And quietly she went forth into the noisy, whirling, wonderful world, and wherever she went the sky grew bright—she felt the warm ray—the rainbow spread itself out from the dark world through the blue air. She heard the song of the birds, and smelt the scent of orange groves and apple orchards so strongly that she seemed to taste it. Soft tones and charming songs reached her ear, but also howling and roaring, and thoughts and opinions, sounded in strange contradiction to each other. Into the innermost depths of her heart penetrated the echoes of human thoughts and feelings. One chorus sounded darkly—
"The life of earth is a shadow vain
A night created for sorrow!"
but then came another strain—
"The life of earth is the scent of the rose,
With its sunshine and its pleasure."
And if one strophe sounded painfully—
"Each mortal thinks of himself alone,
This truth has been manifested"—
on the other side the answer pealed forth—
"A mighty stream of warmest love,
All through the world shall guide us."
She heard, indeed, the words—
"In the little petty whirl here below,
Each thing shows mean and paltry;"