Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1911-07-13
Life and Death.

land nor gold, yet Wealtnler was
than sceptred sovereign; richer
richer far than fancy ever feign-
ed. The great round earth, the
sun, the moon and all the stars
.thatfiame like firefies in the
silken web of.night We're his, be
cause garnered in the salvatofy
;of, his soul. = And the beaded
dew upon the, morningrglories,
the crimson tints Of dawn, Iris
bended bow and all the cloth-of-
gold and robes Of purple. that
mark the royal pathway of the
descending sun; the perfume of
all the flowers, the bulbul's SEN
suous song, and every flowing
line that marks woman's perfect
form he boarded in his heart and
gloated over as a miser does his
gain. And the Youth was in
love with life; and held her to
his, heart as Gods most, gracious
gift. All, beautiful was she,
with her trustful eyes of blue,
and hair Of tangled sunbeams
blown about a brow Of alabaster,
arms Of ivory and bust whose
rounded loveliness were a pulls
ing pillow where ever dreamed
Desire+ beautiful beyond COM
pare, and sweet as! odorsi blown
across the brine from1the island
valley of Avillion, mad'ning as
Lydian music, in which swoons
the soul Of youth while all the
passion in the blood beats time
in delirious ecstacy. !@And Youth
and Life built fair castles in the
air, with turrets of sapphire and
gates of beaten. gold, wherein
they dreamed the days away on
a bed of thornless roses, drained
the chalice of the honey-suckle,
ate the lotus-bud and thought of
naught in all the world but love.
! Of this soft dalliance was born a
son, and Life cried with falling
tears, Now i am shamedr'
/ IN Na5, 1ssi SAID { tne e fioaen, itSf
will hide our child within my
heart and none shall know .
And Life laughed and kissed the
boy, and called him Ambition,
and hid him in the secret recess
es of her lovers heart, and gaily
Iiwent and came as tRosoher fair
breasts had never burgeoned
with a wealth of tli&uid pearl.
But the child Was restless with
in its prison house and beat ag-
ainst the walls, and grew day by
day, and fought with teeth anc
nails, until the Youth cried out
in agony. And Life said mock
tingly: Hast not ROOM enough
! within thy heartn for one, poo
child to range that heart which
9Eholds the earth, the? sun ant
stars2 Cast forth the foolisl
rubbish the rainbow and tn,
fiewers, the incense and tn
summer sea. Make room, max
room for thine Y and lmine-thc
Inaught else doth remain" H
b cast them forth with fond regret
t and Ambition grew, and filed hi
Z lheart and stroye, with all. hi
strength. The Youth looked n
more upon the fair field flowers
j but thought only of the victor
| wreath; he heard no melody br
| fame's shrill- trumphet rising e'
er louder on the blast and sa,
, no beauty but in Minerva'silaul
! eled brow; the cool sylvan pat
r became a binding 'mountai
trail, aihis' hours Of dailianc,
u days 'Fofo toll and nights
agony. The h i ddSe'h son .ha
becomemaster Of the sire ands
: the host of heaven melted into
single star which poured its bal
full fire into his face-the treacl
erous star of Hope. And so !
strove with augmenting strengtI
Q his goal the highest, his!guerdC
8 the immortelles. eButoft he fe'
and cursed his folly for havir
left the fowery vale to beat! "a
ainst the barren mountain rock
r but Life upbraided,him, and wi
d her soft breath famed the pa
' ing star to brighter flame-tl
star behind which lay the thron
And Death followed them, sha
10 owy, indistinct, like a spil
70 @rapt in mist. And Life moe
" ell at Death, crylngi . "Beho
" the envious strumpet doth f,