Woman’s Last Word, A

( Men and Women , 1855; Lyrics , 1863; Dramatic Lyrics , 1868.) In the presence of perfect love words are often superfluous, wild, and hurtful; words lead to debate, debate to contention, striving, weeping. Even truth becomes falsene ; for if the heart is consecrated by a pure affection, love is the only truth; and the chill of logic and the precision of a definition can be no other than harmful; therefore hush the talking, pry not after the apples of the knowledge of good and evil, or Eden will surely be in peril. The only knowledge is the charm of love’s protecting embrace, the only language is the speech of love, the only thought to think the loved one’s thought—the absolute sacrifice of the whole self on the altar of love; but before the altar can be approached sorrow must be buried, a little weeping has to be done; the morrow shall see the offering presented,—“the might of love” will drown alike both hopes and fears.