The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-05-26
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THE KINGS FATAL TOUCH

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THE KINGS FATAL TOUCH.
Heard you. o little children,
This wonderful story told
OF the Phrygian King whose fatal touch
Turned everything to gold?
In a great, dim, dreary chamber,
Beneath the palace floor,
Hecounted his treasures Of glittering coin,
And he always lOnged for more.
When the clouds in the blaze Of sunset
Burned flaming fold on fold,
He thought how fine thing 'twould be
Were they but real gold!
And when his dear little daughter,
The child he loved SO well,
Came bringing in from the pleasant fields
The yellow asphOdel,
Or buttercups from the meadow,
Or dandeliOns gay,
King Midas would look at the blossoms sweet,
And she would hear him say:
y If only the flowers were really
Golden as they appear,
'Twere worth your while to gather thom,
My little daughter dearv'
One day in the dim, drear chamber,
As he counted his treasure DER,
A sunbeam slipped through chink In the
And Quivered down to the floor.
"Would it were gold" he muttered,
"That broad. bright, yellow barl''
Suddenly stood in its mellow light,
A Figure bright as star.
Young and rudy and glorious.
With face as fresh as the day.
With a winged cap and winged heels,
And eyes both wise and gay.
" o have your wish, King Midas"
A heave ly voice begun,
Like all sweet notes of the morning,
Braided and blended in one.
And when to-morrow's sunrise
Wakes you with rosy fire,
All things you touch shall turn to gold,
Even as you desire"
King Midas slept The morning
At last stole up the sky,
md woke him, full Of eagerness,
The wondrous spell to try.
And 10! the beds fine draperies
OF linen fair and cool,
Of quilted satin and cobweb lace,
And blankets of snowy wool,
All had been changed with the suns first ray
To marvellous cloth of gold,
That rppled and shimmered as soft as silk
In many gorgeous fold.
But all this spendor weighed 80 much
Twas irksOme to the King,
And up he sprang to try at once
The touch on every thing.
The heavy tassel that he grasped
Magnificent became,
And hung by the purple curtain rich
Like glowing mass OF flame.
At every step, on every side,
Such splendor followed him,
The very sunbeamS seemed to pale,
And morn itself grew dim.
But when he came to the water
For his delicious bath,
And dipped his hand in the surface smooth,
He started in sudden wrath;
For the LIQUID, light and leaping,
So crystalbright and clear,
Grew solid lake of heavy gold,
And the King began to fear!
But out he went to the garden,
So fresh in the morning hour,
And thousand buds in the balmy night
Had burst into perfect flower.
Twas world of perfume and color,
OF tender and delicate bloom,
But only the hideous thirst for wealth
In the Kings heart found room.
He passed like spirit of autumn
Through that fair space of bloom,
And the leaves and the flowers grew yellow
In dull and scentless gloom.
Back to the lofty palace
went the glad monarch then,
And sat at his sumptuous breakfast,
Most fortunate OF men!
He broke the fine, white wheaton roll,
The light and wholesome bread,
And it turned to lump of metal rich
1t had as well been lead!
Again did fear assail the King,
When-what was this he heard?
The voice of his little daughter dear,
As sweet as grieving bird.
Sobbing she stood before him,
And golden rose held she,
And the tears that brimmed her blue, blue
Were pitiful to see.
Father! O Father dearest!
This dreadful thing-Oh, seel
Oh, what has happened to all the fowerS7
Tell me, what can it beY'
" Why should you cry, my daughter?
Are not these blossoms Of gold
Beautiful, precious and wonderful
With splendOr not to be tOld?"
" hate them. o my father!
They're stiff and hard and dead,
That were so sweet and soft and fair,
And blushed so warm and red"
-" Come here" he cried, my darling"
And bent, her cheek to kiss,
To comfort her-when-HeavenlyP owersl
What fearful thing was this?
He sank back shuddering and aghast,
But she stood still as death
A statue of horrible cleaning gold,
With neither motion nor breath.
The gold tears hardened on her cheek,
The gold rose in her hand,
Even her little sandals changed
To gold, where she did stand.
Then such a tlmult of despair
The wretched King possessed,
He wrung his hands, and tore his hair.
And sObbed, and beat his breast
Weighed with one look from her sweet eyes
What was the whole world worth?
Against one touch of her loving lips,
The treasure of all the earth?
Then came that voice, like music
AS fresh as the morning air,
"HOw is it with you, King Midas,
Rich in your answered prayerr'
And there in the sunshine smiling,
Majestic as before,
Rudy and young and glorious,
The Stranger stood once more.