Page:The House of the Lord.djvu/204

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188
THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

deer, wolves and foxes in hungry search. Birds of prey are slaying or being slain. On the summit of a rugged cliff is an eagle's eyrie, the mother and her brood watching the approach of the male bird holding a lambkin in his claws. All the forest folk and the wild things of the mountain are living under the ever-present menace of death, and it is by death they live. The trees are gnarled, misshapen, and blasted; shrubs maintain a precarious root-hold in rocky clefts ; thorns, thistles, cacti, and noxious weeds abound; and in one quarter a destructive storm is raging.

The scenes are typical of the world's condition under the curse of God. Nevertheless there is a certain weird attractiveness in the scenes and in their suggestiveness. The story is that of struggle and strife; of victory and triumph or of defeat and death. From Eden man has been driven out to meet contention, to struggle with difficulties, to live by strife and sweat. This chamber may well be known as the room of the fallen world, or more briefly, the World Room.

The Terrestrial Room: From the north-west corner of the room last described is a large door-way leading into another apartment, lofty, spacious, and beautiful. Its general effect is that of combined richness and simplicity. Following the elaborate decoration of the World Room, this is restful in its soft coloring and air of comfort. The carpet is of lavender velvet woven with simple figures. The walls are of pale blue, the ceiling and woodwork of white with trimmings in gold. At the west end is a large mirror framed in white and gold. The chairs are upholstered to harmonize with the floor-covering. From the paneled ceiling hang three electroliers,