Eighth Book

'And yet, take heed,' I answered, 'lest we lean

Too dangerously on the other side,

And so fail twice. Be sure, no earnest work

Of any honest creature, howbeit weak,

Imperfect, ill-adapted, fails so much,

It is not gathered as a grain of sand

To enlarge the sum of human action used

For carrying out God's end. No creature works

So ill, observe, that therefore he's cashiered.

The honest earnest man must stand and work:

The woman also; otherwise she drops

At once below the dignity of man,

Accepting serfdom. Free men freely work:

Whoever fears God, fears to sit at ease.'

He cried, 'True. After Adam, work was curse;

The natural creature labours, sweats and frets.

But, after Christ, work turns to privilege;

And henceforth one with our humanity,

The Six-day Worker, working still in us,

Has called us freely to work on with Him

In high companionship. So happiest!

I count that Heaven itself is only work

To a surer issue. Let us work, indeed,—