Part 18 (1/2)
CHAPTER XX.
IN THE MOUNTAINS.
One afternoon Penloe was expected to take supper with the Wheelwrights.
He had had a standing invitation for some time, but for certain reasons had not accepted it till now. The last time he saw Stella, he said: ”If it will be agreeable to you all, I will take supper at your house next Tuesday evening.” They were all in high spirits at the thought of his coming, for a more agreeable, interesting, and intelligent visitor could not be found.
What little time there was between the time of his arrival and supper, he kept them laughing by relating some very interesting experiences.
At the supper table he was given the seat of honor, Mrs. Wheelwright being on his right and Stella on his left. Stella had on a fine, white dress, with white satin ribbon at the neck and sleeves, and, as her complexion was dark and her hair jet black, it became her exceedingly well. There are some young ladies who need to have very fine dresses to make them at all presentable; they are so dependent on the style of the dress for giving them a good form and fine appearance, but it was not so with Stella. Her fine form and graceful movements would make any dress look well; she set off the dress. The table was laid with a snowy-white damask tablecloth, moss-rose pattern, with napkins to match. Also a moss-rose tea set. The table did not groan with a lot of heavy, greasy food; no, there was very fine bread, good sweet b.u.t.ter, nectarine sauce and blackberry jelly, cake, pineapple sherbet, vanilla ice-cream, milk, weak tea, and some sweetmeats, and nuts.
The meal was eaten very leisurely, for the conversation was very interesting, all taking part in it. Penloe had that rare gift of a good conversationalist, being able to make others talk their best instead of doing all the talking himself. Stella and Penloe were both good at repartee. The ladies talked more than Penloe, and there seemed to be a real genuine feeling, as if one spirit pervaded them all.
After supper, Mr. Wheelwright had an opportunity of talking to Penloe, on the porch, about subjects that he was most interested in, while the ladies washed the dishes. Later on, the ladies joined them, and a most agreeable evening was spent. Mr. and Mrs. Wheelwright excused themselves when their regular time for retiring came, and as it was such a lovely moonlight evening, Stella invited Penloe to keep her company on the porch, saying, ”The evening is so beautiful.” Yes, it was beautiful. It was one of those matchless evenings in California that must be seen and enjoyed to be fully appreciated, and by a soul in touch with the sublime. To realize the grandeur of the sky, with its clear atmosphere, on those fine evenings, is to experience one of the richest joys of existence. Language is inadequate to describe such beauty.
The two souls on the porch were in touch with the Divine, which manifested Itself in all these glories, and they were drinking it in to their fullest capacity. They had sat in silence for a while, when Penloe said: ”Stella, I have not had anything that has given me more satisfaction, or that has pleased me more, and given me encouragement in my work, so much as the courageous spirit manifested by you on the day that you in a public way freed yourself from bondage. You taught the people a lesson they will never forget. That was a grand act, Stella, and you built into your character on that day qualities which will stand all trials and temptations; you made a good karma for yourself. Think how your act has helped others out of bondage.”
Stella said: ”Penloe, it gives me pleasure to hear your approval of what I have done. But is it not only the fruits of your own work, after all?
Did you not take Stella, a green, ignorant girl as she was, and lead her to her freedom?”
Penloe said: ”Yes, Stella, I did one kind of work, and you did another; my work was easy compared to yours. I instructed you, but it was you who put the instruction in practice, and that counts.”
”Penloe,” said Stella, taking his hand in hers, ”I realize that fully, for no one but you could have taught me as you did. No one but you could have given me the light and knowledge I so much needed, no one but you could help me open the door which led me into the spiritual world, and when I entered that world, you were there as my spiritual companion.
”Penloe, you have been my very dear social companion, you have been my very dear intellectual companion, and you have been my very dear spiritual companion. Your companions.h.i.+p has been that of the truest friends.h.i.+p, for your every act and thought has been to raise me up to a higher plane, and I would not be true to my highest and best nature if I did not tell you that I love you as I can love no other man. You possessed my heart long before to-night. Do you love Stella, Penloe, and do you want her to be your life companion, to help you in your n.o.ble work, to love you, and to live the Divine life with you?”
