Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-04-27
queen of the land where dreams

queen of the land where dreams
come true.
When she left him, he was smil-
ing, and, still smiling, he bent over
the fountain to drink of the delec-
table waters. And the untroubled
surface of the waters was a mir
row, which showed him the exact
picture Of his smile.
He started back, affrightcd, des-
perately eager to disbelicve what
he had seen. But at last he looked
again. And he knew that his eyes
did not deceive him. His smile was
twisted.
1t was no longer a beautiful
smile. In fact, he told himself,
there was in it some little thing
which made it hideous, entirely
different from any of the smiles
he had seen ON the faces of the
thousands who travelled the Hap
ply Highway.
A young girl, holding a rose by
its stem between her teeth, stopped
and looked at him.
"Tell me-" he said anxiously,
sis my smile hideous?"
The young girl looked at him a
long moment, and her eyes were
troubled.
"It is not like anything | have
seen on the Happy Highway" she
answered, and turned from him.
The bent old man was regarding
him steadfastly.
"Why is my smile hideous?"
asked the young man wringing his
hands in anguish.
1T is a message from the House
of Happiness the old man said
with an earnestness that barely
escaped being sadness, "the writ
ing from the ruler of the House
of Happiness. Sooner or later it
comes to everybody on the Happy
Highway.
"The man. bearing the jewels
for the young girl who kissed you
rs you passed-you failed to note,
perhaps, that his shoes were dusty
and his hands knotted and Scared.
"The woman who sang to you
you did not read the story in her
deep, deep eyes-the shadows of
the longings and sorrows that had
shaken her and bruised her that
she might at last put her soul into
a song.
"And he who pleased you with
pictures-you did not see that he
was thin and tremulous with
weakness because Of hunger and
suffering. The makers of pictures
starve and suffer and die so that
they may leave behind them the
glory they have In their hearts.
And the tear jar with it's won
derful perfume-you have not
learned that flowers are the spirits
of dead loves and lonely women's
tears.
"But the woman who came to
you at the fountain and made
songs with you-she gave you her
self, all her visions, all her dreams.
And yet, you gave her nothing,
and You let her go. The suffering
and the scars Of all these things
were as nothing to the woe you
to her and the scar you
put upon her SOUL"
"But what does it all mean?''
asked the young man, heartbroken
and astonished.
1T means,'' said the bent old
man, that all may reach the
Happy Highway, but that the only
staff which will support any one
to the House Of Happiness is
kindly service. You will observe
that the blessed palace is far away.
All these pilgrims served you, and
you have served none. They are
rewarded. Look!''
Inc young man. looked, and he
was amazed by what he saw. Far
down the Happy Highway, almost
within the shadow Of the House Of
Happiness, were those who had
served him and been kind to him
the strong man through whose fin
gers jewels ran like q flood Of
color in the sloping sunlight, the
singing woman followed by the.
three girls with their strange,