The Valley of Vision

The Valley of Vision

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Valley of Vision, by Henry Van
Dyke (#9 in our series by Henry Van Dyke)
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Title: The Valley of Vision
Author: Henry Van Dyke
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year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on October 16, 2002]
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE
VALLEY OF VISION ***

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Proofreading Team

THE VALLEY OF VISION
A BOOK OF ROMANCE
AND SOME HALF-TOLD TALES
BY HENRY VAN DYKE
_"Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see
visions."_

TO MY CHILDREN
AND CHILDREN'S CHILDREN
WHO MAY REMEMBER THESE TROUBLOUS TIMES WHEN WE
ARE GONE ON NEW ADVENTURE

PREFACE

"Why do you choose such a title as The Valley of Vision for your
book," said my friend; "do you mean that one can see farther from the
valley than from the mountain-top?"
This question set me thinking, as every honest question ought to do.
Here is the result of my thoughts, which you will take for what it is
worth, if you care to read the book.
The mountain-top is the place of outlook over the earth and the sea. But
it is in the valley of suffering, endurance, and self-sacrifice that the
deepest visions of the meaning of life come to us.
I take the outcome of this Twentieth Century War as a victory over the
mad illusion of world-dominion which the Germans saw from the peak

of their military power in 1914. The united force of the Allies has
grown, through valley-visions of right and justice and human kindness,
into an irresistible might before which the German "will to power" has
gone down in ruin.
There are some Half-Told Tales in the volume--fables, fantasies--mere
sketches, grave and gay, on the margin of the book of life,
"Where more is meant than meets the ear."
Dreams have a part in most of the longer stories. That is because I
believe dreams have a part in real life. Some of them we remember as
vividly as any actual experience. These belong to the imperfect sleep.
But others we do not remember, because they are given to us in that
perfect sleep in which the soul is liberated, and goes visiting. Yet
sometimes we get a trace of them, by a happy chance, and often their
influence remains with us in that spiritual refreshment with which we
awake from profound slumber. This is the meaning of that verse in the
old psalm: "He giveth to His beloved in sleep."
The final story in the book was written before the War of 1914 began,
and it has to do with the Light of the World, leading us through conflict
and suffering towards Peace.
AVALON, November 24, 1918.

CONTENTS

A Remembered Dream Antwerp Road A City of Refuge A Sanctuary
of Trees The King's High Way HALF-TOLD TALES The Traitor in
the House Justice of the Elements Ashes of Vengeance The Broken
Soldier and the Maid of France The Hearing Ear Sketches of Quebec A
Classic Instance HALF-TOLD TALES The New Era and Carry On The
Primitive and His Sandals Diana and the Lions The Hero and Tin
Soldiers Salvage Point The Boy of Nazareth Dreams

ILLUSTRATIONS

The sails and smoke-stacks of great shift were visible, all passing out to
sea
The cathedral spire... was swaying and rocking in the air like the mast
of a ship at sea

All were fugitives, anxious to be gone... and making no more speed
than a creeping snail's pace of unutterable fatigue
"I will ask you to choose between your old home and your new home
now"
"I'm going to carry you in, 'spite of hell"
"I was a lumberjack"
"I am going to become a virtuous peasant,