Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-10-08
Three Great secrets.

In those olden days when people be.
leved that the sun moved, and that the
earth stood still and was like a great
pancake, so that you would fall or the
edge II you sailed far enough to the
West, they believed many other strange
aud curious things which you do not
read so much about in your school
books.
There were three great secrets tue
people of those times tried to find out
the secret Of eternal youth, the secret Of
turning everything to gold. and the Sc
cret Of universal solvent; and many
lives were devoted to trying to discover
these secrets and many fortunes spent
upon them as well-three great secrets
which have never yet been discovered,
and never will be, for they are known
only to God, who knows all things.
The men who devoted themselves to
these things were called alchemists, and
for years and years they toiled In their
laboratories, concocting strange mix
lures, and forming combinations, al
ways thinking themselves on the verge
Of discovery and until they became so
fascinated by their work that they were
scarcely able to leave It either for sleep,
fooG or exercise.
The first of these secrets was that Of
eternal youth, or the elixir OF life.
They believed that II yon could once
get drink of this elixir or water OF
life, you would never grow old, never
die. The alchemists were wise men for
their day, well versed In the mysteries
Of science, and II seems strange that
they could have believed In such a mad
theory as that. We all know We must
grow old and die, unless indeed. We die
| In youth, but these men were so sure of
finding the secret Of eternal youth they
grew old and gray in the search.
You remember when the Spanisrds
came to America they felt sure Of hEd-
ing the fountain of eternal youth. The
country was so full Of wonderful, curl
Gus, terrible things--so ovcrhowing
with springs OF all kinds, hot, cold,
sweet aud bitter, that they were sure
the fountain OF youth must be bubbling
up somew here among Its green hills.
They spent long weary years in search
of it, bardships aud fatIgue--but to fall
In the end. They never found the foun-
tain though the Indians told them that
such a spring flows In the sunny land
Of Florida.
The second secret the alchemists tried
TO discover was something that would
turn everything IL touched to gold.
They called IL the philosophers stone.
They believed that whoever possessed
this stone had fabulous wealth In his
hand, for he had but to touch piece OF
worthless wood, stone, iron or anything
else with It, and behold IL became pure,
shining gold!
How the alchemists toiled and labored
! to find this stone. How they mixed
strange ingredients la their cruciblcs,
but to fall at last! The philosophers
srone has never been discovered aud
never will be. Gold is gold and no
earthly power or magic can transform
piece of dull iron into pure, precious
metal.
The alchemists grew old aud gray and
poor, spending everytbing-youth, hap
piness and wealth, In this vain search,
when II they had been contented with
the good things that fell TO their lot,
they might have passed youthful aud
happy lives.
The third Of these great secrets was
that of a universal solven.--that 10 sol
vent that would dissolve everything.
We DO not read so much about that, for
not much wealth was squandered In the
vain search for IL.
The secret OF eternal youth wss most
sought for, for everyone wished 10 rc-
main young and strong and TO retain
the charms and beauties that belong
only to youth. But the three great %.
crets have never been discovered and
people have quite given up the search
for them aud hear strange stories OF tho
! alchemist IN his den, surrounded by
strange vessels and curious objects OF
which we scarcely know the names'
wasting his manhood and wealth In the
vain search for the three great secrets.
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The Human Family.