Act IV, scene 3

SOUL OF AMERICA: Children, from the soul’s world you have come to visit me. Therefore I am extremely grateful to you all. Benjamin, you were a supreme statesman. You were a supreme scientist, you were a supreme lover and builder of your country. Your sublime contribution to me can only be felt and not described. Benjamin, the oldest and the wisest of all, do you still care for America?

SOUL OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: I do, I do. While I was on earth I said: “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” Even now I treasure this life-illumining feeling.

SOUL OF AMERICA: Marvellous, marvellous! William was founder of Philadelphia and you, Benjamin, are Philadelphia’s first citizen. Yesterday I composed a song on Philadelphia. It is only you and William who deserve it. Therefore I want to present it to you both.

(The Soul of America sings.)

Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia.
O sweet city of brotherly love,
O God-perfection below, above.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia.
Your world-attention Liberty Bell
Proclaimed the death of our bondage-hell.
O freedom-lovers’ utopia!
Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia.

(Everybody applauds with tremendous joy.)

SOUL OF AMERICA: Now I wish all of you to quote something from your own lofty messages which you offered to the soul of the earth while you were in the physical. (Looking at William Penn.) William, O English Quaker, preacher and writer, you followed the inner light, which is a must for everybody. Because of your religion and religious feeling, repeatedly you were imprisoned. Such is human stupidity. Now it is your turn.

SOUL OF WILLIAM PENN: “In all debates, let Truth be the aim, not victory.”

SOUL OF AMERICA: Marvellous, marvellous!

Nathan, who told you that you were a spy? No, you definitely were not. You were a supreme lover of your country. You were at once earth’s colossal sacrifice and Heaven’s hallowed satisfaction. Yours was the heart of sublime promise-light. Yours was the life of glorious sacrifice-might. Many martyrs are buried in oblivion-night and many more shall be. But you will always be remembered not only by your own countrymen but by all freedom-lovers in all freedom-loving countries. Nathan, suppose you are given another chance; this time what would you do?

SOUL OF NATHAN HALE: Mother, this time I would give my life for my country’s spiritual liberty. This is the liberty from desire-life and temptation-life. This liberty is a giant stride towards world-transformation and perfection. The outer liberty is of very little value if the inner liberty is wanting. In the inner world, we prepare ourselves for God the One. In the outer world, we offer ourselves to God the Many. A hero I was in the outer world. A hero my heart longs to be in the inner world. Here I shall have to conquer the bondage-day and ignorance-night for myself and for all human beings on earth.

SOUL OF AMERICA: Son, I am so pleased to hear that. Yours is not a human promise. Yours is a divine promise. The Lord Himself is speaking in and through you. By the way, Nathan, how I wish to hear from your lips now the soul-stirring message you gave before you breathed your last, before you embraced the gallows.

SOUL OF NATHAN HALE: Mother, I have set a beautiful tune to my message. May I sing it for you?

SOUL OF AMERICA: That is a great idea. Sing it for me, my son.

(Nathan Hale sings.)

I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.

(Everybody applauds.)

SOUL OF AMERICA: Marvellous, marvellous.

Ralph, you were the peerless sage of America. You were the vision-light of America. You brought to the fore the mental illumination-beauty of America. Great was your love of America and America’s freedom-consciousness. I am reciting your poem.

(The soul of America recites:)

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world...

(Everybody applauds.)

SOUL OF RALPH WALDO EMERSON: “There can be no excess to love, none to knowledge, none to beauty, when these attributes are considered in the purest sense.”

SOUL OF AMERICA: Marvellous, marvellous!

Henry, nature’s beauty captured your heart and soul. As a naturalist you were divinely great. You were a life-elevating writer. Now, Henry, it is your turn.

SOUL OF HENRY DAVID THOREAU: “Things do not change, we change.”

SOUL OF AMERICA: Marvellous, marvellous!

Walt, you were a hero-seeker of Truth. You were a hero-lover of mankind. Your Leaves of Grass is treasured by both Heaven and earth. You not only saw the soul in the body, but also saw the body as the soul-reality. A transformed and illumined body-consciousness for God-satisfaction was your goal. By the way, while you were on earth, you were extremely fond of taking long-distance walking tours to other countries. Now that you are in Heaven you do not walk. You fly and fly. Do you miss your walking days?

SOUL OF WALT WHITMAN: I do, Mother, I do.

SOUL OF AMERICA: Walt, now it is your turn.

SOUL OF WALT WHITMAN: “O America! Because you build for mankind, I build for you.”

SOUL OF AMERICA: Marvellous! marvellous!

Now, Emily, your heart’s inner aspiration-beauty pleased me far beyond your imagination. Your heart’s inner music blessed America’s children with glowing simplicity, purity and luminosity. You gave to the American consciousness a new dimension, a new type of soul-search — soft, delicate and lucid. Now Emily, your turn.

SOUL OF EMILY DICKINSON:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

SOUL OF AMERICA: Marvellous, marvellous!

Mary, you were the founder-leader of Christian Science. In mental healing you supremely excelled. Your divine, self-giving service gave birth to the First Church of Christ, Mother Church in Boston. Infinity and Eternity sing their Immortality’s soul-song in your church, God-Abode. Now it is your turn.

SOUL OF MARY BAKER EDDY: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.”

SOUL OF AMERICA: Marvellous, marvellous!

I am so proud of each of you. It is you who have made me really great. It is your consciousness-light that has made me shine in the vanguard of world-aspiration and world-achievement. How I wish you all could live with me once more and stay indefinitely. Alas, it seems that it can’t be. It is getting late. The doors of Heaven may close. You all have to go back to Heaven. But do come back soon. Each time I see you, my children, I swim in the boundless sea of light and delight. I have something for you to carry back with you: my entire satisfaction-life’s gratitude-sky.

Because of you, world-greatness I claim.
Because of you, world-goodness I claim.
Because of you, world-success and world-progress I claim.
I am what you divinely and supremely have made me to be.