EARTH SHIELD AND EARTH FESTIVAL

I. THE MAN AND THE SECRET

II. THE TREE AND THE SUNSET

III. THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES

IV. THE WANDERING TALE

V. THE ROOM OF THE SILENCES

VI. THE WHITE DAWN



EARTH SHIELD AND EARTH FESTIVAL


A mighty table-land lies southward in a hardy region of our country.
It has the form of a colossal Shield, lacking and broken in some of
its outlines and rough and rude of make. Nature forged it for some
crisis in her long warfare of time and change, made use of it, and so
left it lying as one of her ancient battle-pieces--Kentucky.

The great Shield is raised high out of the earth at one end and sunk
deep into it at the other. It is tilted away from the dawn toward the
sunset. Where the western dip of it reposes on the planet, Nature,
cunning artificer, set the stream of ocean flowing past with restless