Library of Information on Women's Issues

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shoulders. Little children, sick with wine, lay down upon the edges of their mothers' robes. Sometimes, a man rose suddenly, and as he staggered struck the tables and overthrew the benches; some leaned upon the balustrades sick unto death. Here and there one rose who staggered to the wine jars and lay down beside them. He turned the wine tap, but sleep overcame him as he lay there, and the wine ran out. Slowly the thin, red stream ran across the white marbled floor; it reached the stone steps; slowly, slowly, slowly it trickled down, from step to step, from step to step: then it sank into the earth. A thin white smoke rose up from it. I was silent; I could not breathe; but God called me to come further. And after I had travelled for a while I came where on seven hills lay the ruins of a mighty banquet-house larger and stronger than the one which I had seen standing. I said to God, "What did the men who built it here?" God said, "They feasted." I said, "On what?" God said, "On wine." And I looked; and it seemed to me that behind the ruins lay still a large circular hollow within the earth where a foot of the wine-press had stood. I said to God, "How came it that this large house fell?" God said, "Because the earth was sodden." He called me to come further. And at last we came upon a hill where blue waters played, and white marble lay upon the earth. I said to God, "What was here once?" God said, "A pleasure house." I looked, and at my feet great pillars lay. I cried aloud for joy to God, "The marble blossoms!" God said, "Ay, 'twas a fairy house. There has not been one like to it, nor ever shall be. The pillars and the porticoes blossomed; and the wine cups were as gathered flowers: on this side all the curtain was broidered with fair designs, the stitching was of gold." I said to God, "How came it that it fell?" God said, "On the side of the wine-press it was dark." And as we travelled, we came where lay a mighty ridge of sand, and a dark river ran there; and there rose two vast mounds. I said to God, "They are very mighty." God said, "Ay, exceeding great."

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