Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-07-24

Future


PEASANT, out from tne day OF his birth
had manifested wonderful precocity.
He walked with a sturdy step before
he was year old and was possessed
of mans vocabulary before be was
two. His bent was in two directions,
study and activity. He WAS sent to
school, where he soon surpassed his
masters. while in athletic sports and
feats of daring no one could cope
with him.
When Cblacas was seventeen years
old a neighboring king Invaded the
Gominions OF his sovereign, and the
boy enlisted in the army. At the first
battle he rallied his legion Tor r.gi-
ment, as we call it now. it having
been driven back and its commander
killed. This made him prominent. He
rose rapidly in the military service
and eventually as general OF the array
drove back the invader. he was ac-
corded triumph. receiving the thanks
OF his sovereign and his countryElen
Unrest seemed to Drive hiri on
ward. and he begged permission to
march against one of the neigiboring
states with view to its conquest.
He was given reluctant consent and,
days had annexed the territory to his
own country. From this starting point
he proceeded with other conauests TIL
be had subjugated every land OF tue
continent on which he lived. and To-
gether they formed an empire.
When there We're no more conauests
for Chlacas he was made prime min
lister and as lawgiver proved himself
as great as soldier. His king died
childless. and. the legal heir 10 the
throne being weakling. the people
demanded that Chlacas assume the
crown. He deferred to the unanimous
call. and the government was made
perpetual in him and his family.
Up to that time Chlacas was the
greatest man that had ever lived He
was initiated later by Caesar, who was
both general and lawgiver. and In the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
A d. by Napoleon Bcnaparte. But
unlike either Of these men. be WAS not
ambitious for himself. He loved his
people, and his only wish was to make
them great and prosperous. This he
achieved. From petty kingdom with
no markets for their products except
within their own borders he made them
an empire. with the neighboring ma
tons tributary to them. and forced pur-
chasers Of what they produced All
he desired from them was their graft
tude, which they lavished upon him to
his hearts content
When Chlacas had mounted to the
pinnacle of fame and could climb no
higher, soothsayer came to hts domin-
ions and foretold many wonderful
things. King ChIacas was seized with
a desire to know what would be his
end. He sent for the soothsayer and
asked him to give hira picture Of
himself In his last days
20 king" said the prophet. you ask
what is not for your good. the good OF
your people or of the world. Heaven
has wisely concealed our future. tie
hour of death. Were these revealed
the affairs Of the people of the earth
could not go on. Do not ask me to
reveal what is in store for YOU
Il" replied the king. IAN superior
to the detriment such revelation would
occasion in another. Show me myself
as will appear at my final day"
Then the soothsayer touched the king.
who straightway fell into deep slum-
Der. And he dreamed dream. In
desolate place he saw hut. and in
the hut on a rude cot. covered with
ragged bedclothing. lay an old man
dying. There was no one to minister
to him. no one to hear the groan he
gave when his spirit left his body.
The soothsayer touched the king. and
he awoke.
Interpret the dream l have dream
ed" he said to the soothsayer
20 king. know that the old man is
yourself. Your subjects shall rebel
against you. and foreign ruler shall
dispoSsess you Of your dominions. You
shall die in exile, with no one to sound
your praises or to give you even Il
crust of bread"
From this moment King Chlacas was
changed. The ingratitude Of his sub
jects ranked in his breast. From
loving them he grew to hate them. In.
stead Of redressing their wrongs, lie
took no interest in them. From then
hxs 10 ~ l..