Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-11-04
One Man Among a Thousand.


All tosoms swell with griet
One Man Among a Thousand.
An Arabian legend gives the folio u ing
as the Incident that prompted King
Solomon to record his disappointment
in the Book Of z ,c,esiastes, vii. 26:
" Which yet my soul seeke'h, but ]
find not; one man among thousana
have found. but woman among all
those have not found"
Among all his acquaintapces and
friends. no matter how fair and har.
monious the outward life seemed to be,
King Solomon had, ON closer inspec.
ton. invariably discovered the skeletou
II self interest in the closet. Nine
hundred and ninety. nine men and the
same number of women of all sor:s and
COL ditions of life had been put to the
test in various ways. and weighed in the
balance of the mighty Kings discrim-
mating wisdom. and fosnd wanting in
disinterested love and fidelity.
One day. as the K,ng's hopes of dis
covering the model man and the model
woman were low, and his faith in human
nature growing dim, and he was re
cording in his Book of Wisdom the wall
of thu first part of tie text, (Which
yet my soul seeketh after, but find
not" he overheard his courtiers loud
and enthusiastic in their praises of q
young couple who we're reported to be
living life of pc rfect bliss. AID whose
love and fidelity to each other were the
wonder of the day. Every j,y and
blessing that is granted to mortal man
seemed to have been generously be-
slowed by u benefcent Provid. nee on
this pair. Both the man and his wife
were young, beautiful, wealthy. in.
telle ctual. Children of and clo.ely
allied to the mighty and the hon. urable
of the land. they were also blessed with
An infant son who was generally granted
to be the handsomest child in tie
country.
King Solomon's hopes revived, and
he decided to make further investigs-
tions, by personal observation. and
"perchance," said the wise King to
himself, 81 shall now find the model
man aud woman. This will be the
thoussndth test of man and woman,
and surely among one thousand men
and the same number Of women-there
will be at least one of each sex that
will reslizs ny ideal OF disinterested
love aud fidelity"
Accordingly. the King summoned the
young mau to the court, placed him in
flee, loaded him with honors. show.
ertd fsvors most lavishly on him and
his lovely wife; whose acq uaintance, as
veil as that of her husband, he cult.
waited most assiduously.
When the acquaintance between the
King and the pair had grown into init
mate friendship, Solomon invited the
husband to bar quet. and later, when
their hearts we're merry. to q private
interview, during which he made the
following tffsr. If the young man
would get rid of his wife by killing
her, King Solomon would give him his
beautiful and only daughter and favor
ite child In marriage, put him in the
highest f3ice in the kingdom. in power
second only to the King, and finally
make him his successor. The fer was
tenn ting one. and. after considerable
hesitation on the part of the young
man AID persuasive arguments on that
Of Solomon, the husband agreed to
kill his wife, for the accomplishment
of which purpose the King gave him
his own sword, whose edge was keener
than that OF any other sword in the
world.
On bis return home, the young hus.
band found that bis wife had already
retired. So he went to her cham her,
sword in hand. II might as we'll" be
argued with himself, "do it now as at
any other time. She will hardly feel
it and pass away in her sleep, and l
would not have the heart to slay her
when awake" The fair young wife lay
asleep. with her infant beside her. The
husband paused a while to gaze at tue
loveliness of mother and child; then,
aipging the sword aside. he exclaimed:
Not for the immediate possession Of
the throne. power. fame, wealth and
wisdom OF King Solomon will / commit
this Decd"
The next day. when summoned to the
Kings presence, he returned the sword;