The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-07-05
The Lure of
the High Road.

When we are young and romantic
I'VE vision always a future glorious
with achievement and bright-hued
with the splendors of the contaminated
desire Before us sweeps Life's High
way Il road silver shining, along
which flowers blossom in luxuriance
and over which the sun shines golden
ly.
Along this high road gaily capari-
soncd horses. mettlesome and high
stepping. champ at silver bits or
prance TO martial music. There are
brave men and winsome ladies who
travel this road that leads always to
the Land of Tomorrow, and down
which, quick winged, our youthful
fancies sweep, seeking for We knew
not what
only this we knew, surely and I'M
Goubtingly-this was the road down
which, as soon as life freed us from
it's irksome rounds. we would speed
away and far away, on the adventur-
Gus quest.
Days PASSED, and the road lay be-
fore US shining still, but its glamour
as the hours went by and Life held
us back from the flight became not
less radiant. not less alluring, not less
seductive. but less surely our own.
And the sun that shone above shone
less godenly, the ribbon of the road
was not so shinir~ and the dust that
was not siIvern nor golden, hid from
us sometimes the champing horses and
The brave warriors and the winsome
Ia dies of our earlier fancies. But they
were ever to us mettlesome steeds,
radiant courtiers and beautiful ladies
still, that Life could never age nor
Time NOV down with its cruel soythe.
They were only hid from us for
time. BY the wall that Life had build
cd, the stones of which, mounting
hourly higher and higher, and becom-
ing more and more impregnable, shut
from us at last the glistening High
Road.
Then one day, at last grown visit
fully old, and a bit tired of life'S stern
bidding, truant to our daily tasks, one
wonderful day-we slipped away
do you remember ?-and climbed over
the wall that Life had builded be-
tween us and the road that once led,
50 bright and shining, to the Land of
its tangled Businesses. For the road
is over grown now, but beautiful still,
with the flowers of fancy.
Only now it is not at all what it
was when we went questing in our
valorous youth. 1t is a road so differ
ent that at first we can scarce be-
lieve it. Where once the sun beat
down in such ardent splendor. now
there are soft winds and fieecy clouds,
and the scent of mignonette on the
breeze, fresh and sweet and whole
some. And the wide roa 1rr--- where
the mettlesome steeds used to champ
their bits Is all overgrown with soft
green lush grasses, and along the edges
flowers bloom, violets and dandelions
and little clean, STRAIGHT, lovely blue
bells, are making a carpet of azure
and gold. There are no winsome lad
les in satin gowns and velvet cloaks
walking over the lowered grass, but
there are little brown rabbits scurry-
ing and cardinals preening themselves
and blue birds whirlin~ and dipping,
and far off one can hear laughter of
some sweet summer maid in a ging-
ham gown and a white sunbonnet. Or
Is it the voice OF a brook?
All, 1t is a wonderful road, sweet
road, a generous, fine, splendid, every
day road that leads uphill and down
dale. and along country ways and then
out into the world. the busy world Of
men, who are not on dashing chargers.
but swinging along with heads up and
hearts attune to life, real life.
And never-no. never,-can Life
shut us back behind the wall again
For We have found the High Road at
last. and are off on the journey that
leads to the heights.