Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-09-03
MISCELLANY.
Y&e Fourteen Happy DAYS.

| Mtpay yea ago, in the city of Cordoya
in Spain, splendid chariot, drawn by
four horses, attracted all eyes as it whirlc1
| through the streets and over the stone
bridge toward the palace of the Kings
In it sat man of lofty looks, whose gar
mcnts shone of gold and silver, and on ci-
thcr side stood two black slaves, splendidly
dressed, holding canopy orer his head
IL WAS .Afsdairahman, Kngof Spaiu, whose
magnificcncc was greater than anything
the world can show at this day in all its
palaces. The rich strovc to gain from him
Il look of favor as he passed, and the poor
sighed with envy.
"Oniy behold ~ murmUrcd an old man,
bending under the weight of cask of
water, " how happy arc the rich. Here am
], who neycr had SC, much as n donkey to
carry my water to me, while yonder single
man can command all the horses in Spain
if it be his pieasurcw
a crowd of shouting children playing
near fountain stopped short, and held
passed.
"Ah," said they, "is he not great and
happy?"
AS they swept on toward the palace they
passed company of peasants busy at work
in the vineyards. These paused in their
work, their hands filled with the purple
fruit, and fcosted their eyes on the royal
splendor of Abdalrahman
And while all were cnvying him, what
were his thoughts who sat thus lifted above
all about him A hundred faces of those
he passed were gayer than his "Oh, hap
py poorW he exclaimed in his heart, as
he looked on the staring crowds, ." what are
your cares and troubles? Sure you pass
your lives as in happy dream. The earth
brings forth your food, and nothing disturbs
your peaceful sleep Would that | were
as some of you. The weight of this crown
and purple robe brushes all the pleasures
out of my life. For fifty years have |
reigned in yondcr beautiful palace, whose
walls arc covered with marble, halls sparkle
with fountains; yet since | picked flowers
on the1bank of the Xenil have seen bmt
.Iourteen hu1w days. How gladly would
| exchange with some of you, who think
as you look at me, that | possess the sum
of happiness.
And so the poor cnyicd the great man,
and the great man cnvicd the poor
How often do we hear children say, "If
| were MS rich as such one, should be
happy" and /" If | only had this or that,
know I should be happy" Your notion
of happiness is having. But this is the
one grand mistake of life 1t is from this
false notion that the provcrb has sprung
AS happy as king" But he was a
great king who could have every wish of
his heart-the master of one of the rich
est countries of the earth; and he could
tell all the days of real happiness he had
ever spent on his fingers in less than a
minute. Learn in childhood, if you can,
that happiness is not outside but inside
"A good heart and clear conscience bring
happiness no riches and no circumstances
alone ever do. Alexander conquered I'll
the world, and then, far from being happy,
he wept because there was no more worlds
to conquer.
When tempted as know some of you
often are, to envy those who are rich and
higher than you, remember the great Alb
darahman, who lived in magnificent pal
ace for fifty years, the master of kingdom,
and could only reckon fourteen happy days
in all his life at last -
IF piece of raw meat is kept for hens
to peck at, they will never break their own
eggs, and more than that, they will lay eggs
in wintcr nc ,uoll no IN o,,u,n