Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-11-12

LOOK Up.-An instructive lesson is taught
by the following fable. Man. as his name
originally signifies, is, or is intended to be, a
locker up. For him to confine his gaze to
the sand grains which help to form the dusty
earth, though they are golden, is a vain per
version of a noble vision. Half the joy Of
life is lost in one sordid, though not satisfacto-
ry pleasure. The bright beauties of a gay,
Joyous world, are shut out from him as he
stoops to sift the dust for treasure, not for a
moment allowing his eye to glance at that
which is above and around him. He may
fancy himself in search of felicity which he
wrongfully opines is associated with the treas
ure he seeks, but which in reality never how
ers over the mine or secretes itself in aurifer-
Gus sands. Look up, if you would be happy.
Look around you, if you would see pleasure.
Look earth-wise if you would be miserable.
But what saith the fable:
A young man once picked up sovereign
lying in the road Ever afterwards, as he
walked along he kept his eyes fixed steadily
on the ground, in hopes of finding another
and in the course of long life he did at
times pick up goodly number of coins, gold
and silver. But all these years, while he
was looking for them, he saw not that the
heavens were bright above him, and nature
beautiful around. He never once allowed his
eyes to look up from the mud and filth in
which he sought the treasure; and when he
died, rich old man, he only knew this fair
earth of ours as dirty road in which to pick
up the money as you walk along.
Four GREAT MEN.-It is fact that the
career of four of the most renowned charac-
ters that ever lived closed with some violent
or mournful death.
Alexander, after having climbed the dizzy
heights of his ambition, and with his temples
bound with chaplets dipped in the blood of
countless nations, looked down upon a con-
quered world, and wept that there was not
another one for him to conquer, set city on
fire and died in a scene of debauch.
Hannibal, after having, to the astonish-
ment and CONSERVATION of Rome, passed the
Alps; after having put to flight the armies
of the mistress of the world, and stripped
three bushels of gold rings from the fingers
of her slaughtered knights and made her
very foundations quake, fled from his country,
being hated by those who once exultingly
united his name to that of our God and call
ed him Hannibal-died at last by poison, adj
mnistered by his own hands, unlamented and
unwept, in a foreign land.
Ceasar, after having conquered eight hun-
dred cities, and dyed his clothes in the blood
of one million of his foes; after having pur-
sued to death the only rival he ever had, was
miserably assassinated by those he consider
ed his nearest friends, and in that very place
the attainment Of which had been his great
est ambition.
Bonaparte, whose mandate kings and en-
perors obeyed, after having filled the earth
with the terror of his name, deluged with
tears and blood, and clothed the world with
sackcloth, closed his days in lonely banish-
ment, almost literally exiled from the world
yet where he could sometimes see his coun-
try's banner waving over the deep, but which
could not or would not bring him aid.
Thus four men who, from the peculiar sit
uation of their portraits, seemed to stand as
the representatives of all those whom the
world call great-these four who each in turn,
made the earth tremble to its very center by
their simple tread, severally died-one by in
toxication, or, as some suppose, by poison
mingled in his wine-one suicide-one
murdered by his friends-and one lonely
exile.
M,c,,,,e ~, V, Rocton tai1or