THERE is a law of nature that is universal,
And, as man has reason, he hath a will
Subject to that law, and to another law
Of the word which spake all things into being,
And governs the action of the universe.

Art makes nature visible, and nature art
Is in its complete disinterestedness;
Art is a harmony, equal and serene,
And lovely sights art brings forth from nature.

With consummate skill, the artist, in years that are
Long past, has hid some of the secrets of nature,
That the wise and the dunces may hunger for
The last vestige of truth; if art enlightens,
It benefits all.—And one enduring truth
Is left us as we age:
That God made man alone, and nature too,
To be complete in itself, than serving other creatures—
The beauty of a flower may bring us peace,
The bitterness of a storm teaches of pain,
To the heart of man, so he is learning still! Their beauty is but a small part of this whole.

— And now redeemed from shame, the time shall come
When we may know what nature hath to give,
Burning either in the beauty of creation,
Or swallowing poison in the bitter sea,
When we, made whole again, shall venture forth
With love for all things back to nature,
Mingling with the kind beyond the world,
And learning what is their sublime intent.

— Jones Very

• Jones Very