The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-11-18
It's song and jest, and he was left be-
ed-Stunned-al0ne

4 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Then he sank On the ground, over
/, Eo" e.ed Dy great WEAKNESS. Might
he not recall the charm of the face
| of Pleasure-the intoxication of her
presence that had held him SO long en-
| thralled? ..
He covered his head and wept for
very weakness, until into the tiny
| stream that trickled near and swelled
into smooth poo, he looked and saw
| his face! But he could not yet be-
lieve, for the face with eyes of sorrow
and experiences that answered his
was worn and gray! He srrang to his
feet in CONSERVATION. WHO is this?"
he cried aloud. And heavily his heart
responded: Thou
Then, desperately, the man recalled
the way he had come, and memory
softly stealing brought him the days
of his youth, the pleasant places of his
childhood.
Il will go back" he cried passion.
ately. But the dense growth of foil
age arrested his footsteps: the way OF
return was vast impenetrable thick
et He cast his eyes into the tangle
of weeds and vines. Could this be in
truth the very road whence he had
| Jared so easily y the road of but a
| moment hence, seemingly SO free and
| open?
Should he, then, since the way of
| return was closed, seek to join his late
| companions? He moved a step for
| ward-but his feet refused to carry
him. Illusion was past; Desire had
| fed. He could not overtake the COM
pany of the light-hearted-he did not
| wish to. What, then, remained?
I'VE remain The words sounded
solemnly on his ear in answer to his
thought. Before his troubled vision
stood two shrouded forms-majestic,
terrible in their serenity.
You may embrace me'-one figure
| unveiled it's face. Il am Death and
the End"
"Or me-" responded the other. 81
am Defeat and Despair
Now the face of one shone with
great majesty, and that of the other
was calm and passion'ess, SO that for
an instant the exhausted senses of the
| man yearned towards the invitation
of their rest. Long he gaZed, as only
they who have lost fear not to gaze
into those countenances of infinite re-
pose. Surely nothing could be better
than this.
Then slowly, as though taking leave
of the things that are known, he cast
his eyes around and above. All
bright, blue, undimmed, the sky smiled
down above the Great Tangle! Far
away, but mighty in appeal a murmur-
ing sound smote on his ear-the dis
tant hum of toll. With one supreme
effort the Man drew himself together.
Life! Life-at any cost! l will
have neither of you. l will make a
way of return. l will reach the COM
pany of those who strive!" he cried.
''It were easier to embrace me-" an
swered Death. You have been apart
so long-you are worthless-weak."
"And you cannot return-the way
is long closed" echoed Despair.
Il will begin-I will join the toilers
i will work way out-and if l do
not reach my goal, Death may find
me on the way" he declared bravely,
and set his face towards the faraway:
busy haunts of men.
While the light lasted he worked,
pulling with his hands at the tangled
underbrush that stretched between
him and the place where he would be;
and he slept from happy WEAKNESS at
night-for the nights came now. With
the morning he found bright-bladed
axe which One had left in this place,
and with it's keen edge of resolution
he cleared little space around him,
working ever deeper and deeper into
the heart of the Great Tangle.
By and by he grew to love all COM
mon things-the skies, the birds, the
silent little people of the woods who
came and watched him as he worked,
shy denizens of the forest, whose
friend he was. And as he penetrated
ever deeper, deeper, 10, the faint, far
off ring of another axe.
Other workers, then, in the forest!
With renewed vigor he swung his axe
dlOIJ, So tudI cIc dHOtucI ulSul1dli
| One stole near and clasped his hand
and blessed him that he had opened a
| way between. And by and by another
came, and yet another; and to each
| he gave freely of his strength, paus-
ing often in his work to whisper in the
ear of him who faltered, or to hew
down some thick tangle more stub
born than the rest, where other hands
had failed.
And one sunny day there stole from
the very heart of the woods a bright
| faced habitant of the forest of endeav-
or, to dwell evermore close by his
| side-clear-eyed Courage he had won
for his mate; so the shrouded shapes
visited the man no more. And be-
cause he knew himself to be of the
vast brotherhood that people the for
est, and because of his mate, one day
| he raised his voice in song, and 10
from each tiny clearing other voices
rose, at first timidly, till by and by a
mighty chorus startled the little peo-
pie of the woods and shook the top
most boughs of the Great Tangle.
So. happy in the soft, palpable dark