第11部分(第6/7 頁)

eless　sunsets　and　flowers　urges　onward　to　a　goal。　Gone　is　the　mute

permission　or　connivance　which　emboldens　the　soul　to　mock　the　limits　of

time　and　space；　forecast　and　gather　in　harvests　of　achievement　for　ages

yet　unborn。　Blot　out　dreams；　and　the　blind　lose　one　of　their　chief

forts；　for　in　the　visions　of　sleep　they　behold　their　belief　in　the

seeing　mind　and　their　expectation　of　light　beyond　the　blank；　narrow

night　justified。　Nay；　our　conception　of　immortality　is　shaken。　Faith；

the　motive…power　of　human　life；　flickers　out。　Before　such　vacancy　and

bareness　the　shocks　of　wrecked　worlds　were　indeed　wele。　In　truth；

dreams　bring　us　the　thought　independently　of　us　and　in　spite　of　us　that

the　soul

〃may　right

Her　nature；　shoot　large　sail　on　lengthening　cord；

And　rush　exultant　on　the　Infinite。〃

DREAMS　AND　REALITY

XIV

DREAMS　AND　REALITY

IT　is　astonishing　to　think　how　our　real　wide…awake　world　revolves　around

the　shadowy　unrealities　of　Dreamland。　Despite　all　that　we　say　about　the

inconsequence　of　dreams；　we　often　reason　by　them。　We　stake　our　greatest

hopes　upon　them。　Nay；　we　build　upon　them　the　fabric　of　an　ideal　world。　I

can　recall　few　fine；　thoughtful　poems；　few　noble　works　of　art　or　any

system　of　philosophy　in　which　there　is　not　evidence　that　dream…fantasies

symbolize　truths　concealed　by　phenomena。

The　fact　that　in　dreams　confusion　reigns；　and　illogical　connections

occur　gives　plausibility　to　the　theory　which　Sir　Arthur　Mitchell　and

other　scientific　men　hold；　that　our　dream…thinking　is　uncontrolled　and

undirected　by　the　will。　The　will……the　inhibiting　and　guiding

power……finds　rest　and　r