Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-07-09
The Dark River.
4 Bea utiful AIlcgory.

came, during his play, to the banl
of river. The waters of the rive
were very dalk and wild, and there
was so black q cloud over the rivel
that the little boy could not see the
further shore. An icy wind came
from the cloud and chilled the little
boy, and he troaabled Will oola anO
fear as the wind smote his cheeks
and ran his slender, icicle fingers
through his yellow curls. An old
man sat on the bank of the river.
He was very, very old; his head and
shoulders were covered with a black
mantle, and his head was as white as
snow.
"Will you come with me, little
boy ?" asked the old man.
Where" inquired the little
boy.
"To yonder shore,'' replied the
old man.
ooh, no; not to that dark shore,
said the little boy. "I would be
afraid to CO."
But think of the sunlight always
there" said the old man, "t the birds
and flowers, and remember there is
no pain nor anything of that kind
to vex YOU"
The little boy looked aud saw the
dark cloud hanging over the waters,
and he felt the cold wind come up
from the river; moreover, the sight
of the strange man terrified him.
So, hearing his mother calling him,
the little boy ran back to his home,
leaving the old man by the river
side.
Many years after that timo the
little boy came again to the river,
but he was not little boy now-he
was big strong man.
"The river is the same," said he;
"the wind is tho same cold, cutting,
wind of ice, and the same black
cloud obscures yonder shore. I
wonder where the strange old man
can be ?"
Il am hc," said 4 solemn voice.
The man turned and looked on
him who spoke, and he saw a war
rior clad in black armor and WELD
ing an iron sword.
"No, you arc not he" cried the
man. "You are warrior come to
do me harm"
d" l am, indeed, q WARRIOR" said
the other. "Come with mo across
the river"
"No,' replied tho man, "I will
not so with you. Hark, l hear the
voices of my wife and children call
ing mel return to themr
The warrior strove to hold him
fast and bear him across the river to
the yonder shore, but the man pre-
vailed against him and returned to
his wife and little ones and the war.
rior was left upon the river bank.
Then many years went by and the
strong man became old and feeble.
He found no pleasure in the world,
for he was weary OF living. His
wife and children were dead, and
the old man was alone. So one day
he came to the bank of the river fol-
the third time and he saw that
the waters had become quiet and
that the wind which came up from
the river was warm and gentle and
smelled of flowers; there was nc
dark cloud overhanging the yonder
shore, but in its place was golden
mist through which the old man
could see people walking on the
distant shore and stretching out
their hands to him, and be could
hear them calling him by name.
Then he knew they were the voices
of the dear ones.
81 am weary and lonesome" cried
the old man. "All have gone be.
fore me-father, mother, wife, chill.
dren-all whom I have loved. see
them and hear them on yonde,
shore, but who will bear me tc
them?"
Then spirit came to answer tc
this cry. But the spirit was not q
strange old man, nor yet an armored
warrior; but as he came to the rivers
bank that day he was gentle angel
clad in white; his face was very
beautiful and there was divine ten.
derness in his eyes.
"Rest thy head upon thy bosom,
said the angel, "and 1 will bear
thee across the river to those who
call thee"
So, with the sweet peace of little
child sinking to his slumbers, the
old man dropped in tie arms of the
angel and was.borne across the rive,
to those who stood upon the yondel
shore and called.
0NE of the larrnst lnnnlr;oc II,