Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1873 — THE DESERT ISLAND. [ARTICLE]

THE DESERT ISLAND.

A men anti benevolent man, wishing to make one of his slaves happy, presented him with his liberty' and a ship fully equipped and loaded with costly merchandise. “ Go,” said he, “ sail to a foreign country, trade with these goods, and all profit shall be thine.” The slave departed. He was but a few days upon the sea when a violent storm arose, dashed _ the ship against a rock and wrecked it. The merchandise sunk in the ocean, all of his companions perished, and with the greatest difficulty he succeeded in reaching the shore of an island. Hungry, naked, without help, and weeping over his misfortunes, he entered deep into the country. From afar he perceived a great city, out of which, with great clamor, came a multitude of people to meet him-. “ Hail to our king!” they cried, as they accosted him; and seating him upon a magnificent chariot, drove -him -into the city, to a kingly palace, where they clothed him with a purple mantle, placed a diadem upon his brow, and caused’ him to ascend a golden throne. The nobles gathering about him fell down upon their knees ami swore to him, in the name of the people, theoath of faithfulness. The new king, at the commencement of all this splendor, believed it to be a beautiful dream, until the continuation of his good fortune no longer permitted, him to doubt that the wonderful adventure was true. “ I cannot conceive,” lie reflected, “ what has enchanted the eyes of this strange people, that they should make a naked stranger their king. They know not who I am; ask not from whence I come, and place me upon their throne. What a peculiar custom 1” So thought he, and became so anxious to know the cause of his elevation, that he determined to ask the solution of the riddle of one of the nobles of his court, who appeared to him to be a wise man. “Vizier,” he added, “why have-yon made me your king? How could you know that I had arrived upon your shores, and what will finally become of me?” ‘‘Site,” answered the vizier, “this island is inhabited by spirits. For a long time they have prayed to the Almighty to send yearly a son of Adam to govern them. The Almighty accepted their prayer, and causes each year, upon the same day, a man to land upon their island. The inhabitants hasten to meet him, and joyfully recognize him as their sovereign.’ But his government lasts but one year. The appointed day again appearing, they deprive him of his kingly ornaments, and clothe him in a mean dress. His servants forcibly carry him to the shore, lay him in a peculiarly constructed vessel, which takes him to another island. The island is a desert and desolate. He, who was a powerful king a few days ago, arrives here naked, and finds neither subjects nor friends. Noone commiserates hisinis- ~ fortune, and lieTs <>b!iged“To~TiaTrt"ir' sntT and sorrowfiil life in this desert country, if he has not wisely made use of his year. Aftcr tire brnTfshmeTit-of the old king,-the ] “ole go to this new one, that the .X...lights, in His providence, sends every year without exception. In the custom~ary mannerTESy'Tneel ”lind rec.eive il fin with joy, as the last. This, also, sire, is an eternal law of this kingdom, that no king during his reign can resign." “Were my predecessors” asked the king further, “also informed of the short duration of their elevation ?” “To none of them was the law of transitonness unknown; but some permitting themselves to become blinded by the splendors which surrounded their throne, forgot the sad and spent the year, without acting wisely. 'Others,lntoxicated by the sweetness of the’r good fortune, and out of fear to embitter the enjoyment of the present, would not permit themselves to* reflect upon the desert island, and so staggered, like drunkards, out of one pleasure into another, until their time was up and they were to be cast in the vessel. When the day came, they all lamented their fascination, but it was then too late, and they were, without forbearance, delivered to the misery which await—ed therm-nml- which tlie-y-4iad not 1 wen . willing to prevent through wisdom.” The narrative of the spirit filled the king with fear. He’’. Juddered with horror at the Tate of the preceding kings, and wished to escape their unhappiness. AV i*ji feelings of terror, he saw that many weeks of his short time had already flown, and that he must 'haste to make better use of the remaining days of his reign. ’ “Wise Vizier,” said he to the spirit, “thou has disclosed to me my eternal fate and the short duration of my kingly power, but I pray thee, tell me also what I must do if I wish to avoid the misery of my predecessors.” “Remember, sjre,” answered the spirit, “that thou has arrived naked upon ourisland, for even so shalt thou leave it, and never return. There is, therefore, only one possible expedient to. prevent the un-

happiness which threatens in that country of banishment. Make it fruitful, and supply it with inhabitants. This is permitted by our laws, and thy subjects are so obedient to. thee, that they will go wherever thou wishest to send them. Therefore send workmen thither, and change the barren fields to fruitful ones ; build cities and fill their granaries with provisions. In a word, prepare thyself a new kingdom, the inhabitants of which, after thy banishment, will receive thee with joy. But hasten, permit not a moment to pass idly, for the time is short, and the more thou doest to the building of thy future dwelling, the - happier will be thy residence there. Think, thy year is rapidly passing, make use of thy liberty, as one flying from destruction. If thou despisest my advice or delayest, thou art lost, and prolonged misery is thy fate.” The king was a wise man, and the speech of the spirit gave wing to his res olution and activity. He immediately -seritLhither a multitude of subjects. They went with joy, and zealously laid hold of the work. Soon the island began to be embellished. Before six moons had passed, cities stood upon its blooming pastures. Notwithstanding which, the king did not abate in his zeal. He continued sending thithei more inhabitants. Those following were still more joyful than the first, since they went to a country well cultivated and inhabited by their friends aud relations. Meanwhile the end of the year drew near. The last king had trembled with fear at the approach of this moment. This one awaited it with a calm feeling of pleasure, for he was going to a country, where through his - wrs&activityy he had con structed for himself a lasting dwelling. Finally, the appointed day appeared. The king was seized in his palace, deprived of his diadem and kingly apparel, and placed in the inevitable vessel which was to guide him to his place of exile. Scarcely had he landed upon the shore of the new island, when the inhabitants hurried with joy to meet him. They re--ceived him with honor. Instead of that crown which humanity endured only for a.year, they adorned his head with an unfading wreath of flowers. The Almighty •rewarded his wisdom. He gave to him the immortality of his subjects and made him their eternal king. The rich and benevolent man is God; the slave whom his master sent away is man at his birth; the Island, where he landed, is the world; the inhabitants who "come joyfully' to meet" “Elin, are the pa rents, who take care of the naked and weeping infant. The vizier, who warns him of the sad fate which awaits him is Wisdom. The year of his reign is the life of the man, and the desert island, whither he is approaching, is the future world. The kings, however, who have gone before him, without reflecting upon the unhappiness which threatened them, are those foolish men who occupy themselves only with worldly joys, without thinking of the life after death. They are punished with eternal misery, because they appear before the throne of the Almighty with their hands empty of all good works You see, therefore, that man is judged through his works and riot through faith alone.— 7’ra nutated from the German.