Theearthemergedwithallitsancientandeternalquality:statelyandsolemnandlonely-lookinginthatfirstlight,itfilledmen’sheartswithallitsancientwonder.Itseemedtohavebeenthereforever,and,thoughtheyhadneverseenitbefore,tobemorefamiliartothemthantheirmother’sface.Andatthesametimeitseemedtheyhaddiscovereditoncemore,andiftheyhadbeenthefirstmenwhoeversawtheearth,thesolemnjoyofthisdiscoverycouldnothaveseemedmorestrangeormorefamiliar.Seeingit,theyfeltnothingbutsilenceandwonderintheirhearts,andwerenakedandaloneandstrippeddowntotheirbareselves,asneartotruthasmencanevercome.Theyknewthattheywoulddieandthattheearthwouldlastforever.Andwiththatfeelingofjoy,wonder,andsorrowintheirhearts,theyknewthatanotherdayhadgone,anotherdayhadcome,andtheyknewhowbriefandlonelyareman’sdays.Theoldearthwentfloatingpasttheminthatfirstgauntlightofthemorning,anditseemedtobethefaceoftimeitself,andthenoisethetrainmadewasthenoiseofsilence.Theywerefixedthereinthatclassicdesignoftimeandsilence.Theenginesmokewentstridingoutupontheair,theoldearth—fieldandwoodandhillandstreamandwoodandfieldandhill—wentstroking,floatingpastwithakindofeverlastingrepetitiveness,andthetrainkeptmakingonitssteadynoisethatwaslikesilenceandforever—untilitalmostseemedthattheywerepoisedthereinthatimageofeternityforever—inmovelessmovement,unsilentsilence,spacelessflight.Allofthenoises,rhythms,soundsandvariationsofthetrainseemedtobelongtoallthevisions,images,wildcriesandoathsandsongsandhauntingmemoriesofthenightbefore,andnowthetrainitselfseemedunitedtothisinfinitemonotoneofsilence,andtheboyfeltthatthislandnow,thathehadknownitforever,andcouldnowthinkonlywithafeelingofunbeliefandwonderthatyesterday—justyesterday—hehadlefthishomeinthefarmountainsandnowwasstrokingeastward,northwardtowardstheseadiscoverthebestyou.AndagainstthebordersoftheEast,pure,radiant,forthefirsttimeseenintheunbelievablewonderofitsnewdiscovery,bringingtoallofus,asithadalwaysdone,thefirstlifethatwaseverknownonthisearth,thegoldenbannerofthedayappeared.Inmorningsunlightonahospitalporch,fiveflightsabovetheground,anolddyingspectreofamanwassitting,lookingmournfullyoutacrossthesun-hazedsweepofthecityhehadknowninhisyouth.Hesatthere,arusty,creakinghinge,analmostseveredthreadoflife,ashockinglywastedintegumentofskinandbone,ofwhicheveryfibreandsinewwasalmostutterlyrottedout,consumedandhoneycombedbythegreatplantofthecancerwhichfloweredfromhisentrailsandhadnowspreaditsfibrousrootstoeverytissueofhislifediscoverthebestyou.Everythingwasgone:everythingwaswastedfromhim:thefacewasdrawntightandbonyasabeak,theskinwasclean,tingedwithafatalcancerousyellow,andalmostdelicatelytransparent.Thegreatthinbladeofnosecutdownacrossthefacewithknife-likesharpnessandinthebony,slanting,almostreptiliancage-formationoftheskull,thesmallishcold-grey-greeneyesweresetwearily,withawretchedandenfeebleddullness,outacrossthegreatspaceofthecitywhichsweptawayandmeltedatlengthintothesun-hazedvistasofOctober.