stood in the midst of that exquisite park. Eve sauntering out one day
alone looks up at the tree and sees the beautiful fruit, and wonders
if it is sweet, and wonders if it is sour, and standing there, says:
"I think I will just put my hand upon the fruit; it will do no damage
to the tree; I will not take the fruit to eat, but I will just take it
down to examine it." She examined the fruit. She said: "I do not think
there can be any harm in my just breaking the rind of it." She put the
fruit to her teeth, she tasted, she invited Adam also to taste of the
fruit, the door of the world opened, and the monster Sin entered. Let
the heavens gather blackness, and the winds sigh on the bosom of the
hills, and cavern and desert and earth and sky join in one long, deep,
hell-rending howl:
"THE WORLD IS LOST!"
Beasts that before were harmless and full of play put forth claw, and
sting, and tooth, and tusk. Birds whet their beak for prey. Clouds
troop in the sky. Sharp thorns shoot up through the soft grass.
Blastings on the leaves. All the chords of that great harmony are
snapped. Upon the brightest home this world ever saw our first parents
turned their back and led forth on a path of sorrow the broken-hearted
myriads of a ruined race.