The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-05
The House the Shore of Eternity--An
AllegOry.

AIlegory.
By Frances Power Cobbe.
Two supplemented men, who had dwelt all
theirlives in a country far inland, at last took
long journey together. This happened many
| ages ago, when there We're no such things as
printed books, or village schools, and when the
people in isolated districts saw no travellers, and
knew nothing of the great world beyond the hills
which closed their horizon.
Wolfgang and Athelstane-so our pilgrims
were called-walked on over downs and heaths,
and through the vast forests of oak, which then
overspread the land till, at last, after
nights toisome march, they came
IN nth, the early dawn to spot which 1hcll
had ever visited. Walls of rock shut out any
| distant view but Immediately before them, on
a gentle declivity, stood structure much larger
| than the humble cottages which Wolfgang and
| Athelstane had inhabited, and of singularly
different form. Instead of a pointed roof of
thatch or tile, there was, on the top, fiat floor
| OF boards; while beneath, where there should
| have been a solid, square foundation, there was
long, thin wedge, almost like roof which had
| been reversed and turned downwards. Also,
through the floor, up two long, slender tree
| like erections, with all the branches carefully
| smoothed away. CroSS-barS were Sung on these
| poles and ropes connected them together while
great roll of coarse stuff, like sackcloth,
| lay folded up inside them. AT one end,
and outside of the wooden structure, hunga huge
! beam, standing, as it seemed, in some unac-
countable relation to the rest of the fabric, and
| connected with it by machinery, passing into
| the interior. All these singular things were
slowly and carefully noted by our two humble
travellers as they walked around the wooden
building in the morning twilight. No one was
near who could afford them an explanation OF
the use purpose of what they saw; and their
doubts and wonder grew every moment
what can it mean9" said Wolfgang. "What
did the builder-whoever he can have benin
tend by such mansion as this?'
1T is clear enough" said Athelstone, thought
fully, that it is the work of some very inge-
NOUS hands. How soundly and skillfully it is all
| fitted togetherl"
True" replied his comrade; ''andyet oughtwe
to say it is well made before we can tell for what
purpose it is constructed? To me it seems that
own old huts of waited willow and turf were,
after all, of u better shape for a house to stand
on the ground"
''Do you think this is house, only house2"
said Athestane, suddenly looking up.
We'll, if it be not house, what else can 1t
be!" said Wolfgang. 'Let us try and look in
side of it, and examine it more closely"
The two men soon eontrived to enter the edl-
gang exclaimed, triumphantly, 'See! there can
be no question more on this matter. This
is only house. There are seats and
tables for men to sit at, and beds
for them to slpep in; and here is a
| fireplace and great iron pott cook food. Now
you can have no hesitation. 1t is just wooden
house, and rather stupidity planned, 81 have
no doubt" said Athelstane, that it is intended
for habitation; but is it not inexplicable that
builder who can work so cleveTly should CON
struct it so unsuitably for a common housed Why
is it not made to stand steadily and squarely on
the grounds What is the sense Of these long
soaring poles standing up through the middle
with the coils Of rope and bales of sackings
And this9 This is the most mysterious thing of
all, said Athestane, placing his hand on wheel
which instantly stirred the great beam at the
back.
''They are strange, certainly" replied
Wolfgang; very strange and useless
house which would be much more comfortable
and answer its purpose better without them. |
cannot agree with you that the builder was really
clever man, OF knew what he was about, else
he would never have erected those poles, or made
| that senseess upside down roof instead of foun-
dation or above all, have constructed that to-
tally unmeaning apparatus behind the whole
| structure"
II differ from YOU said Athelstane after some
moments more Of reflection II think it is we
who are not clever or ingenious, and who cannot
find out what the carpenter who made this build
| ing intends to do with it. | do not believe that
| singular form beneath-sO little fit for build
| ing only intended for a house-nOr those poles
and ropes and vast sheets of woven
stuf,-nor yet that mysterious great
BEAM were all added to a mere house for moth
| ing-for no purpose whatever. / think, Wolf
| gang" and Athelstane laid his hand on his
friends arm, earnestly, Il think what we are
| looking at is something more than a house. l
think it is not intended to stand always where we
| see it."
''You are dreaming Athestane" said Wolf
gang, with short laugh. where on earth
should house go, if it is not to stand always
where it is builtl Who would want to move
such a structure as this!'
| 81 do not know" said Athelstane, humbly. 81
| do not profess to understand the mystery of it;
only see that the Master Carpenter who built
| it must have been very great carpenter indeed;
and / cannot believe that he has made
all these things in vain, or for
| important purpose. If he wanted only house,
| why did he not simply build a house, standing
| fiat on the ground and with no shafts piercing
| the air and no vast guiding beam at the back!
/ Trust me, friend Wofgang, this is something
more than the common abode of which alone you
| seem able to Think
While the two simple minded men yet talked
| together the sun had risen and there was
sound of many waters and of rising waves, and
| through an opening in the rocks, which the tray
| elers had not perceived in the twilight, the great
| ocean became revealed to their eyes. Higher and
higher rose the tide till it almost reached where
the strange wooden building still lay motonless;
and the travellers retreated little up the shore,
| and stood, awestruck and breathless watching
| what might happen. Then down from the cliff
| above ran band of mariners, and leaped
| board the vessel and hauled in the anchor, and
| presently the waves lifted up the ship and she
| hoated bravely upon the waters. Very the
mariners set the sails, which had lain idly the
| deck, the pilot placed his hand on the rudder and
| guided the noble barque and she was borne by
| the winds of heaven far off beyond the utter
most ken of the two poor travellers upon the
| shore.
Then, after a time, Wolfgang turned to his
companion and said: 'Athelstane, you spoke
truth. Yon house -the-sea was made, as you
| foresaw for other than to stand upon the
| ground 1t was planned for a different element
| the free world of waters-and now we
see what was the purport of so many things
which before seemed to us useless-the keel,
the masts the Sails the marvellous and mystic
| rious rudder. How wonderful it is! How wise
and far-seeing the great carpenter who made the
shipl" AS Wolfgang spoke, Athelstane lifted
his head which had dropped in heavy thought,
and he saw the wide ocean, leaping in the morn