Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-02
THE DESERT ISLAND.


THE DESERT ISLAND.
A RICH and benevolent man, wishing
TO make one of his slaves happy, present
ed him with his liberty and a ship fully
equipped and loaded with costly mer-
cLandise. GO" said he, +" sail to for
eign country, trade with these goods
and all profit shall be thine" The slave
departed He was but few days upon
the sea when a violent storm arose, dashed
the ship against rock and wrecked it.
The merchandise sunk in the ocean, all
OF his companions persisted, and with
the greatest difficulty he succeeded in
reaching the shore of an island. Hungry,
naked, without help, and weeping over
his misfortunes, he entered deep into the
country. From afar he perceived a great
city, out of which, with great clamor,
came multitude of people to meet him.
Hail to our kingn they cried, as they
accosted him; and seating him upon a
magnificent chariot, drove him into the
city, to a kingly palace, where they
clothed MIN with purple mantle, placed
a diadem upon his brow, and caused him
to ascend golden throne. The mobiles
gathering about him fell down upon their
knees and swore to him, in the name of
the people, the oath of faithfulness
The new king, at the commencement Of
all this splendor, believed it to be a beau
tiful dream, until the continuation of his
good fortune no longer permitted him to
doubt that the wonderful adventure was
true. cannot conceive he reflected,
g what has enchanted the eyes of this
strange people, that they should make a
naked stranger their king. They know
not who | am; ask not from whence |
come, and place me upon their throne.
What peculiar customl"
So thought he, and became so anxious
to know the cause of his elevation, that
he determined to ask the solution of the
riddle of one of the mobiles of his court,
who appeared to him to be a wise man.
''Vizier," he added, "why have you made
me your kings How could you know
cl.at had arrived upon your shores, and
VIVA viii finally become of me?" ''SiIe,"
ansW red the vizier, "this island is inhab-
tied by spirits. For a long time they have
prayed to the Almighty to send yearly a
son of Adam to govern them. The
Almighty accepted their prayer, and
causes each year, upon the same day, a
man to land upon their island The in
habitants hasten to meet him, and jOyfully
recognize him as their sovereign. But
his government lasts but one year The
appointed day again appearing, they de
priye him Of his kingly ornaments, and
clothe him in a mean dress His servants
forcibly carry him to the shore lay him
in peculiarly constructed vessel which
takes him to another island. The island
is a desert and desOlatc. He, who was a
powerful king few days ago, arrives
here naked, and finds neither subjects nor
friends No one commiserates his mis-
fortune, and he is obliged to lead sad
and sorrowful life in this desert country,
if he has not wisely made use of his year.
After the Punishment of the old king, the
people 90 to this new one, that the
Almighty, in His providence, sends every
year without exception. In the custom
airy manner they meet and receive him
with Joy, as the last This, also, sire, is
an eternal law of this kingdom, that no
king during his reign can resign"
"Were my predecessors" asked the king
further, "also informed of the short dura
ton of their elevation ."
''TO none of them was the law of tran
SitOrlneSS unknown; but some permitting
themselves to become blinded by the
splendors which surrounded their throne,
forgot the sad future, and spent the year
without acting wisely. Others, intoxicat-
ed by the sweetness of their good fortune,
and out of fear to embitter the enjoyment
of the present, would not permit them
selves to reflect upon the desert island,
and SO staggered, like drunkards, out of
one pleasure into another, until their time
was up and they were to be cast in the
vessel. When the day came, they all la
mented their fascination, but it was then
too late, and they were, without forbear-
ance, delivered to the misery which await
ed them, and which they had not been
willing to prevent through WISDOM
The narrative of the spirit filled the
king with fear He shuddered with hor-
ror at the fate of the preceding kings, and
wished to escape their unhappiness.
With feelings of terror, he saw that many
weeks of his short time had already flown,
and that he must haste to make bet
ter use of the remaining days of his
reign.
"Wise NiZler,' said he to the spirit,
''thOu has disclosed to me my eternal fate
and the short duration of my kingly pow
er, but l pray thee, tell me also what /
must do if | wish to avoid the misery of
my predecessors"
Remember, sire" answered the spirit
that thou has arrived naked upon our isl
and. for even so shalt thou leave it, and
never return There is, therefore, only
one possible expedient to prevent the un
happiness which threatens in that country
of Punishment. Make it fruitful, and sup,
ply it with inhabitants. This is permitted
by our laws, and thy subjects are so ODE
dient to thee, that they will go wherever
thou wishest to send them. Therefore
send workmen thither, and change the
barren fields to fruitful ones; build cities
and fill their granaries with provisions
In a word, prepare myself a new king
dom, the inhabitants of which, after thy
Punishment, will receive thee with joy
But hasten, permit not moment to pas:
idly, for the time is short, and the NOR,
thou doest to the building of thy future
dwelling, the happier will be thy resi-
dence there Think thy year is rapid,
passing, make use of thy liberty, as on,
living from destruction. If thou de
spisest my advice or delayest, thou ar
lost, and prolonged misery is thy fate.''
The king was wise man, and thu
speech of the spirit gave wing to his res
olution and activity. He Immediately
sent thither multitude of subjects. They