Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-10-26
THE HERMIT AND THE TRAVELLER

BY T. s. ARTHUR.
There was once man who led a wicked
life. He despised the poor, oppressed the
weak, and was cruel to all over whom he
had power. AS it happens almost always
to such men, great calamity befell him.
No one can be selfish and cruel withont
paying the penalty of suffering. The evil
we do is sure, in some way, to punish ms
in this world. God permits this punish
ment that we may repent.
Now, this man was great and powerful
among his neighbors. He lived in cas-
tie, and had armed soldiers to do his bid
ding; and as he was cruel and selfish, as
we'll as powerful, he robbed the people who
could not defend themselves, and if any
Of them resisted, he burned their dwell.
ings and laid waste their fields.
He had wife and two children. His
wife was SO gentle and so beautiful, and
his children SO good and lovely, that even
this bad man priced them above all his
possessions.
One Gay man came to the castle, and
asked to gee him. His garments were
poor, like those worn by peasants who
titled the soil: but his countenance was
fierce, and his eyes flashed with anger.
''Your soldiers have burned my house
and carried off my wife; and am here to
demand justice r
He spoke sternly IF this peasant had
stopped and cringed to his powerful neigh
Dor, and asked Justice as favor, the sol
diers might have been ordered TO bring
back his wife; but as it was, tho wicked
lord of the castle, who had no pity in his
heart, fell into great passion, and lifting
his sword, tried to slay tae poor man.
just at this moment, his wife came into
the apartment, leading her beautiful
children, and seeing the sword in her
husbands upraised hand, cried out in
alarm.
At sight of these, his enemy's most pre-
clous things, the fires of hatred and re-
venge burned up fercely in the PEASANTS
heart, and drawings concealed weapon, he
killed them with thrusts given as quickly
as lightning flashes. In the next moment
he was gone, and the strong, bad man
stood horror-stricken over his dead wife
and children. All his wicked life crowded
back upon his memory. The warning words
of q pious man-''God's justice will find
you out !"-scarcely noticed when spoken,
now rung in his ears in tones ike thunder.
His soul was crushed under weight OF
remorse and sorroE A great terror op-
pressed him. He seemed standing face
to face with an awful Power that he had
scorned and defed.
From that time men lost sight of him.
His castle fell into ruins, and weeds and
briars covered all his neglected fields.
Many years afterwards, traveller lost his
way in great forest. While vainly seek
ing to find his way out, he came upon q
hermit, who lived in a rocky cave, by the
mouth of which ran clear stream of wa
| ter. He was dressed in poor garments;
his beard was white, and hung down al
most to his waist; his face was thin, and
his eyes sunken. The travellers heart was
filed with pity at sight of so miserable
being.
"Who are you? And what are you do
| ing here ?"
81 have been a great sinner" replied the
hermit. 81 was cruel oppressor; bold
wrong-doer. I defed God, and be laid his
hand heavily upon me. Then fed away
from the sight of man, to this wilderness,
that l might repent and punish myself.
My food has been herbs, instead of dainty
meats; my drink water, instead of rich
wines. Ispend long nights in prayer; I cut
my body in stripes, until it is covered with
wounds. And though I have done this for
years, yet God still hides himself from me
in anger. My sins have been too great.
| He will not forgive Oh, that had never
! been born p
And the hermit groaned in anguish of
spirit.
"Wretched man r. said the traveller.
sGod hides himself from no one. 1t is you
that have hidden yourself from God. He
dwells here with the happy birds, with the
fragrant blossoms, and pure running water
with all nature in her orderly work; but
not with man idly bemoaning himself. If
you wish to find God, go where his poor,
his suffering, and needy ONES are, and join
Him in helping them"
tsBegin new and truer life" :" continued
the traveller, "by at once showing me the
way out Of this forest I have much work
| to do for God among the children of men,
and they suffer loss while / am away.
''The hermit rose from the ground slow
ly, as strength came back to him; and
silently led the traveller out of the forest.
"Prayer, and fastenings, and self-denials
are all vain," said the traveller, as they
stood still on the great high-road, "unless
there be good deeds. Go back among
your fellow-men and do them good, if you
desire Gods favor; you will never find it
here"
After ten years absence, the lord of the
castle came back to its desolate walls. His
hair was white as wool; his form wasted
and bent; his countenanee thin and sor-
rowful. Men stood aloof from him, for
| thSJ ISIuSIlOSISu AON bIChOO dIl CIue1 uO
had been. The weak trembled at his re-
turn, for they feared his expressions.
Soon, the hearts of al began to turn to
the lord of the castle; for instead of doing
evil, as before, his hand was showing itself
III good works. He kept no soldiers to
guard his gates and defend him from en-
emies, for now he had no enemies. The
poor We're helped, the sick cared for, and
the vicious restrained. He was father
and a protector Of the people.
One day, as he sat looking from a VIM
dow of his CASTLE s.t the peaceful country
which lay all around him; peaceful and
happy, because he was on the side of good
instead of evil; he saw passing by, the
traveller, who had been lost in the forest.
And he sent his servant after him. When
the two men stood face to face, the tray
eler said:
''Haye we not met before?"
And the lord of the castle answered:
''Yes, you came to me once with o mes
sage from God"
Then the traveller knew him. and his
countenance was full of gladness; for, in
place of the miserable, self-affiicting her
nit, he saw q peaceful old man, whose life
OF good deeds had brought him so near to
God that his face was as the face of an
angel in its tranquil sweetness
'God hears you now, said the traveller.
''He is very near He fills my LearI
with his love- am his servant. answer.
, ed the lord of the castle, bowing his head
with a gentle reverence.
'sAh, yes" said the traveller. "lt is the
!. faithful servant who worships God in we'll
: doing, that gets the blessing. Others
never find il"
Then they broke bread and prayed to
gether, and the traveller went on his way
rejoicing that the good seed sown by the
wayside had yielded so rich harvest
Csildrens Hour.