The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-11-12
Concerning Youth III Old Hee.


sung its lullaby and roared its jndg-
ment of death and destruction alter
nately by day and by night. Year
after year she stopped and looked
longlngly out over the sea-. The long
ing grew so strong in her heart that
she finally flung both her arms out to-
ward the dancing waves and cried ::
"Give him back to me! Bring him back
to me! Oh Alf, Alf, Aitw and she fell
moaning to the ground.
She lay there half UNCONSCIOUS for
long time, but finally she was aware
that somebody was singing the most
beautiful melody she ever had heard.
She arose; and there upon the rolling
waves of the sea, crystal painted 10y
the white moon, swan in regal splendor
a great snow-White pelican. The peIl-
can was the sweet singer. She Sang
about beautiful island far out in an
unknown ocean. on which shores sor-
row and pain and anger and hatred and
old age died. She sang and sang about
the waving palms, the eternally bloom
ing flowers, the choruses of the birds
of songs, and of the spring of life. She
told further in her song that if ever
any of the children of men faithfully
would search for the island of eternal
youth they should find it; and when
they drank Of the spring of life, their
old age would be henceforth dream,
and they would live and always be
young. The song ceased, and the peli-
can lifted its majestic wings and flew
away. The longing woman wept and
fell asleep. Then She had a dream
that Alf, her childhood sweetheart,
had come and was caking her name !:
Cecilia, Cecilia! She awoke and 10 and
behold, there was an old man standing
close by her, whispering her name.
lis face was SCARED and Wrinkled and
old; his hair streamed in long, siIvery
strands in the wind; his beard Was gray
and twisted and hung down almost to
his belt. He wore bigh officers uni
form, and his breast was nearly COW
cred with medals, won in bloody battles
and many wars. lie was Alf, her Aft;
she knew it. With wild cry Of joy
she leaped to her feet aud flung her
arms around his neck and subbed and
mOaned and talked in half whisper
the language of her suffering heart.
Yes, 1T was All, and he told her about
the wars and the Latlles lie had fought
and won, fought and lost, in many,
many lands, and about his dreams of
her, his longings for her, until he, tired
OF glory aud fame that could not sat-
isfy his heart, made up his mind to go
back to his own land and people and
find out whether she was dead or ailvr,
whether she had married or not. And
he happened to land just where she
was sleeping on the shore, and now
they had found each other
But what would it benefit them, old
as they were! They We're like two
overrlpe apples, ready to tall into their
graves. He sighed and sorrowed and
moaned. Then she told him about the
pelican song; about the island of eter-
nal youth with the spring of life i'm the
midst Of 1t; the is and with the waving
pdlms, the eternaliy blooming and fra
grant flowers; with the churuses of the
song birds, whose warbiing melodies
and harmonious songs were like the
music of the heavenly spheres. He
believed her story, believed that the
strange bird of the White wings had
told tale of eternal truth. He took
Cecilia aboard with him on his own
ship, set sail and started OH his seal ci
for the beautiful island. Every MORN
ing they looked for it and every night.
and one fue morning it arose for them
out OF the blue green sea, and they
landed and hand III hand they walked
OH the fioWery Carpet of It's ground and
found the spring vi lie and drank of
It, and she was Lransigured into shy,
fair maiden, and he became young
again.
That is the story in abbreviated form.
It contains much wisdom for all who
will study it to learn wisdom. Unfor-
tunately for many of us, who are chill
,dren of our time, we are already too