Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-27
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
The Vision of Mira.
BY JOSEPH ADDISON.

"Take thine eyes of the bridge" said
he, land tell me if thou seest anything
thou doSt not comprehend"
Upon looking up, What mean" said
I, those great flights Of birds that are
perpetually lowering about the bridge
and settling upon it from time TO time?
see vultures, harpieS, ravens, cor1no-
rants, and among many other feathered
creatures several little winged boys that
perch In great numbers upon the middle
arches"
These" said he. "are Envy, Avarice,
Superstition, Despair, Love, with the
like cares and passions that infest HUI
man Life"
here fetched deep sigh.
"AlaS!" said I, man was made in
vain! How is he given away to misery
and mortality! Tortured in life and
swallowed up in DEATH"
The genie. being moved in compassion
toward me, babe me quit so uncomfort-
able a prospect.
Look no more" said he, ION man
in the first stage of his existence, in
his setting out for eternity, but cast
thine eye on that thick mist into which
the tide bears the several generations
of mortals that fall into it."
directed my sight as I was ordered,
and saw the valley opening at the
farther end, and spreading forth into
an immense ocean that had huge
rock of adamant running through the
midst Of it. and dividing it into two
equal parts. The clouds still rested on
one half Of it, insomuch that I could
discover nothing in it; but the other
appeared to me q vast ocean planted
with innumerable islands that were
covered with fruits and flowers and in
terwoven with a thousand little shining
seas that ran among them. I could see
persons dressed in glorious habits, with
garlands upon their heads, passing
among the trees, lying down by the
sides Of fountains, or resting on beds OF
flowers, and could hear a confused
harmony of singing birds. falling wa
tiers. human voices and musical instru-
mentS. GladneSs grew in me upon the
discovery of SO delightful scene.
wished for the wings Of an eagle
that might fly away to those happy
seats; but the genie told me there was
no passage to them except through the
gates of death that saw opening
every moment upon the bridge.
1.-The islands" said he. that lie so
fresh and green before thee, and with
which the whole face Of the ocean ap-
pears spotted so far as thou canst see,
are more in number than the sands
upon the Seashore; there are myriads of
islands behind those which thou here
discoverest, reaching farther than thine
eye, or even thine imagination, can ex-
tend itself.
these are the mansions of good
men after death, who, according to the
degree and kinds Of virtue in which
they eXcelled, are distributed among
these several islands, which abound with
pleasures of different kinds and de-
grees, suitable to the reliShes and per-
fections of those who are settled in
them. Every island is a paradise ac-
comodated to its respective inhabitants.
Are not these, o Mira, habitations
worth contending for? Does life APP
pear miserable. that gives the oppor-
tunities of such q reward? Is death to
be feared that will convey thee to so
happy an existence? Think not man
was made in vain who has such an
eternity reserved for him."
At length said I: SHOW me how, I
beseech thee, the secrets that lie hid
under those dark clouds which cover
the ocean on the other side Of the rock
of adamant."
The genie making no answer, turn
ed about. but found that he had left
me. then turned toward vision which
I had been so long contemplating,
but. instead of the rolling tide, the
arched bridge and the happy islands,
saw nothing but the long, hollow valley
of Bagdad, with oxen, sheep and carnelS
grazing upon the sides of 1t.