Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1834-04-17
Observation-Disclosures.
FABLES BY TX, pAUIDINC


FABLES By J. X. PAULDING.
The '!'si' u ssaier, ne brook, tie ri,s1, and .e
ocean.
A drop Of water that sparkled like
jewel IN the sun, once fell from the
clouds, into little mountain stream.
and ere u lost its identity exclaimed
IN all the anguish of dissolution, Alas
what a catastrophe-l am swallow eel
up IN immensity!" The little stream
laughed, as IL Ieaped down the noun
tam side, at the lAmcntatinn OF such
an insignificant thing as drop Of wa
ter, and, vain Of its consequence, con-
Ilnued brawIing its chrys,sl way in all
the pride OF conscious superiority, uu-
al at length, viii svdIcu plunge, u
tel headlong iatn mighty liver, aud.
IKE the drop OF water, was lost IN a
noment, crying out, in It's last agoni.s,
~, Fate. who would have thought a
brook oil my size could be swallowed
so easily" The river murmured its
contempt for the little foolish stream,
and continued its course, gathering
strength and pride, breaking through
mountains, tearing the rocks from
their seats, and cour,ing, in a thou
sand graceful mesnders, through flow l..
cry meadows, until it found its way to
the vast and melancholy ocean, in
whose boundless waste is lost its being
like the drop Of water, and the little
mountain stream. is it possible, {"
exclaimed the mighty river" that |
have thus been collecting tribute from
half world, only TO become nothing
At lsstf"
'Tis thus with thee, o man Thou
oeginnest IN insigni6cance, like the
drop OF water; thu becomest a laugh.
ing, ieaping, brawling thing, like the
brook; thou waIest proud and great,
like the mighty river; and ere thou
eanst cay. IN the vanity of thy heart,
what an illuAirious mortal am 1 -
thou art Lost IN eternity.
THE noLE-HILL AND THE Housr.IN.
a towering mountain reared it's head
to the skies on one side of VIDE aud
deep valley; On the other, a little mole
hl!l lay bask' in the san. A. il con
tcmpIated the distant mountain, shoot.
ng ITS snow capt brow into the regions
ot boundless space, lar above the clouds.
add behsld the gilded glories of Its
distant summit, the mole hill became
disconlsnted aud unhappy. IL con.
trssied its own insignIfcance with the
awful and majestic outlines of the
m'shiy neighbour It wished thousand
times that II could raise It's head aboVe
the cIoudsj u sighed at the thought that
II could never become a mountain,
and impsached the justice Of the gods,
Tor having made it only a mole-hiIl. to
be trodden upon by mao, and crawIed
over by the most contemplate insects.
10 short. IL pinsd itself into wrstched.
ness, and sacrificed all the comforts OF
ITS own littleness to tie desire Of beco.
ming great
Asr lay one day gazing upward at
the distant object Of It's envy, a storm
suddenly gathered around the summit
OF the mountain; the lightnings leaped
with iorked tongues, the thunder rOl
led, the tempest lashed Its lofty sides,
aud the torrents poured dOSn, tearing
their way, and pIoughing deep ravines
10 their course, while ali beneath re.
nslned perfectly quiet. and the little
mole hill lay basklng in the sunbeams
OF sommer morning Scarcely had
The storm passed away, when the earth
began tVToek and trgmble ~ With an .
'gue, rumbling and appalling noise
-sged N the bowels sf TIE mountain.
~hch suddenly burst, throwing vol
Imes Of smoke. and showers Of ere ,ato
The peaceful skies, that turned from
blue TO glowing fed. Rivers u burn.
ng sand gushed out from ils sides,
;OursIng their way towards the valley,
'od seortehIng the verdure and the
soods int black smoking ruins. In
lev hours the majestic mountain
Ieemed a. u were disembow slled, and.
lAtrng nothing 10 sustsin u, fell ~
Nth q crash that shook the surroun
ling world, and hid the ambient sk,e.
n chaos Of dust sud ashes. The
mole hill had eli this time remained
Ialei and safe "a its lowly retreat, and
sheo tie obscufiiy had become dtssi-t.