depths of pain, and conceive the way of its healing. Instead of
trying to do this, you turn away from it; you shut yourselves within
your park walls and garden gates; and you are content to know that
there is beyond them a whole world in wilderness--a world of secrets
which you dare not penetrate; and of suffering which you dare not
conceive.

I tell you that this is to me quite the most amazing among the
phenomena of humanity. I am surprised at no depths to which, when
once warped from its honour, that humanity can be degraded. I do
not wonder at the miser's death, with his hands, as they relax,
dropping gold. I do not wonder at the sensualist's life, with the
shroud wrapped about his feet. I do not wonder at the single-handed
murder of a single victim, done by the assassin in the darkness of
the railway, or reed shadow of the marsh. I do not even wonder at
the myriad-handed murder of multitudes, done boastfully in the
daylight, by the frenzy of nations, and the immeasurable,
unimaginable guilt heaped up from hell to heaven, of their priests,
and kings. But this is wonderful to me--oh, how wonderful!--to see
the tender and delicate woman among you, with her child at her
breast, and a power, if she would wield it, over it, and over its
father, purer than the air of heaven, and stronger than the seas of
earth--nay, a magnitude of blessing which her husband would not part
with for all that earth itself, though it were made of one entire
and perfect chrysolite:- to see her abdicate this majesty to play at
precedence with her next-door neighbour! This is wonderful--oh,
wonderful!--to see her, with every innocent feeling fresh within
her, go out in the morning into her garden to play with the fringes
of its guarded flowers, and lift their heads when they are drooping,
with her happy smile upon her face, and no cloud upon her brow,