Lightning of life, and thunderbolt of life I let into the dark camera of death, into the house of dust. And touched by a spark of the spirit the dust explodes with life, the soil opens, waving the flowers of new spring, and again breathes joyous in the splendor of the day. VII. The soul-bird builds her cage herself,—with songs and flapping of her wings,—and enters then its gates all fascinated with the life. But soon the winged guest, from the infinity, newcomer, striking her prison's trellis-wall, reddens her golden pinions with the ruby blood. She hushes then in the dusky shadows of her house; a longing eats her heart away for the freedom of the dawn. Till overcome with pain she strikes her breast against the walls and breaks the cage herself. With songs and flapping of her wings, from the dusk, called life, she flies away near to the gates of the eternal light. VIII. Upon the dark and stormy roads I walk, bare-footed, poor; I onward pass, naked and hungry, through life's cold and night; only one light can brighten there my way and feed my strength,—the light of daring, burning in my breast; it helps me more than stars and more than moons. No sun in heaven can kindle it in me, but I must get it from myself, striking my spirit against the hard experiences of life, that the breast might catch the spark as does dry tinder when the steel strikes the flint. IX. With me do I carry the enemy, whether I leave my threshold, or return back to my home. With me do I bring the traitor, and he is my heart's shadow,—the thunderbolt striking me. With its storm it will scatter the roof of my dwelling, set fire to my house. And then suddenly stopping, the sails of my boat will be folded, and down will it sink. (_To be continued._) GODS, HEROES AND MEN. BY AMOS J. JOHNSON. According to Theosophy every man is a God incarnate. In his real nature, each man is a spark from the Divine Flame, which descends from the Infinite Fountain of Life and courses through Eternity on a pilgrimage, the purpose of which we can but faintly conceive. Great mystics have said that "the universe exists for the sake of the soul's experience," and that the purpose of life is that the soul may reach perfection. The term embraces infinity, perfect virtue, wisdom, power, perfect altruism. Each department of Nature must be carried on to a full completeness and the soul may not rest content with achieving merely its own perfection, but must labor for the perfection of the great Whole.