The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-16
PH1LOSOPHY-< F-AR BILE
nv THE EARL OF LYTToN.

PHILOSOPHY FAeLE-
By THE EARL OF LYTToN'
Deep in the chill heart of piney gehn the barren ,,.re
hat streak d with hollow sioo" 'ne o"'ion s'are
Os e., zeu hills a solitary Inn
arpsd az the haunt of greedy gudes who there
Watch-d for the coming of adventurous men.
1hro' cIoud and cold, past reach of human ken,
Albeit TO walk alone they did not dare
In that lone land Full many such there be:
Experience guides them, but exacts her fee.
And 10 that solitary inn one day
A. uightfall thro the darkening hills did wend
Three travellers, by the single narrow way
That edged the valley to the valleys end.
These, when they saw above them, in gray
lbysm of mist, the pathess peaks extend,
Beyond whose SHOWS their onwar journey lay
Wrapt in obscurity, resolved to spend
Their IA was of the road and of the weather.
About the road the guides exhibiting
Their patents by the Burgomeister sgn'd)
Replied o many an anxious questioning
With knowledge and authority combined;
Tpon that pCint ermitting no such thing
As doubt or choice. And best it is. you'll find,
The guide by fate assigned yon Church CT king,
Or c-ee or SCHOOL, with defference due to mind,
If tEro' the world you would not miss your way,
Where a | who 60 ungulded go astray.
But as regards the weather, it was not
Ry means of patents which the state provides
Easy to certify il twould he hot
or cold upon the morrow. And, besides,
Afraid of rsklng an unlucky shot,
Authority was reticent. The guides,
Pressd upon this point, would voach safe no jot
Or revelation. Coy as maiden brides
To craving lovers, so adroit were they,
Each understood them in a different way.
Tba ar-stn IF hos fhroo
Wade preparat on to withstand the cold:
The second feard the suns excess: and he
His fur coat to his felow-pilgrim sold
The third, mistrustipg the utility
Of the whole enterprise, and being less bold,
Or more Indifferent as the case may be,
Went onwa,d d by way which he was told,
though thrice as long, could be more safely
wended;
Stunning the mountain his two friends ascended.
And go they parted one along the plain,
Alone; the other two, with staff and guide,
Up the steep hills Anon, they met again.
In the neat hostel on tue other side,
The two who who Ger the mountain tops had ta'en
Their arduous course, arrived their first; but,
Severely by the adventure, each fain
There, with exhausted forces. to abide
SO long while, that he who went alone
Got there at last before the two were gone
These two had cross'd the noun tain SO they said,
Each by road as different as could be:
b eanse heir guides, tho both were patented
On the same road. Thus each 8 own guide led
BY his own way: yet in The same degree
The two ways were SO difficult to tread,
kven with lncessaGt toll of hand and knee,
That each wayfarer. when the goal he won,
Vas just as weary as the other one
Pcotless that goal both reachd with bleeding feet,
he man who was we'll covered from he cold
Had snfferd all his journey fl ON the heat;
Ha NC h ST Sta tr.ryk hol.
Was nearly frozen by the icy sleet:
Yet each, despite the woful tale h told,
Ayerred that naught IN nature could compete
With the mysterious spendors round him rod
In solemn rapture by the mighty hills
Which, seen and felt, repaid thousand Ills.
And all this had they seen and felt; had seen
he sudden sunrise burst from underneath
Had felt the fine joy, sh lred the radiant wreath
OF the blithe sprite that dane es in the sheen
Of the sonorous torrent; felt the breath
OF life grow god!ike, breath'd in hsste between
The cold wide open arms of watchful death,
Upon the slippery peaks. And, after that,
To them the plain seemed pitably flat.
The less adventurous traveller, while his two
Rsgain'j companions told their story out,
Glanced smiling at his garments good as new
And boots still comfortably soled and stout;
Then. with sigh of satisfaction, drew
The hagon to him, turn d his chair about,
Lighted his pipe, three puffs deliberate bl ew,
And. like man who h ith dism; ss'd all Doubt
he crossed his legs. and cleard his throat and said
"And we, methnks, must be content, we three,
Each with the road he chose, who here to-day
Nee all together just as well, you see,
rs If we ell had travel'd the same way.
Ion two have traversed heights unknown to me;
But, missing these, missd the pains you say
heir pleasures cost; have kept my shin bones free
From aches and bruises; have no bills to pay
For doctors stuffs: have saved my baggage, too;
And though admiring, do not envy you.
"a finer rapture felt through every vein,
Awlder prospect, and purer air,
o1 heights where yet you could not long remain,
Were yours; and now you mourn because you
Whilst here on level ground, can feel again
What |. who have not ever mounted there,
Neer felt at ALL Eut DER the common plain.
"A eping the common path, twas mine to share
Inc Joys of common life, by contrast spoil'd
For those who through untrodden realms have
toll'd.
And long will you dispute nor e'er agree,
winch way was best of those two ways you went,
Even as your guides of whom each boasts that he
IT. fonnd . out the only right one. ], content
10 take the beaten track, at least am free
From all such doubts: and, having kept the pent
VI customs course my way was made for me;
~ No guide needed, since the trodden dent
vi other footsteps served guides to mine
ANA show'd me where to sleep and where to dine
so compensation is assigned to each,
there's something better, born of something
worse,
In every choice; and different men may reach
In this accommodating universe)
by dlfferent ways the self same end To breach
All 6a rrlers, built by circumstance perverse,
Is oold and braye but bones of heroes bleach
IN warning heaps the stormy winds disperse
IN mountain tops, which men who cannot climb
May turn by ways more safe, if less sublime"
run hard of access is Philosophy;
mountain region, misty, cold, and gray.
ihnumerable guides across it try
~, lead men, each one by different way,
in0ugh boasting each the same authority:
=, Inc highest climbers must at last some day
Rnl sner high climbing, climb they ne'er so high
uDeScend into the common plain; where they
VII hapy find some less ambitious soul
~ loWller ways hath won the wisht-for goal.
For he, perchance, makes way in life at last
who doth to turn life's obstacles con trive
Honunnlng what he cannot eurmount) as fast
AS they who stoutly to o'ercome them strive.
'is pleasant roaming over submits vast,
uout, after all, philosophers must live
mere on the plain wdere mans low life is passd.
whatain whna IN the sundown all at length arrive,
pnhateer the road that meanwhile pleased us best
booted, or bootle; g, at The Travellers Rest.
Youths Companion.
THAT STOUT PARTY.