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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 289
leaving their children in a most untidy house without care.
These stories are not merely exaggerations and jokes; they
contain more truth than poetry. And the people who prate
of spirituality, who desire to contemplate the angel within,
to the neglect of their families and other obvious duties-,
are on a par with such mothers. The sooner we awake to
a realization of the fact that no present duty, however
humble, may be neglected with impunity for spiritual work,
however exalted, the better for ourselves and all concerned.
We would advise the inquirer to read Longfellow's poem,
the "Blessed Vision," which is very much in point: A
monk is kneeling upon his floor of stone, when a beautiful
vision of the Christ appears to him just as the noonday
bell summons him to the gate where the poor are waiting
for alms which it is his duty to give to them each day.
There arises in the monk's mind the question, shall he
stay and commune with the Blessed Visitor,
or shall he
leave Him for the sake of a parcel of hungry beggars?
But a voice within him says,
"Do your duty, that is best,
Leaving to the Lord the rest."
He follows the behest of that voice, leaving the Vision in
his cell wondering if it will be there when he returns.
>Yet he feels it is right to do his duty to others regardless
of loss to himself, and when, after having dealt alms to
the poor, he returns to his cell, the Vision greets him
with the words : "Hadst thou stayed, I must have fled."