The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-12

DgC ne could not find her. He shot no
more wild fowl. What were they to
him?
What ails him? said his comrades.
He is mad,' said one
No; but he is worse said another.
He would see that which none of us
nave seen and make himself wonder
Come, let us forswear his compa
n.y. said all.
80 the hunter walked alone
One night. as he wandered in the
shade, very heartsore and weeping, an
ola man stood before him, grander and
taller than the sons of men.
WHO are you? asked the hunter.
I am WISDOM answered the old
man, but some men called me Knowl-
cage All my life l have grown in
these valleys, but no man sees me till
ne mas screwed much. The eyes must
be washed with tears that are to be-
hold me, and. according as a man has
suffered, speak
"And the hunter cried:
oh, you who have lived here so
long, tell me, what is that great wild
blrd have seen sailing in the blue?
They would have me believe she is a
dream. the shadow of my own head
The old man smiled.
Her name is Truth. He who has
once seen her never rests again. Till
death he desires her,
"And the hunter cried:
oh, tell me where 1 may find herr
"But the man said:
You have not suffered enough and
went
Then the hunter took from his
breast the shuttle of Imagination and
wound on it the thread Of his Wishes.
and all night he sat and wove net.
in the morning he spread the golden
net open on the ground, and into it he
threw few grains of credulity, which
his father had left him and which he
kept in his breast pocket. They were
like white puffballs, and when you trod
on them brown dust flew out. Then
he sat by to see what would happen
The first that came into the net was q
snow white bird. with doves eyes. and
he sang a beautiful song. "A human
God, human God, human Godr it
sang The second that came was black
and mystical. with dark, lovely eyes.
that looked into the depths of your
soul, and he sang only this-'Immor-
tality!'
And the hunter took them both in
his arms, for he said:
"''rhey are surely of the beautiful
family ofeTruth.'
''Then came another. green and goltl.
who sag in Il shl.iil voice. like one cry
ing in tie market place. Reward after
death. reward af.er DEATH!
".And he said:
You are not so fair, but you are
fair. too and he took it.
And others came, brightly colored,
singing pleasant songs till all the
. grains were finished, and the hunter
gathered all his birds together and
built a strong iron cage, called new
creed, and put all his birds in it.
"Then the people came about. dane
ing and singing.
".Oh, happy hunterY they cried. oh,
wonderful man! oh, delightful birds!
Oh, lovely songs!'
No one asked where the birds had
come from nor how they had been
caught. but they danced and sang be-
fore them. And the hunter. too, was
glad, for he said:
Surely Truth is among them. In
. time she will mott her feathers. and !
shall see her snow white form
"But the time passed, and the people
sang and danced but the hunters
heart grew heavy. He crept alone. rs
4 of old, to weep. The terrible desire
had awakened again in his breast. One
day. as he sat alone weeping. it chanc-
ed that Wisdom met him. He told the
old man what he had done.
"And Wisdom smiled sadly.
"'aEaay men. he said. have spread
that net for Truth. but they have never
found her On the grains OF credulity
she will rot feed: in the net of wishes
her feet cannot be helA; 4. the air of
these valleys she will not breathe The
birds you have caught are of the brood
of Lies-lovely and beautiful, but still
lies Truth knows them not
"And the hunter cried out in bitter
ness:
"'And must l, then. sit still, to be
devoured Of this great burningY
"And the old man said:
Listen, and in that you have suf-
fered much and wept much will tell
you what know. He who sets out to
search for Truth must leave these val
leys of superstition forever, taking
with him not one shred that has be-
longed to them. Alone he must wan
der down into the Land of Absolute
Negation and Denial. He must abide
there. He must resist temptation
When the light breaks, he must arise
and follow it into the country Of dry
sunshine The mountains of sterr
reality will rise before him. He must
climb them. Beyond them lies Truth
"sAnd he will hold her fast! He vii
hold her in his handsH the hunter cried
tWisdom shook his head.
"'He will never see her, never holt
her. The time is not yet
"sThen there is no hope? cried thu