I absolutely and peremptorily
Believe!”—­I say, faith is my waking life: 
One sleeps, indeed, and dreams at intervals,
We know, but waking’s the main point with us,
And my provision’s for life’s waking part. 
Accordingly, I use heart, head and hand
All day, I build, scheme, study, and make friends; 250
And when night overtakes me, down I lie,
Sleep, dream a little, and get done with it,
The sooner the better, to begin afresh. 
What’s midnight’s doubt before the dayspring’s faith? 
You, the philosopher, that disbelieve,
That recognize the night, give dreams their weight—­
To be consistent you should keep your bed,
Abstain from healthy acts that prove you man,
For fear you drowse perhaps at unawares! 
And certainly at night you’ll sleep and dream, 260
Live through the day and bustle as you please. 
And so you live to sleep as I to wake,
To unbelieve as I to still believe? 
Well, and the common sense o’ the world calls you
Bed-ridden—­and its good things come to me. 
Its estimation, which is half the fight,
That’s the first-cabin comfort I secure: 
The next . . . but you perceive with half an eye! 
Come, come, it’s best believing, if we may;
You can’t but own that! 
                         Next, concede again, 270
If once we choose belief, on all accounts
We can’t be too decisive in our faith,
Conclusive and exclusive in its terms,
To suit the world which gives us the good things. 
In every man’s career are certain points
Whereon he dares not be indifferent;
The world detects him clearly, if he dare,
As baffled at the game, and losing life. 
He may care little or he may care much
For riches, honor, pleasure, work, repose, 280
Since various theories of life and life’s
Success are extant which might easily
Comport with either estimate of these;
And whoso chooses wealth or poverty,
Labor or quiet, is not judged a fool
Because his fellow would choose otherwise;
We let him choose upon his own account
So long as he’s consistent with his choice. 
But certain points, left wholly to himself,
When once a man has arbitrated on, 290
We say he must succeed there or go hang. 
Thus, he should wed the woman he loves most
Or needs most, whatsoe’er the love or need—­
For he can’t wed twice.  Then, he must avouch,
Or follow, at the least, sufficiently,
The form of faith his conscience holds the best,
Whate’er the process of conviction was: 
For nothing can compensate his mistake
On such a point, the man himself being judge: 
He cannot wed twice, nor twice lose his soul. 300