The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-01-05
The youth had remembered how Mary
had repeated to him.
ever toward the rising sun,
Follow, follow, lonely one ~

uau Icpedteu W MN.
ever toward the rising sun,
Follow, follow, lonely one"
SO he gathered his garments around
him, and turned toward the East. But
presently he heard 4 cracked, shrill voice
behind him, calling, halloo! halloo
there =
Turning, he saw thin, wrinkled old
man with sharp visage, and ,igh, little
mouth. lie stood in au enormously large
nautilus shell, as big as boat, and full
of gold. He beckoned 50 earnestly, tina.
the youth went back.
Stranger, want your help said the
little old man, in coaXing tones. Il know
where are piles and piles of gold like
this. If you will help me git it, you shall
have half of il; and that will make you
richer than kings son, can tell YOU
The youth was tempted by the other,
and promised TO enter the old mans SER
vice.
A moaning sound, like sad wind-music,
was heard in the distance bu, il passed
away, and he Needed il not.
lie went to work with the old man !;
and they dug in dark caves, month after
month, and year after year. He had
scarcely time to glance at the bright heav-
ems and the flowery earth. His wilhered
rose lay neglected in his chest, and all
recolleclions of his home had passed
away.
His chief amusement was to pile up
golden coins. He said to himself, when
have hundred thousand piles, each six
feet high, | will build a palace OF ivory.
and all the floors shall be of pearl, inlaid
with gold doubloons. My twelve milk
white horses shall have harness of pure
gold, covered with seed pearl. Oh, then
| shall be perfectly happy 2
SO he diggcd and heaped, and digged
and heaPod, till he had piled up a hundred
thousand pillars, each six feet high.
He of the brass trumpet blew loud
blasts, proclaImlng to all wayfarers that
here dwelt a man richer than Crnsus.
All men touched their hats to him. Even
the Chinese iuggler laid his forheadto the
ground as he passed.
But all at once the coins behaved in the
oldest fashion. From many Of them
there suddenly grew out wings, so that
they looked like golden beetles of new
and ungainly shape. They flew away,
like a swarm of bees. and went skiring
through the air, kip! klap! kip! klap
cllckety, click
Then the sharp-faced little old man,
who first decoyed him into the boat, tit.
tered and laughed to sec folks run after
the flying gold. The trumpeter laid down
his trumpet; said he had pain in his
side; and should 90 into consumption il
he blew any more.
John resolved to lock up the res, of his
coins, lest they, too, should fly away.
But the piles all tumblcd to ashes beneath
his touch. The people round him al
said they were certainly gold. He tried
TO believe them; but when he took up ;
f coin, he saw nothing but ashes.
AS lie medi,aed on this, one of the Gy
ing pieces alighted on the table, aud be
gan TO dance a rgadoon. 1t mmbled owe,
and over, and presently sprang up in til,
form of a monkey, with face like tn,
wrnkled old man of the boat. lie turnet
a somerset in the air, and then came VI
f with dollar on his nose, singing, will
an ugly grin, IFS nothing on earth bu.
bubble = .......
Provoked beyond endurance, he seize
large stick and would have killed tn
beast; but venerable man, with silver
white hair and bland coun,enance, he'll
his arm, and said, harm not the poor al
imal, but rather do him good
John covered his face and wcp,, as h
, SAID, AN things are bubbles They toll
me should be ike kings son, if heap
ed up This accursed gold, that now gibes
and gIbbers, and mocks at me =
And vast thou not kings son in tn
, beginning ? said the old man with solemn
tenderness. What could the caves Of th
earth add to wealth like thine ?
Then was the wanderer strangely mo
we'd, and his thoughts were perplexe,
within him for there was something il
that old mans clear, mild eye, that &c
minded him OF his beloved Mary, and lhC
blue flowers on the mountain top.
With a troubled voice he murmured
The sea and the earth, the mountains ant
the stars all lie to me-
Not the mountains and the stars, my
son. replied the old man. But look
Thy enemy is hungry
The rich man turned, and saw the Chi
ncse juggler in rags leading half starved
monkey. His hear, was scfiencd, and ht