38
PARTISAN REVIEW
costumes, a white folded handkerchief on each hymn-book and a
spray of rosemary, came up or down the narrow paths, between rocks,
from various directions. Sometimes a glance of sunshine rested on
the valley, the warm air stirred slowly, the landscape swam in a sweet
odor, distant ringing of bells-it seemed as if everything were being
merged in a single harmonious wave.
In the little churchyard the snow was gone, dark moss beneath
black crosses; a belated rosebush leaned against the churchyard wall,
belated flowers as well from under the moss; sometimes sunshine,
then again darkness. The service began, the human voices met in
a pure bright chord; an impression like that of looking into a clean,
translucent mountain stream. The singing subsided, Lenz began to
speak. He was diffident; under the spell of the music his inner con–
vulsions had ceased, but now his whole agony stirred again and
settled in his heart. A sweet sensation of infinite well-being came
upon him. With those people he spoke simply, they suffered with him;
and it was a comfort to be able to bring sleep to eyes that had wept
themselves tired, peace to tormented hearts, to turn heavenwards this
muted suffering of an existence tormented by material needs. He had
become more confident as he concluded-but then the voices struck
up agaIn:
Let the holy pain within me
Release deep wells entirely;
Let suffering be all
my
gain,
Suffering be
my
service then.
The urge within him, the music, the agony shattered him. The All
seemed full of wounds; he felt deep, unspeakable pain because of
it. Now for a different life: divine, twitching lips bent over him and
attached themselves to his lips; he returned to his solitary room. He
was alone, alone! Then the well gushed forth, streams broke from
his eyes, he contorted himself, his limbs convulsed in a spasm, he
felt as if he were about to dissolve, the voluptuous crisis seemed inter–
minable. At last it grew dark inside him, he experienced a soft, pro–
found compassion for himself, he wept for himself, his head sank
down upon his chest, he went to sleep. A full moon hung in the sky;
locks of hair fell on his cheeks-so he lay alone, and all was silent
and still and cold, and the moon shone all night and hung above
the mountains.
Next morning he came down and told Oberlin quite calmly
