MOUNTAIN PATHS THE WORKS OF MAURICE MAETERLINCK ESSAYS THE TREASURE OF THE HUMBLE WISDOM AND DESTINY THE LIFE OF THE BEE THE BURIED TEMPLE THE DOUBLE GARDEN THE MEASURE OF THE HOURS ON EMERSON, AND OTHER ESSAYS OUR ETERNITY THE UNKNOWN GUEST THE WRACK OF THE STORM MOUNTAIN PATHS PLAYS SISTER BEATRICE, AND ARDIANE AND BARBE BLEUE JOYZELLE, AND MONNA VANNA THE BLUE BIRD, A FAIRY PLAY MARY MAGDALENE PÉLLÉAS AND MÉLISANDE, AND OTHER PLAYS PRINCESS MALEINE THE INTRUDER, AND OTHER PLAYS AGLAVAINE AND SELYSETTE THE MIRACLE OF SAINT ANTHONY THE BETROTHAL; A SEQUEL TO THE BLUE BIRD POEMS HOLIDAY EDITIONS OUR FRIEND THE DOG THE SWARM DEATH THOUGHTS FROM MAETERLINCK THE BLUE BIRD THE LIFE OF THE BEE NEWS OF SPRING AND OTHER NATURE STUDIES THE LIGHT BEYOND Mountain Paths BY MAURICE MAETERLINCK _Translated by_ ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS [Illustration] NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1919 COPYRIGHT, 1919 BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC. _All rights reserved_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE POWER OF THE DEAD 3 II MESSAGES FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE 15 III BAD NEWS 31 IV THE SOUL OF NATIONS 41 V THE MOTHERS 51 VI THREE UNKNOWN HEROES 59 VII WASTED BEAUTIES 77 VIII THE INSECT WORLD 87 IX EVIL-SPEAKING 123 X OF GAMBLING 133 XI THE RIDDLE OF PROGRESS 165 XII THE TWO LOBES 179 XIII HOPE AND DESPAIR 191 XIV MACROCOSM AND MICROCOSM 201 XV HEREDITY AND PREEXISTENCE 213 XVI THE GREAT REVELATION 229 XVII THE NECESSARY SILENCE 271 XVIII KARMA 281 THE POWER OF THE DEAD MOUNTAIN PATHS I THE POWER OF THE DEAD 1 In that curious little masterpiece _A Beleagured City_, Mrs. Oliphant shows us the dead of a provincial town suddenly waxing indignant over the conduct and the morals of those inhabiting the town which they founded. They rise up in rebellion, invest the houses, the streets, the market-places and, by the pressure of their innumerable multitude, all-powerful though invisible, repulse the living, thrust them out of doors and, setting a strict watch, permit them to return to their roof-trees only after a treaty of peace and penitence has purified their hearts, atoned for their offences and ensured a more worthy future.