Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-08

V/21 XIXZJZ//XXY MS COucIo uOI MuitCii-
m MzMz#ME ed the hair upon his
X3NW W majestic head. Strong,
MSZ calm and digniied, he
~ welded a paternal
scepter above his sub
jects, and when he went among them they
bowed before him in affection. 1t had come
about, as the years went by. that his people
consulted him upon all kinds of curious
problems, and if mother doubted the vigor
of her babe she sought audience OF the
King. Merchants and lawyers, doctors and
soothsayers took much stock in his royal
judgment. and when his eye beamed hope
fully there was joy throughout the land.
Thus it happened that the Emperor was
nearer to his people than are his kind in
modern days, and he felt the pulse OF his
race and knew the health, SO to speas, OF
his kingdom at large. Watching closely,
therefore, the temper of those about him, the
aged sovereign, as time went on, became
convinced that the besetting sin Of those
who called him king was selfconceit, This
worried him, and in the dark watches Of the
night he would toss about upon his royal
couch crying: "Egotists, o egotistsl"
AS the conviction grew upon him the peace
of his earlier DAYS fast fled from him. A
simple man himself, he held immodesty alb
horrent, and prayed to the strange gods
whose presence filled his mind to keep his
people humble in his sight. 1t may be that
this itself was proof that he was not as mod
est as an earnest king should be, but still
the fact remains that they who make obeis-
ance to monarch should hold their pride
in check.
There was one strong reason why the
Emperor should be so firm in this regard,
for he possessed no heir, and in the course
of nature his throne would descend to bis
daughter and her spouse. Thus was it that
he wished to leave modest kingdom and
one easy to be ruled.
One morning, as the Emperor paced his
audience hall, these thoughts were thick
upon. Why should men hold their heads
so high and women plume themselves upon
their beauty? Was not death the end of all?
The rainbow faded and the flowers had died.
The bloom upon the forest must depart, and
the golden glory that made the sea so fair
must pass away with night. He himself
had once been lustY, and soft, white hands
had smoothed his face and called him beauti-
full, but now old age had creased his face
and crowned his head with snow. Why
should men walk SO jauntily, and women
talk as though they held the secret of i'm |
mortal youth? Surely Of all the sins that |
tempt the human race none is so foolish as
that OF selEconceit. Thus thought the EN- |
peror as he looked about upon his court and |
wondered why his advisers were so richly |
dressed.
AS the morning passed the good old po- |
tentate grew grave. Case after case came
before his notice, and in every instance the |
conceit of man had made essential protest to
the throne. Never before had the passion
OF selfconceit seemed to him so hateful, and
as the day went on his royal brow grew \
black. His courtiers, grouped around,
looked up at him in dread. for they knew
his heart was kind, and feared to see his
gentle face so strangely overcast.
''What thinks the King that he should
speak SO sharp?" they whispered to each
other in tones of dread, and when he turned
his rowing eyes upon them they shuddered
through and through and pulled each
others robes and coughed. At length there |
came before the King man whose dress be-
tokened wealth. Raising his voice he spoke
in tones that thrilled the throng, and
boasted of his wealth. Then asked he of the
Emperor revenge upon a man who, as he |