The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-11
CHAPTER vi.
THE TRAvELzR AND THE TEMPLE OF KNowL-

THE TRAVELLER AND THE TEMPLE OF KNOwL-
EDGE
Countless ages ago Traveller, much
worn with journeying climbed the last
bit of rough road which led 10 the summit
Of high mountain. There was a temple
on that mountain, and the Traveller had
vowed that he would reach it before death
prevented him. He knew the journey
was long and the road rough. He knew
that the mountain was the most difficult
of ascent of that mountain chain called
The Ideals. But he had a strongly hoping
heart and sure foot. He lost all sense of
time, but he never lost the feeling OF hope
Even il / faint b. the waysade, he
said TO himself, land am not able 20 reach
the summit, still it is somethingto be on
the road which leads to the High Ideals"
That was how he comforted himself
when he WAS weary. Ho never lost more
hope than that, and surely that was little
enough
And now he had reached the temple.
He rang the bell, and an old white haired
man opened the gate. lie smiled sadly
when he saw the Traveller.
''And yet another one, he murmured
"What does IL all mean"
The Traveller did not hear what he muir
INJURED.
''Old white haired man, he said, "tell
me, and SO l have come at last TO the won
derful Temple of knowledge. have been
journeying hither all my life All, but it
is hard work climbing up to The Ideals. -
The old man touched the Traveller on
the arm. Listen" he said gently. This
is not the Temple Of knowledge. And The
Ideals are not chain OF mountains. They
e .l..sw 4 fl..H ...f
knowledge is in their center. You have
come the wrong road Alas, poor Travel
erv'
The light in the Travellers eyes had fad
ed The hope in his heart died. And he
became old and withered He leaned heav-
ily on his staff.
"Can one rest herei" he asked wearily.
"No."
"Is there way down the other side Of
these mountains"
No"
"What are these mountains called?'
They have no name"
"And the temple-how do you call the
temples"
1T has no name"
'Then i call it the Temple of Broken
Hearts, said the Traveller.
And he turned and went. But the old
white haired man followed him.
Brother" he said, lyon are not the
first to come here, but you may be the last.
Go back TO the plains and tell the dwellers
in the plains that the Temple of True
knowledge is in their very midst. Any
one may enter il who chooses. The gates
are not even closed. The temple has al
ways been in the plains in the very heart
or life ana work urTrt tfeiiy effeFt. -I-4lsa
philosopher may enter; the stonebreaker
may enter. You must have passed it ev-
cry day of your life--a plain, venerable
building, unlike our glorious ca6hedrals F"
Il have seen the children playing near
It" said the Traveller. when / was a
child, used TO play there All, If l had
only known. Well, the past is the past. "
He would have rested against huge
stone, but that the old white haired man
prevented him.
s'Do not rest" he said. IF you once
rest there, you will not rise again When
you once rest, you will know how weary
you are.'
Il have no wish to go farther, " said the
Traveller. MY Journey is done. 1t may
have been in the wrong direction, but still
1t is doue"
NAY, do not linger here, urged the old
man. hetrace your steps. Ihough you
are broken hearted yourself you may save
others from breaking their hearts Those
whom you meet on this road you can turn
back. Those who are but starting IN this
direction you can bid pause and consider
how mad it is to suppose that the Temple
OF True Knowledge sh0ufd frTrvc t'-t,ti ihttt
on an isolated and dangerous mountain.
Tell them that although God seems herd
he is not as hard as all that Tell them
that Tho Ideals are not "A mountain Eaago,
but their own plains, where their great
cities are built, and where the corn grows,
and whore men and women are toiling
sometimes in sorrow and sometimes in
joy"
Il will go" said the Traveller.
And nc started
But he had grown old and weary. And
the journey was long, and the rctracing
of ones steps is more tiresomc than the
tracing of them. The ascent, with all the
vigor and hope of life 20 help him, had
been difscult enough. The descent, with
no vigor and no hope to help him, was al
most impossible
So that IL was not probable that the
Traveller lived TO reach the plains. But
whether he reached them or not, still he
had started.
And not many travellers do that.
"
rrr r,u,rsIy VII