And after that everybody rose with one accord and began to hurry to
start out upon the long roads homeward, just as the great yellow moon
rose in the east to balance the red old sun that was sinking in the
west. Only the Magnate sat still in his place for several long minutes
looking out across to Old Harpeth, and I wondered whether he was
thinking about the Eternal City or how many rails it was going to take
to span the valley at his feet.
And I--I just stood on the edge of the bluff by myself and let my soul
lift up its wings of rejoicing that my Crag had got his beautiful desire
for apostrophizing the Mother-Valley so all the world might hear. And
then suddenly it came over me in a great warm, uplifting, awe-inspiring
rush that a woman who takes on herself voluntarily the responsibility of
marrying a poet and an orator and a mystic, who is the complete edition
of a Mossback that all those qualities imply, must square her shoulders
for a long, steady, pioneer march through a strange country.
Could such achievement be for me?
"Please God!" I prayed right across into the sunset, "make me a full
cup that never fails him!"
I don't know how long I stood talking with God that way about my man,
but when I turned and looked back under the maples everybody was gone,
and I could hear the last rattle and whirl going down the hill. For a
second I felt that there was nobody but Him and me left on the hill, but
even in that second my heart knew better.
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