The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-02

pOS1t1Fe InaC mere nJuSGlce nau Deen
done, and though defendant claimed a
handsome wife and most stupendous
child, the legal minds of all who heard
his plea scoffed at such defense.
Surprise was therefore great when still
another counselor was beckoned by the
king. Surely this was t1ifing with all
precedent. The courtiers smiled, then
coughed, then shifted nervously. Each
one felt that his most honored lord
was growing very old. At length the
silence as of death fell upon the whisper
ing throng. The emperor, dismissing the
gray haired men who had come to his
assistance, again fell to musing, and all
awaited his most fateful words. After a
time he slowly rose.
s'Men of my realm" he said, "and you
who bring your case to this, the court of
last resort, listen to your king. I have
heard the facts in this most foolish suit
and have been annoyed. There is not,
as it seems to me, a truly modest man
left in my domain. The egotist is all SUI
preme. You boast of your wealth, your
wife, your babe. My courtiers stand
about feeling proud that they possess
neither wealth nor wife nor babe. Our
young men boast of their strength, and
our old men claim to be wise. Homely
women think they are fair, and fair
women try to seem bright. Even
the children who play at our knees smile
in an egotistic way. Conceit in all its
forms is rampant in the land love so
well. l have held counsel with the truly
wise men of my domain. They tell me
to be firm. 1 shall be, assure you. The
egotist must go. There is in my vast
empire no room for him who feels in his
pulled up heart that he is greater than
the worm which wriggles beneath our
feet. Listen then, all of you, and let
the lord keeper of the scrolls note care
fully my words. If hereafter any one of
my subjects shall express by word or
deed or manner overweening satisfac-
ton in his achievements, his possessions
or his appearance he shall lose his head.
Any case which comes under this new
law shall be tried by me and my adj
visers. You may go. The suit which
led to this command is of too trivial a
character to call for my decree. And
take heed, all of you, how you give
voice to the egotistic thoughts that are
boiling in your brains"
One by one the courtiers filed from
the hall, casting dark looks upon the last
counselor, the thin and evil looking
Ramek, the king had summoned to his
throne. But Ramek, the wise, needed
not their looks as he plucked a flower il
the garden and placed it in his BOSOM
For well he knew that he controlled the
ear of the king, and when he wished to
raise a storm the royal clouds would an
swer to his word. And in this case he
had his ends to serve, for he loved the
| daughter of the king and feared that his
rival, Prince Hamassar, had already wor
the hand of the Princess Bru.
Then throughout the city spread the
news of the emperor's decree. Over
mountains. plains and rivers Travelled
| the words Of the new law, ard in dis
tant villages the people groaned in feal
that their king was growing old and
harsh. The faces of the women wore
sarcastic smiles, and playfully would
they enjoin their husbands to keep theil
heads. But the men murmured, and il
/ some place, the ever ready plotter saw /;
chance to raise revolt; for even in thu
most peaceful kingdom there is Away
present the man who loves to stir up tn,
,1an,11a +bai, 1o-J
So the days went by and all men were
humble. No longer did the boaster fire,
his tongue, nor the dandy tell of his tn
umphs in love. The lawyers and tn
doctors, the soothsayers and the mer
chants went about in silence, and whel
they referred to themselves spoke in T.,
deprecating way refreshing to hear.
Once more the face of the emperor
took on It's accustomed smile. He wa
pleased with his people, for they seemed
to him sufficiently humble to satisfy hi
most exacting mood. The boaster N,
longer appealed to the throne, and tn
Courtiers wore subservient air which
appealed to the heart OF the autocrat.
Seeing the monarch in this plant stat
Prince Halnassar, a handsome ant
wealthy youth whose diffidence hat
often been noticed by the king, felt en-
couraged to plead for the hand of tn
Princess Bru. IT was no easy tasl
which he thus essayed. The man VIII
won the hand of the emperor's Chill,
would be king one day and this fac
had been a potent motive in the unsuc
eessfui suit of Ramell, the wise.
Thus it was that there was great ex
citement in the land when the emperor
yielding to the blushing intercession O
his child, graciously ACKNOWLEDGED tn
worthiness of Prince Hamassar an,
placed in his the hand of Princess Bru
The courtiers smiled and shouted in &C
claim, bat Ramek, frowning, stole from
the hall IN silence, and when he reached
the street breathed vow of vengeanc
to the gods. What if he were old an,
thin! Was he not wiser Who was thi
Hamassar that he should win a king
dom and q bride while better men mus
bow before him and wander alone be
meath the stars? But hold, the end wa
not yet. Was there not way to over
come this bold presumption on the par
OF prince formerly so modest? Surel,
Ramek, who had placed an emperor be
meath his thumb, should not be defeate,
because for moment the force of yout
haS proved too much for his gray hairs
Communing thus with himself tn
Cassius like figure of the defeated suite
approached the palace. The day wa
hot. and as he removed his hat and lie
! tins flower scented breeze play with hi
!, silvered locks his face became sterl
,, with vengeful and determined pur