The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-02-03

that have been to the very gates OF
Paradise, where, until now no mortal
was.n ,-..---s..-,-s- --.--,.-.s4z--,
A small porthole was opened, and
from it Alexander received portion oI
human skull Take this" said the
voice within; "a single look upon il
may teach thee more wisdom than
thou hastreceived from all thy masters
and philosophers"
Alexander contemptuously took the
gift, and wended his way to his tent.
Throwing 1t down in disgust, he said
"And this is the present that is given
to the conqueror of the world; truly a
paltry present from such source as
Paradise"
"Great King" said sage who was
present: Ito me this gift possesses a
secret meaning. Pray, put it into one
scale, and fill the other with the finest
gold"
The King ordered it to be done, and
10! the piece ofhuman bone outweigh
ed the filled up scale of gold.
This is q WONDER" said the King.
Larger scales Were brought, heaps of
gold were placed in one, and the hui
man fragment of the skull outweighed
them all
The sage then ordered the skull to be
covered with earth, and behold its own
pecific gravity.
"How remarkable is this" said AL
exander, "can you give me a solution ,"
"Great King" answered the sage,
''this fragment of human skull is that
part which in life encased the eye.
The human eye, although hemmed in
in, is nevertheless Unsuitable and unlim-
tied in vision. The more it possesses
the more does it desire to possess. The
treasures of the earth fail to satisfy its
continual longings. But when ence
descended to the grave and covered
with its mother earth, it finds limit
for all its boundless wishes, Learn, 0
great King, wisdom! OF what avail
will thy conquests and riches he when
thine eyes are covered with dust and
thou sleepest the sleep of death?"
"What 2' cried Alexander, sis fame
nothing, that thousands of years hence
people should speak my name-nay,
be as familiar with it as my own legi-
ons? Thou art grovelling philoso-
pher, and has not the soul of conquer
or i'm thee"
Needless of the warning he had re-
ceived at the gates of Paradise, Alex
ander marched on from kingdom to
kingdom, leaving destruction, famine,
misery and death behind him. AT
last he came to the country governed
by the Amazons, where women gov
ern and fight, and men do the house,
hold work. Alexander summoned
their chief city, which was walled in,
to surrender, The AmaZonS sent him
a deputation, who thus spoke to the
great King: "Great conqueror, if thou
intendest war with us, thou under
takest most fruitless task. If thy
arms prevail, thou wilt not add a jot to
thy fame by having conquered king
dom of women. But as all wars are
doubtful, and battles are not always to
thestrong, thou mayest be beaten and
then behold the ignOminy with which
thy name will be branded forever
The conqueror of the world was beaten
by women ~
Alexander felt the force of this argu-
ment, and abandoned his undertaking,
ordaining an Obelisk to he erected, with
the follOwiHg inscription
l, Alexander, until now foolish and
vain, has learned wisdom fromiwomen.
Somewhat subdued in his desires, he
marched in northerly direction, and
reached the small but happy kingdom
of Burinapoor. The native King,
knowing his own weakness against the
mighty hosts of Alexander, received
him and his army Hospitality. He
sent messengers to invite Alexander to
his modest palace, and prepared ball
quet. When the conqueror was seated
lie beheld singular spectacle. Instead
of the usual fish and flesh, and fowl
and bread, all that. was placed before
him was either of gold or silver or pre-
cious stones. Thus, instead of the SOUP
there was a plate of emeralds. The
goblet Of wine was represented by a
goblet sef pearls. Birds, artistically |
made ofgold, We're served up to him,
loaves were there to represent |
the wheaton loaf.
''Do you eat gold and silver and
drink pearls IN your land ," asked Al
eXander, astonished.
"Can Ibelieve," said thenative King,
''that you, the great conqueror of the
world, who have left your own land to
subdue the remotest Kingdoms of the
] think that you can feel
to be fed from the usual pro-
iuctions of the land like other men?
Surely, of grain, meat and wine yon
have plenty in your own country.
\ our roaming and conquests can have
no other object but riches and power.
Here there are gold, silver and precious