The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-02-01

days ana nights upon the connnes. nl
can never put his foot across them
Left, they are left forever. Upon thI
road which you would travel there Il
no reward offered. Who goes. goey
i freely, for the great love that Is II
him. The work is his reward
~ CO. said the hunter. but upoi
the mountains. tell me. which patti
shall take?
~ am the child of the Accumulated
knowledge of Ages, said the man. I
can walk only where many men have
trodden. On those mountains few feet
have passed. Each man strikes out 1
path for himself. He goes at his owl
peril. My voice he hears no more. /
may follow after him. but | cannot 20
before him.
'"Then knowledge vanished.
"And the hunter turned. He went to
his cage and with his hands broke
down the bars. and the jagged iron tore
| his flesh. 1t Is sometimes easier TO
build than to break.
Zone by one he took his plumed birds
and let them fly. But when he came to
his dark plumed bird he held it and
looked into its beautiful eyes, and the
bird uttered it's low. deep cry-Immor-
tally! $685..
"And he said quickly: ! cannot part
with it. 1t Is not heavy. 1t eats no
food. I will hide it in my breast. r !
will take it with me- And he buried
it there and covered it over with his
cloak.
"But the thing he had hidden grew
heavier. heavier, heavier. till 1t lay on
his breast like lead. He could not
move it. He could not leave those val
leys with it. Then again he took it out
and looked at it. H.
"'Oh. my beautiful, my hearts own"
he cried. May not keep your
"He opened his hands sadly.
"'Go,' he said. 1T may happen that
in Truths song one note is like to
yours, but l shall never hear it,
"Sadly he opened his hand. and the
bird flew from him forever.
"Then from the shuttle of Imagina-
ton he took the thread of his Wishes
and threw it on the ground. and the
empty shuttle he put into his breast,
| for the thread was made in those val
| legs, but the shuttle came from al un-
| known country. He turned to go, but
| now the people came about him. howl
ing.
"'Fool, hound, demented lunatic!
they cried. How dared you break
your cage and let the birds flyY
"The hunter spoke. but they would
not hear him.
"Truth! Who is she? Can you eat
her? Can you drink her? Who has
ever seen her? Your birds were real.
All could hear them sing. Oh. FOOL
Vile reptile! Atheistv they cried. You
pollute the air.
"'Come; let us take up stones and
stone him" cried some.
"'What affair is it of. ours? said
others. Let the idiot co. and went
away. But the rest gathered up stones
and mud and threw at him. At last,
when he was bruised and cut, the
hunter crept away into the woods, and
it was evening about him."
At every word the stranger spoke the
fellows eyes flashed back on him
yes, and yes, and yes! The stranger
smiled. 1t was almost worth the trou
BILE Of exerting oneself, even on q lazy
afternoon, to win those passionate
flashes, more thirsty and desiring than
the love glances of a woman.
nd tha
stranger, land the shade grew deeper.
He was on the borders now Of the land
where it is always night. Then he
stepped into it, and there was no light
there. With his hands he groped. but
each branch as he touched It broke
off, and the earth was covered with
cinders. At every step his foot sank
in, and fine cloud Of impalpable ash
es flew up into his face. and it was
dark. So he sat down upon stone
and buried his face in his hands to wait
in that Land of Negation and Denial
till the light came.
"And it was night in his heart also.
"Then from the marshes to his right
and left cold mists arose and closed
ABOUT ulu. a uue, llupeFCepuDIe TdlA
fell in the dark, and great drops gath
cred on his hair and clothes. His heart
beat slowly, and numbness crept
through all his limbs. Then. looking
up, two merry whisp lights came dane
ing. He lifted his head to look at
them Nearer, nearer they came, so
warm, so bright, they danced like stars
Of fire. They stood before him at last
From the center of the radiating fame
in one looked out a woman's face,
laughing, dimpled, with streaming yell
low hair. In the center Of the other
were merry, laughing ripples, like the
bubbles on glass Of wine. They
danced before him.
"'Who are you,' asked the hunter.
who alone come to me in my solitude
and darknessY
"'We are the twins Sensuality! they
cried. Our fathers name is Human
Nature, and our mothers name is Elk
cess. We are as old as the hills and
rivers, as old as the first man, but we
never die they laughed.
"'Oh, let me wrap my arms about
your cried the first. They are soft
and warm. Your heart is frozen now,