"I Saw a Woman Sleeping," Olive Schreiner

                                                                             Paul Kuznetsov

                                       I saw a woman sleeping. In her sleep she dreamt Life
                                       stood before her, and held in each hand a gift -- in the
                                       one Love, in the other Freedom. And Life said to
                                       the woman, "Choose."

                                      And the woman waited long: and she said, "Freedom!"

                                     And Life said, "Thou hast well chosen. If thou hadst
                                     said, 'Love,' I would have given thee that thou didst
                                     ask for; and I would have gone from thee, and returned
                                     to thee no more. Now, the day will come when I shall
                                     return. In that day I shall bear both gifts in one hand."

                                     I heard the woman laugh in her sleep.