120 TheSpiritual Life.
andsaintlysoulshaverecordedtheirexperiences
onthePath. Theyhadlookedforpeace,and
combatsurrounds them; forjoy,andsorrowis
their portion; forthe BeatificVision, and the
darknessofthepithemsthemm. Thatlesser
souls havenot faced the ordeal,and look un-
believinglyonitspossibility,puttingtheirtheories
ofv^hatshouldbeagainsttheironfactsofwhat
is-thisproves nothingsave that their houris
notyet come. Thechild cannot measure the
man'sstruggle,northebabefeeltheanguishthat
piercesthebreastwhichfeedsit. Toeveryage
itsproperfruitage,andwhilewecanunderstand
the experiences that lie behind us, none may
graspthe natureof those thatheahead. Let
the undeveloped soul, if he will, scoff at the
agonyhecannotappreciate,depreciatethesuffer-
inghecannotyet feel,evenderideasweakness
the signs of an anguish whose hghtest touch
would shrivel up his own vaunted strength.
Thosegrowing intodivine manhood knowthe
realityofthedarkness,andonlythosewhoknow
canjudge.
Ata veryearlystage of realapprenticeship
tothe higher life,darkness-less absolute than
that above described,but sufficiently trying to
the as yet undeveloped soul-will strain and
testhispowers. Theearnestaspirantsoonfinds
