," I said, "forgive me, but how am I to know surely that this also is not a part of the lovely dream in
which I am now walking with thyself?"
"Thou doubtest because thou lovest the truth. Some would willingly believe life but a phantasm, if only it
might for ever afford them a world of pleasant dreams: thou art not of such! Be content for a while not to
know surely. The hour will come, and that ere long, when, being true, thou shalt behold the very truth, and
doubt will be for ever dead. Scarce, then, wilt thou be able to recall the features of the phantom. Thou wilt
then know that which thou canst not now dream. Thou hast not yet looked the Truth in the face, hast as yet at
best but seen him through a cloud. That which thou seest not, and never didst see save in a glass darkly−−that
which, indeed, never can be known save by its innate splendour shining straight into pure eyes−−that thou
canst not but doubt, and art blameless in doubting until thou seest it face to face, when thou wilt no longer be
able to doubt it. But to him who has once seen even a shadow only of the truth, and, even but hoping he has
seen it when it is present no longer, tries to obey it−−to him the real vision, the Truth himself, will come, and
depart no more, but abide with him for ever."
"I think I see, father," I said; "I think I understand."
Lilith
Lilith 150