The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-01-27
King wit6cuf q country : 4: '...s

Is infinitely harder, and infinitely
greater, than to govern.
Let's look at things honestly.
I was given that task, but there
was something soft in me, some
where. / thought that I could be
a man, with mans homely little
desires and weaknesses, when I
was born to be a king. You will
not make that mistake. You will
go on, lonely and often very mis-
cradle in your high place, because
you can see the thing ] did not
see until too late - the chariot Of
fire that your poet Blake talked
about, the new Jerusalem that has
to be built among the slums and
the coal tipples and the factory
yard. And because you see those
things, your people win move for
ward just a little nearer to the
place where they can actually
build that new Jerusalem"
He broke of, for his voice had
suddenly become unsteady.
II am beginning to, talk in
pretty fiowery language, and that
is always a sign that have said
all that I have to say" he said
lightly. Lets not be tragic.
go and you stay. I leave my love
with you. You know that. Give
me yours - and your royal bless
ing-and ] will CO."
Joseph started to speak. His
voice broke, and he cried, "Oh,
PAUL." and threw his arms about
his older brother. Then, at last,
he drew away and mastered him.
self.
"Goodby, Paul, and God bless
you," he said.
Paul went to the door. He
stopped suddenly. The jeweled
sword and scabbard of some aide
lay on a chair. He seized the
sword, drew it out, hourished it.
and performed the salute, hilt
touching his chin, blade pointing
toward the ceiling. For a mo-
ment he stood there, rigid. Then
he laughed, laid the sword down,
waved his hand. and left. The
aid showed him to the car, and
he was driven back to the wharf.
The sloop Irene rounded the last
headland and lay over before stiff
east wind, Paul trimmed the sheets
and perched at the tiller, with never
a glance over his shoulder for the
land OF Northumbra, falling astern
forever.
He was on his way-to what?
Back to the old life on the Bay
st. Francis, with Ardath and all
that she offered him?
He looked at the horizon ahead
and frowned. Ardath would COM
fort him; she would show him
how absurd 1t was to cry over
something that had been irretriev-
ably lost. She would even wind
up by persuading him that what
had been lost had been well lost.
He would grow old there, with
her, without a visible care in the
world. In the end, probably, he
would cease to rebel against the
emptiness, the meaninglessness, Of
the routine Of. the gay coast of
pleasure. He would conform, at
last, and be just one more of that
coasts idlers.
If not back to Ardath, what
then? Well, there was Guatemala,
where his old friend and tutor,
DR.. Sonders, delved In the ruins
of lost world and brought forth
craven records and buried cities
of kings who had lived and died
and been forgotten. DR.. Sonders
had asked him TO come and help
him; that would be work, life
in which man might take pride.
Grand he smiled to think OF
it-there was the town Of Cam
den, Maine, with lanky Jones Cof-
fin looking for capital to set a
fleet of barkentines moving along
the old trade lanes. He could go
there, supply Comm with his capt.
tai, and help the world do its
work and move its goods =.
Or he could go farther, If he
chose, to the western plains, and
start the cattle ranch he used to
dream Of
Guatemala, Maine and the west
ern plains lay beyond the Allan
tic; but the Irene was staunch
and well provisioned; she would
take him there. if he wanted to
go and If she did not - did
that really matter so much?
Back to the Bay st Francis,
Ardath, and life that would
slowly smother his discomfort in
cushioned ease or westward,
across the ocean to new land
and new life?
He looked at his chart. South
by east, for the Bay st. Francis;
southwest by west, for Guatemala;
west-northwest, for the coast OF
Maine. 1t was time to set course.
Which should 1t be? This decision