The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-02-10
THE WHEEL or TIME.

This is what the Hoa. Mir. Sopkins wrote: The other day walked out, as have ever been accustomed, among the groves surrounding the city. As walked along, musing upon the kindness of na- ture, l met a gentleman, quite aged though active in movement, who ap- preached me and said: Good morning, sir; where are you goingY replied that 1 was merely in pursuit of that pleasure which a finishing of the more active pursuits of life insures. ''Come with me- he said, with smile sad and suggestive of scenes in a life of thoughtful melancholy. "I have longed to show you something calculated to inn press you."
 wen, with the s,rang ge old man, no, knowing what he could possibly mean by his strange invitation. We soon entered grove, unfamiliar to me, although for years had been a frequenter of the neighborhood. and descending a steep declivity, stood. before knew how had descended. in a broad enclosure of e. centric shape. In front of me, on two gigantic stone pillars. was aa enormous wheel. slowly revolving.
 What Is that l asked.
 '' The wheel of time" he remarked. This wheel is 10 the living always in mo ton. It Is only seen in motion once ln hibit ,. Men and women, year after year pass by this great wheel and never take note of its unrelenting steadiness. Once during lifetime does every man see it."
 What does it indicate :" l asked.
 {" The slos ou, sure flight Of time
 Why. then. are its witnesses so linn itedT
 Millions Of men see the wheel as you heed not its revolutions. My duty is to conduct men here and warn them of the fiery wrath to come. This wheel re- wolves alike to all men on earth. He who sees il turn, lives he who sees it stop IS dead. The wheel never really stops, to the world. but to the individual it does. Time and eternity are only sep arated by one moment Do you see all those numbers" he continued. They represent the time allotted to each individual You see the number of fig ures is so great that they cannot be counted.'
 "Can find the number which repre- sents the number of years am to live?"
 "No, for that would be unveiling the future. It is enough to know that your be reached.
 looked steadily at the wheel. Noise less, grand, awful in its ceaseless turn ing. The wheel stopped and with shock, a rush of blood, turned to my companion.
 You are now in eternity"
 Am dead?'
 "ies, you died of heart disease. Look around you
 Obeying, saw millions of people, moving around. Many of them seemed 10 be miserable, but others stepped in lively mood. Walking around, accompanied by the old gentle man, 1 saw many people whom 1 had known during time How long have you been here:" asked of man who was amusing himself by lifting at great weight.
 T don, know he replied. flor there is no time here.'
 Why do you lift at the heavy weis h,.'
 "A punishment assigned to me-
 What did he do v asked my com panion.
 Why he is the man who used 10 send postal cards to publishers of newspapers, asking for sample copies
 -Who is that gentleman trying to stand on his head.'
 He IS the man who went into news paper office, requested q personal men ton to be made of himself and promised to insert an advertisement"
 Who is the fat man trying to put his toe in his mouth. :"
 That is the man who went into an ed- i,orial room and rat,led the newspapers, and knocked the ashes out of his pipe, and blew his nose while the editor was trying to write"
 Deeply impressed l-
 Here the narrative abruptly ends. The Hon. Mir. Sopkins was found leaning back agains, the head-board of the bed, dead. A lamp burned on the table and the cold hand of the dead man, holding a pen, lay on the unfinished manuscript,