"Do you know the story of the Wedding of the Times?" said the
Singing Mouse. "You know, all life is a wedding. The flowers
love, and the grasses, and the trees; and the circle of the
wedding ring is the circle of life and the sign of eternity.
Death and life, not life and then death, is the order and the
law.
"The hours are born of parents, as are the flowers. The hours of
the day are born of the wedding of Night and Morning. It is the
way of Life. Come with me."
So with the Singing Mouse I went into a place where I was once
long before. I could see it very well. It was in the deep woods,
far away. Near by there were tall, sweet grasses. I could hear
the faint tinkle of a falling stream. Other than that, it was
silent in the deep woods. Overhead the sky was clear and filled
with stars. The stars trembled and twinkled and shone radiantly
fair. So now all at once I knew they were the jewels on the veil
of Night. And the far shadows were the drapery of the Night, and
the greater light of the heavens was the star upon her coronal.
When I first looked forth, the Night was a babe, but as I gazed
it grew. The Night is full of change and charm. Those who live
within the walls do not see these things. When I saw them,
I could not sleep, for the Night in all her changes seemed to
speak.
The Night grew older, drawing about her her more ornate garb of
witchery. Across her bosom fell a wondrous tissue, trembling
with exuberance of unprismed light. These were the gems in
thousands of the skies, all fair against the blackness of the
robes of Night, and I knew that the blackness of the one was as
lovely as the radiance of the other. Nor could one separate one
from the other, for there arose a thin mist of light, so that
one saw form or features only dimly, as through a cloth of
silver lace, such as the spiders weave upon a morning.
The Night grew on, changing at every moment, for change is the
law. There were small frowns of clouds which were replaced by
smiles of light. Did never you hear the laughter of the Night?
It is a strange thing. Not all men have heard it. The Singing
Mouse told me of this.
Now as I lay and looked at this glorious apparition, there came
still another change, and one most wonderful. In the heart of
the Night there came a tremulous exultation. Upon the face of
the Night appeared a roseate tinge of joyous perturbation. So
then I knew the lover of the Night was coming, and knew, too,
whence we have derived the signs of love as among human beings
we see it indicated. I saw the flush upon the cheek of Night
flame slowly and faintly up, until it touched her very forehead.
This is the way of Love. But the Night went on, for this is the
way of Life. Love and Life, these are ever and for ever. We mock
at them and understand them not, but they are ever and for ever.
And now the Night, I know not whether startled or in joy,
whether ashamed of her dark garb, or unconscious of it in the
proud sureness of her beauty, dropped loose a portion of the
shadows of her robe, and stood forth radiant, clad with the
dazzling beauty of her stars. Then she raised her hand and laid
it on her heart.
And so the Morning came and took her in his arms and kissed her
on the brow. So here was Love again. And of this wedding there
were born the hours.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: The Stone that Had no Thought]