Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-27

Joseph, Addison. ls72-l7ls vas e British ntsh
p0 oset sir anf soser de coyerey papers which
peared daily as a kind Of original newspaper
On the fifth day of the moon, after
having washed myself and offered up
INV morning devotions, I assembled the
high hills of Bagdad to pass the rest OF
the day in meditation and prayer. !
fell into a profound contemplation OF
the vanity of human life. Surely"
said, man Is but shadow and lie Is
dream"
While was musing saw shepherd
near a high rock playing musical IN
strument. His music fascinated me: l
had heard that the rock was inhabited
by a genie, but had never supposed he
appeared to mortalS. I drew near him.
He beckoned me to join him at the
summit of the rock.
Mira" he called me by name, IT
have heard your thoughts ABOUT the
vanity of human life. Follow mel!
He led me to the highest pinnacle Of
the rock and said:
Cast thine eyes eastward and tell me
what thou seeSt."
II see" said I, "a huge valley and a
prodigious tide OF water running through
it."
THE valley that thou seest," said he,
sis the vale OF mystery and the tide OF
is that portion of eternity called Time,
measured out by the sun, reaching from
the beginning to the end of the world,
which explains its rising from a thick
mist and losing itself in thick mist at
the other end. Examine now this sea
that is bounded with darkness at both
ends and tell me what thou discoverest
in it."
IT see a bridge" said T. standing in
the midst of the tide"
THE bridge thou seest," said he. ais
Human Life. Consider it attentively."
Upon more leisurely survey Of it, I
found that it consisted of threeScore
and ten arches, with several broken
arches, which, added to those that were
entire, made up the number to about
a hundred. AS was counting the
arches the genie told me that this
bridge consisted at first Of a thousand
arches, but that a great flood swept
away all the rest and left the bridge in
the ruinous condition I now beheld it.
II see multitudeS Of people passing
over it," said I, land a black cloud
hanging on each end of it."
AS I looked more attentively, 7 saw
several of the passengers dropping
through the bridge into the great tide
that flowed underneath it, and upon
further examination preceived there
concealed in the bridge. which the pas
sengers no sooner trod upon than they
fell through them into the tide and
Immediately disappeared. These hidden
pitfalls were set very thick at the en-
trance Of the bridge, so that throngs of
people no sooner broke through the
cloud than many of them fell into them.
They grew thinner toward the middle,
but multiplied and lay closer together
toward the end Of the arches that were
entire.
There WERE indeed, some persons, but
their number was very small, that con-
tinued kind of hobblipg march on the
broken arches, but fell through, one
after another, being quite tired and
spent with so long walk. passed
some time in the contemplation Of this
wonderful structure and the great va
riety Of objects which it presented. MY
heart was filled with deep melancholy
to see several dropping quite unex-
pectedly in the midst of mirth and jol-
lily and catching at everything to save
themselves. Some were looking up to-
ward the heavens in a thoughtful pos
ture, and in the midst of speculation
stumbled and fell out of sight.
The genie, seeing me indulge myself
on this melancholy prospect, told me I
had dwelt long enough upon it.