The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-11-02
The Fourteen Happy Days.

Many wears ago, in the city of Cordo-
va, in Spain, a splendid chariot, drawn
by four horses, attracted all eyes as it
whirled through the streets and over the
stone bridge toward the palace of the
kings. In it safe a man of lofty looks,
whose garments shone Of gold and silver,
and on either side stood ;wo black slaves
splendidly dressed, holding canopy over
his head. 1t WAS Abdalrahman, King OF
Spain, whose magniticeuce was greater
than any thing the world can shew nj
this day in all it's palaces. The rich strove
to gain from him look OF favor as he
PASSED, and the poor sighed with envy.
'OnIv behold z murmureG An old man,
Uend;2g under the weight Of cask of
water, 'how happy are the rich Here
am l. who never had so much as a don.
key to carry my water 20 me, while yon'
der single man can command all the hor
ses in Spain, il it be h's pleasure "
A crowd Of shouting children played
near n fountain stopped short, and held
their breath in admiration as the chariot
passed.
'Ah,' said they, is he not great and
harp!F
As they swept on toward the palace
they passed company Of peasants busy
at work in the VINEYARDS. Thev paused
in their work, their hands filed with the
purple fruit, and toasted tEeir eyes on the
royal splendour OF Ahdalrahman.
And while all were envying him. what
were his thoughts who safe thus lifted Il
bove all about him ? An hundred faces
Of those he passed were gayer than his.
'Oh, happy poor Z 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 rs some Of you. The
wsight OF this crown and purple robe
crushes all the pleasures out Of my life.
For fifty years have | reIgned in yonder
beautiful palace, whose walls are covered
with marble, whose halls sparkle with
fountains yet, since | picked flowers OF
the bank Of the Xeni, ! have seen but
fourteen happy days How gladly would
| exchange with some Of you, who think,
as you look at rue, that possess the sum
of happiness"
And so the poor envied the great man,
and the grert man en'led the poor.
How often do we hear children say,
IL | were as rich as such an one, should
be happy and If only had this or
that, know that should be happy -
Your Eo,ion Of happiness is hdV,m9, But
this is the one grand mistake Of life. 1t
is from this false notion that the proverb
has sprung "As happy as a king
But he was a great king, who could have
every wish Of his heart the master Of
one Of the richest countries OF the earth |;
AID he could tell all the davs Of real
happiness he had ever spent on his fingers
in less than a minute. Learn in child
hood, il you can, that happiness is not
outside, bot inside A good heart and a
clear conscisLce bring happiness; no
riches and no circumstances alone ever
do. Alexander conquered all the world,
and then, far from being happy, he wept
because there were no more worlds TO
conquer.
When tempted. a. know some Of you
often are, TO envy those who are rich and
higher than you, remember the great Alb
dalrahman, who lived IN magnificent
palace for fifty years, the master OF =
Kingdom, aud could only reckon fd,srteen
happy days in all his life at last,