In man the emotion of vague longing roused by
objects of surpassing beauty or sublimity may produce
a fervour of desire incommunicable because it touches
the deep spring of other associated instincts. The best
verbal utterance we can find for those half- formed
thoughts and unanalysed emotions and desires which
transcend common speech is poetry ; and poetry
usually satisfies us as the expression of such experience
by what it suggests rather than by what it says. There
is, however, still much that is unexpressed in words,
and as the soul can only develop as it finds some means
of self-expression, some language of action must supple-
ment the language of words. But before considering
the language of action let us pause to realise how true
it is that the soul can only develop as it finds means
of expression.
vii THE LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL 231



Conversation necessary to the Development
of the Soul

If we would understand the Christian idealit of
fellowship we must fully realise that communication
is necessary for the growth of the living soul. We so
hug to ourselves the idea that we are deep and great
beyond the powers of speech that we are apt to value
ourselves mainly by what we do not even try to say ;
but the inference we superficially draw from this
valuation — that expression is comparatively unimportant
to the growth of the soul — will not bear a moment's
reflection.
