"Thou Maker of all, who by Thy coming dost lift us even unto Thyself, again who by Thy coming will show the vileness of Self which unlike Thee is, and how sin doth darken where virtue is! "Thy power, O King of all Kingdoms, is boundless. Oh! why are we blessed with the truth of Thy coming, we the blinded whom Thou hast chosen to honor?" Thus spoke the sages, the pundits and seers, the gods and Brahmā, the Creator Himself, whom the Lord of Love had blessed with the power to know of His coming. CHAPTER V. And the child was come, the child that was God, the God that became child, and time itself stood still in its passing to mark the wonder of that coming! The clouds ceased their onward sailing and crowded in piles of white and blue and gray softness, to marvel at the child's first smile. The heavens rained down blossoms of white and red and golden and blue lotuses. The mountains gave forth a great cry of joy, as they in gladness met. The rivers heaved their billowy crests and chanted hymns of praise to Him, who was to make holy again their waters. The earth throbbed and thrilled as the streams of holy Love shot through all her body, swelling her breast with new life and feeding all that was living and moving within the recesses of her bowels, and clothing with great beauty that which lived upon her bosom. The roots of growing things grasped with a firmer hold her sides, and her loved creatures, those that walked and those that crept upon her surface, nestled once more, as of yore, when all the world was holy, against her freshened and strengthened body with new affection and faithfulness, and her great heart uttered a mighty thanksgiving to Him who had heard her appeal and succored her. The seeds that were in her mouth burst into rooting, the roots into sprouting, and the budding trees, that graced her brow, into glad blossoms. And the trees that were in blossom bore ripe fruit in the hour of His coming. And all those that hungered were fed. The cows, big with young, dropped their calves, and their bags were full unto bursting for all that came to take sustenance therefrom. The motherless cubs of wild things fearlessly suckled from her udder, and the cow lapped the soft, furred sides of the young stranger with her long, rough tongue. And all the wild things that hungered were fed in that hour. The eagle left its nest on the mountain's rugged side, and sat on the tree with quivering wing beside the dove, that cooed its inward shout of love. The snake forgot to charm the timid songster that thrilled its joy close by, but, lifting up its hooded head, it madly danced between the sunshine and the shadow that the exultant branches of swaying trees did cast. The huge elephant sportive became, and played with the deer and doe that rubbed against its haunches.