Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-01-21

he teIt as one who had been plucked from the
Jaws OF death. Having, in some degree, recov-
ered from his terror, he had now leisure to look
around him. The rejoicing, which had so rap
idly succeeded his past fears, was, alas soon
followed by fears of another description True.
he had escaped the devouring jaw of the fell
monster, who sought to destroy him; but how
was he to support that life which had been pre-
served by means so wonderful? for whenever he
cast his eyes about him, he beheld his enemy
glarlng upon him from the ditch below.
Looking still further around him, he perceiv-
ed two odious huge rats, one white, the other
black, who were busily engaged in gnawing the
roots OF tile tree upon the branches Of which he
had found an asylum; while on the other side
he encountered the hateful gaze of four enor-
nous serpents, which lay coiled up, eagerly
waiting for the fall Of the tree. Beyond these
was terrible dragon Of the size of an elephant
which also seemed waiting to devour him.
Alas ! alas? cried the unhappy man, wiring
ing his hands in agony, what will become Of
me Wo is me, for my destiny is evil But
little while since thought myself saved from
one trghtful calamity, and now see myself en-.
comPassed with danger on every side. What
then, does 1t matter, whether become the prey
of the gaping monsters around Inc, or perish o.
hunger before their eyes I There is no escape
for me Wo is me, that ever was born ?
At length, when he had exhausted himself witt
lamentation, on sudden his tears were turned
to JOY, as he espied beehive on branch above
him, and quickly making towards it, restored biz
sinking energies with its delicious contents. A
gain his spirit was changed. He turned his eyes
no more below him. He no more needed the
dangers which environed him on every side. He
thought only of enjoying the sweets his lucky
stars had so p'ovidentially found within his reach
and he thus passed away his time needless of thu
uture, until the tree upon which he rested
gnawed through by the unceasing efforts of the
two rats at length fell, without moment,
warning, and delivered the traveller into the jaw.
of his fell destroyer.
In this parable is figured the life of man.
The desert spoken Of is this world The uni
corn is death, which ever walks by the side o
man, from his cradle to his last hour, whether
waking or sleeping, in motion, or at rest, from
sunrise to sunset, and from its going down to it.
uprising. The four serpents are the four ele
ments, the instruments of disease and destruc
tion robbing man of health, and sweeping away
in their headlong and resistless course, alike thu
old and the young. The white rat is day, the
black rat night; which silently but necessarily
gnaw our lives from under our feet, until the sap
less trunk at length falls, and delivers up its ten
ant to the jaws of the dragon, which is eternity
The honey is the pleasures and seductons of thi,
world; and wo eternal wo, to him who, like the
careless traveller who had SO lately escaped from
the jaws of death, recklessly devotes himself t.
its enioyments, needless of the dangers which en-
compass him on every side.