The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-10-27

THE prince raised his head as she
'ormanded, and. behold, the narrow
walls of the cramped and dark court
yard wherein he worked had disap-
oeared. and he was sitting in an ex-
luisite garden, flooded with golden
sunlight and fragrant with world of
wondrous flowers. AS he stared in
iumb fascination at the beauty about
him. the princess dropped down beside
him and pointed to the confused heap
of blocks and puzzles at his feet.
"'What are those?' she asked.
Nothing but a lot of ugly, stupid
.hincs.' he muttered, absent-mindedly
md without taking his eyes off the
garden.
"Why. think they're splendid"
she interrupted so enthusiastically that
me prince turned, and, 10, his clumsy
blocks had been transformed at her
words to things of dignity and beauty.
Gut when the amazed prince looked
ID again. the garden had vanished, the
orison-like courtyard had returned,
and, worst of all. the princess had ut
terly disappeared.
Kennard paused for moment.
"Shall | go on?" he asked.
His audience merely nodded her an
swer, nesting closer to the fire with
little SILVER of comfortable excitement.
"For while the prince sat rubbing
his eyes and wondering if it were all
iream. and then Suddenly his glance
fell upon his neglected blocks.
They're splendid! was what she
aad said. AS he repeated the words,
all his old delight returned and he be-
gan to work again with new energy
and understanding. But by and by
things commenced to go worse than
they had ever done before. Everything
he touched seemed doomed to failure.
His blocks slipped and cracked and
split under his hands, no two would
at together, and his most carefully
planned castles fell and hurt him sore
ly in falling. Then he swore in his
anger she had bewitched them and
brought about all his troubles. Fol-
many hours he ragged, silently upbraid-
ing and revilng her with much bitter
ness of spirit, cursing the day she had
come into his life ard plotting for ade.
quate revenge. But even as he stormed
the sound of her voice sang in his
ears, and he grew calmer Then grad
ually the injustice and disloyalty OF
his suspicious were revealed to him in
their ugliest light, and he hated him
self horribly for his folly and little
ness of soul, and longed to make repa-
ration. But though he often thought
OF confessing and praying for pardon
he feared, if the princess knew what
pitiful fellow he was, she might with
draw forever from his sight. And that
he dared not risk.
so time went on, and the prince saw
much of the princess. who showed him
many wonderful things and many mar
vellous realms undreamed of in his
narrow little Kingdom of Desires,
broadening his view and giving new
inspiration and meaning to his daily
tasks. But disappointment attended
his every effort, and bitter, disheart-
ching failure stared him in the face.
1t was the princess who kept him from
abandoning his work in despair, and
her splendid unselflsh aid alone saved
him from utter disaster
This the prince knew, and yet he
could speak no word of what was in
his heart, for all his disloyal thoughts
and unjust suspicious turned into
giants which thrust themselves be-
tween him and the princess, and would
not suffer him to reach her ear. But
by the time the prince had attacked
and slain these ugly monsters and was
to lay their severed heads be-
meath the princess feet, 10, she her.
self had utterly disappeared.
Then the prince realized. as never |
before, that neither work nor play nor |
anything else in life had interest or |
meaning for him if the princess were |
not near, and he started out to find her,
many day and many
hight over rough roads and through |
gloomy forests until at last he came |
n sight of her dear face But though |
re could see her. she was still great |
distance from him, and Instructions of |
very kind sprarg mp and barred his |
oath. No sooner did he overcome one |
barrier than another faced him. and |
angles grew faster than he could cut |
hem down. He tried to call to her, |
,ut the word-sDrites laughed his mes
ages away and the echo-elves made |
answers. Still he struggled |
o get nearer but all his efforts were |
n vain. and the more desperately he |
ought the further away the princess
eemed to be. So at last, in sheer de-
pair. he threw himself down on the
,round and called mon the fairies to |
lelp him. But the fairies, when they |
anne, merely answered by forming a
ing about him and singing as they
Ianced-
You must believe in us first,
Believe in us first,
'lieve in us,
'ievo IN nc first''
AT which the prince leaped to his