Penloe said: ”Stella, dear, what I have done for you I would do for any one; but darling, I love you intensely. Yes, dear one, your love to me is bliss, and there is no one whose companions.h.i.+p I love and enjoy more than yours, dear Stella, for I see so much of the Divine manifested in you.” And here Penloe took the dear girl to him, and they were both lost in bliss.
I looked at the moon just then in its silvery brightness, and as it looked down on that hallowed scene it sent forth such a glow of light as illuminated the whole heavens and earth. I looked at the planets witnessing that blissful scene. They were more brilliant than ever, and vied with each other in sending forth their bright lights. I looked at the whole canopy of the heavens and, just as the two embraced, an unusual number of stars of the first magnitude appeared and the whole sky was decked with millions of fiery worlds. And why should the heavens not be brilliant on an occasion when the love in two divine ones is plighted?
Their little whisperings at intervals during the silence, which they are enjoying, are too sacred to record here; and while they are in that exceedingly blissful state of mind the thought came to me to note the nature of kisses. There is the cold kiss, which upon receiving one wishes he had not been kissed. Then there is the average common kiss.
Then there is the kiss of friends.h.i.+p. Then there is the ordinary love kiss. Then there is the warm, pa.s.sionate kiss. But superior to them all is the pure, spiritual kiss, so intensely sweet, but so very, very rare.
To give such a kiss, and even to enjoy receiving it, one must have a very high quality of organism. The cells of the brain, the blood which flows through the arteries and veins, the tissues of the whole body must have been formed and built up by that all powerful agent, thought. And that thought must be of the highest order; it must have emptied itself of all but love, that love which takes in all, and from that thought and life comes the manifestation of harmony, purity, sweetness, truth and love. Blessed, thrice blessed indeed, is such a person.
When two persons of that type of character come together in love, giving each other through kisses, the expression of their affection, that kissing is bliss indeed.
After the silence and whisperings of deep love thoughts were over, Stella with her face looking so beautiful, being flushed from the realization of her love, said: ”Penloe, dear, I knew that you were different from most men in not being dependent on the love of a woman for your happiness; for you had within you a deep well of living water from whence came all your joy, and you drank deep draughts from it daily. Yes, dear, I knew your thoughts, your hopes, your happiness was centered in that Blessed Infinite One and He was the source of your peace, your joy and your love. Though I loved you so much, the question arose in my mind whether you needed my love and companions.h.i.+p.”
Penloe said: ”Stella, darling, it is all true, what you say about my living in the Eternal One, and that from Him springs all my strength, my hope and my love; but if that Blessed Infinite One brings another joy to me in the form of dear Stella's love, why should I not accept it gladly?
Yes, dear, your interesting self, your love is all a gift to me from the Infinite Spirit. It is an additional joy and pleasure which He has bestowed upon me, and my prayer is that I may always and fully meet your expectations, and my self and my love may give you as much joy as yours gives me.”
Stella said: ”Penloe, dear, my cup is full to overflowing; how good G.o.d is to me.”
Penloe said: ”Stella, darling, I wish to express a thought concerning love, and it is this. Many times you see two persons in love, and instead of that experience broadening and intensifying their love and sympathies, it has a tendency to narrow them down and contract them and bring them to a very small selfish life, causing them to take no thought or interest in any one but themselves. They seem to form a mutual admiration society, and live to gain the praise of each other. After all, when you a.n.a.lyze them, it is not so much love of each other as it appears to be, but love of each one for himself. Then there is that kind of love union which exists between two where, instead of narrowing and contracting the lovers, it has a tendency to broaden them out in their love, and make their sympathies universal in their scope; their love being of that high order which seems to quicken all that is grand and n.o.ble in their natures; and their lives seem to be those of intense love for each other, and intense love for the Lord in His humanity.”
Then they sat in blissful silence for a little while, when Penloe said: ”Stella, darling, have you thought over what you may have to give up through becoming a life companion to me? Of course, dear, you know I have consecrated my life and my endeavors as a free will offering to the world, and it is not my work nor mission to raise a family. Now, the instinct to become a mother is very strong in some women's natures.”
Stella said: ”Why, Penloe, dear, I do not have to give up anything in becoming a life companion to you, for instead of being a material mother I will become a spiritual mother to many, which is a far higher joy, and the world has too few spiritual mothers, but too many material ones of a low grade.”