The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-01-18
The Angel of Time.

uttermost extremes OF the universe. Inc
people focked eagerly from all points OF
the compass to prefer their claims to a
portion of the benefcent gift; but 1t
was surprising to see that the crowd con-
sisted of the aged alone. The children
were enjoying their youthful sports' and
paid no attention to the proclamation;
the youths and maidens were wandering
in the labyrinths of love; and the men
and the women of middle age were too
much engaged in the pursuits of life to
think about death.
The first who preferred his petition
for few additional years was an old
man of fourscore and upward.
"Thou doubtless wishest to live little
longer for the sake of thy childen, and
the companions of thy YOUTH" said the
angel.
"Alas!" cried the old man, they are
all dead?"
"Thou art in possession of wealth
and honor:"
"Alas, no! 1 have lost my good name,
and am miserably poor. Yet l wish to
live till I am hundred, and enjoy life
a little longer"
The angel bestow upon him the privi-
lege asked, and he went on his way, re-
ioicing and trembling.
The next applicant for heightened
years was feeble old man, who was
carried in litter. When he had pre-
ferred bis request, the angel replied, |
understand Thou art enamoured of the
beauties of the earth, the waters, and
the skies, and wishest to behold them
yet few years more:"
81 am blind these ten years" said
the old man.
"Thou art delighted with the music
of the birds, the murmuring of the wa
tiers, and all the harmonies of the uni
verse, and wishest to hear them a little
longers"
~ am deaf, and scarcely hear the
sound of thy trumpet"
Thou art fond of the delicacies OF
food:"
"Alas! my feeble health will not
permit such indulgences. l have lived
on milk and crusts of bread these seven
years past. l am poor, sickly old
man
"And still thou wishest to lengthen
out thy miseries. What pleasure dost
+bo,, or;ox, IN tb;s life ;"
"The pleasure of living" said the
old man; and the angel granted him a
few years more"
The third who approached the foot
stool of the angel was decrepid female.
Her teeth were gone-her eyes buried
deep in their dark blue sockets her
cheeks hollow and feshless and she
could hardly prefer her request, for an
incessant cough, which drowned her
voice, and almost choked her.
81 am come,' said she, "to beg a
score of years, that 1 may enjoy the
pleasure of seeing the cyprus trees |
have planted over the graves Of my hus-
band, my children, my grandchildren,
and the rest of my dear relatives, spring
up and flourish before l die. l am be-
reft of all that were near and dear to
me; l stand alone in the world, with
no one to speak for me. I beseech
thee, o, to grant my request"
"Though 1 grant thee heightened
days, l can not remove thy inimities
and suferings. They will increase
upon thee," answered the angel.
Il care not, since l know they can
not kill me before my time
"Take thy wish," said the angel,
smiling. SEQ and be happy"
"Strange!" cried a learned man,
who had come to petition for a few
years to complete scientific work, and
had witnessed the scene =" strange,
cried he, curling his lip in scorn, " that
the most helpless and miserable of hu-
man beings should still covet a life
divested of all its enjoyments!''
"Silence!" exclaimed the angel in a
voice of inefable contempt. cit rather
becomes thee, ignorant mortal, to adore
the goodness of Providence, which hav-
ing ordained that men should live to be
old, mercifully decreed at the same time
that the love of life should supply the
absence of all its sources of enjoyment.
Go-take thy wish, and finish thy work
of science"
Thirty times was Adelane Patti call