The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-17

had been victorious i'm many battles? OF
a hermit who had passed the best days Oh
his life in solitude? or begsar whose or
isin was a secret TO all? or an emperor
at whose frown an nations had trempeu
No no: none of these. So now am gong
to tell you his history
Once on time. in far off days, there
lived youth who was the son Of a KING
and who burned with an invinciole desire
TO perform doughty deeds of valor- No'H-
ing was too great or TOO venturesome lol
him 10 think of undertaking. lie I"Neu
the country over which his father relsned
as dearly as a bridegroom loves MS d"
made bride.
He was generous to the poor, snd kan"
and courteous TO women, regardless OIL
thair position or fortune. He was the
cbampton of the weak against ther "P-
pressors; but Notwithstanding these man
ifold occupations and all the duties en-
tailed tberefrom. he was consumed with
the wish to devote himself body ana sou'
for the benefit of suffering humanity Inv
misery and despair, and hate an" Asi'e
hood which he saw around him impres9e"
him with the belief that hie existence
would fall short of its aim were ne u'l'oi
to restore to men their forfeited haplA-
ness
His mother, the Empress, was 3ener''eu
as a saint amongst her people, Tor she
was endowed with The great gift from
Heaven of restoring toe suffering ana the
sick 20 health by merely laying her hands
on them; so that from far and near aihng
creatures bent their way to her palace IN
search of her aid. on account OF pos
sessing this power from God the Empress
was tormented and persecuted-so much
so that the Emperor, influenced by her
enemies. finally banished her from his
court, after unsuccessfully attempting to
restrain her from healing the SICK. On
this the Empress retired 10 the solitude OF
the mountains, but the people followed her
even there to her retreat; so tna', even
in exile. she was stil able to heal many
sufferers.
AT length the deep grief caused by this
nerciless persecution, rather than the ia
tigue attendant on her onorous duties,
completely exhausted her strength, ana
one sad day the empress was Iouho lylus
dead in her chamber.
But the sick still visited her coffin, which
retained the miraculous power once apper-
tanning to her VINO lay still and iieless
therein.
. The banishe6 Empress had not dared
TO ask her only son to share her exile;
but the youth had fed from home and
soon rejoined his mother, for he hung
on the words which fell from her sweet
lips. and contemplated her lovely hands
with alteration as they dispensed health
to others,
do YOU make men grow good by max
ing them grow we'll mother?" he asked.
when one is wen in body, my son, it
is easier then to be good at heart" she
would reply strodng the beautiful head
of her child.
~But 1 am strong and well. and yet
am not always good" said he, one day,
sadly.
'One does not become good all at once"
said she; "one learns that by degrees, my
child"
Thus had those sweet lips spoken 20 him
which We're now closed for ever, and the
youth flung himself down by the dead body
In the greatest despair"
Il cannot live without my mother" he
moaned. Mother, mother awake, and
come TO my help, and heal my wounded
heart"
Many persons came around the dead En-
press and her desolate young son, but none
could bring comfort to him. OF what
account 10 him were t'feir tears? What
consola ton was ii a. ID that the whole
nation followed the co --l which contained
all tQdI was nearest attl dearest 10 MS
heart? He was sensible but of dun
heavy anguish that possessed his soul and
shook his frame; that made the sun dark
that gave the earth a gloomy and sor-
rowful aspect, and that made him alone
i'm the VIDE world, from which his mother
had been SO cruelty snatched away.
He had stolen silently away from his
mothers tomb, without attracting much
attention from the mourning crowd
though they had heard him sob bitterly.
and seen him refuse to sprinkle the Gus
tomary ashes over the open grave.
The Emperor his father, sent many mes
sengers in search of him, even to the re-
hottest corners Of the kingdom; but his
son and heir had disappeared as complete
ly as if the earth had opened its mouth
and swallowed him. At this time there
lived piOus Hermit-whose existence was
known but to few persOns-hidden away
from the vulgar gaze in the Businesses of
the mighty Bucegl one of the highest of
The Carpa hans. One woman only had
known of his Whereabout had been his
friend. and had made him promise to love
and foster her son when she should be no
more, and that woman was the reVered
Empress. IN his deep grief the youth had
fled TO the Hermit's hut crying out Il
come tc you, my mother bade me: she
said you would teacn me goodness" Cast
ing himself down in the darkest corner of
the grot, the grief-stlicken boy gave vent
10 his sorrow, and wept as if he would
weep heart and eyes away. The venerable
Hermit spoke not, but passed his bony
hand over his furrowed cheek and silver
beard. and closed his eyelids TO restrain
the tears which started from his aged
eyes.
'Manoli my SON he said. thou hast
but TO follow in the steps of thS sainted
mother, and thou wilt DE equally good"
'Ah, no! her heart was nevet so wnG
and impetuous, never so turbulent as mine
ISL
art thou sure of what thou sayest ,
Who tod thee such things? Why. before
thy birth, should MOI thy mother the Em-
press have been moved 10y strong impulses
as thou art? Youth is impetuous."
Alas! alas. never dld any creature snf-
fer as j suffer-
My son, thou art now enduring thy
first great sorrow and thou imaeinesi tbat
no other has had similar grief Thou
thhAeSt only OF thyseif, whereas Thy
Nar lNniIu hi Inn or nL L..