Angels and Women (1924)

CHILDOF THE HERMITAGEWest Bank of the , EuphratesFirst i ng Moon--EvenAfter , AdamFour Cycles.THIS day completes another year of mylife; its events have made me unusuallythoughtful.Immediately after the morning sacrificeAllimades called me to the garden. Hiscountenance, always serious, was even sadas we sat down under our favorite cypresstree."Aloma, my daughter," he said, "you areno longer a child; maturing years and experiencewill bring to you, as to every humanbeing, care, perplexity and sorrow. Yourbrother, who would have been a companionand protector, is dead; I buried him atBalonia. You are alone."Shut out from the world in this impenetrableforest, your life will be eventless,occupied by the routine of labor and religiousduty; God grant you a tranquil mind.13