After the procession had passed, Mercury turned and said:
“Well! What do you think of it for a spectacular pageant?”
“Think of it?” exclaimed Ione, “I never even dreamed of anything so
beautiful.”
“It even surpasses the royal elephant and camel processions of Siam, in
which all the animals are caparisoned with gold and silver and jewels.
Until I had seen this wonderful procession, I thought nothing could
surpass that,” said the Princess.
“You certainly have given us a treat,” said the Prince and Harold.
“Now, I think you would enjoy boarding a barge and taking a trip along
the Milky Way, visiting some of the strange countries that border it and
inspecting some of the palaces that line this silvery stream on either
side.”
Mercury went to procure a barge for them and soon called to them to come
down and enter it. It was high at the back with a raised divan shaded by
silken curtains and waving palms. The front was high and pointed and
stood well out of the stream of sparkling stars beneath it. Its
trimmings were of purple and gold which fell over the side in graceful
festoons. There were seats for six, two high carved chairs on the divan,
resembling seats on a royal throne, while the others were beneath the
three steps of the raised platform.
Harold and Ione insisted upon the Prince and Princess occupying the
elevated seats and impersonating king and queen while they would sit
beneath them as their loyal subjects, but the Prince and Princess would
not agree to this.
“But don’t you see,” urged Ione, “you were to the purple born, while who
ever heard of a free-born American citizen occupying a throne? Besides
it would be too quiet a proceeding for us and I am sure we would jump up
at the wrong time or upset a chair during an audience if it proved too
tedious.”
“You are mistaken,” said the Prince. “You could rule by right of
judgment and strength while you would have me rule because of the blood
of my ancestors.”
“Let Mercury decide,” said the Princess.
“Very well,” he replied, “in that case I think Harold and Ione should
take the chairs for we are their guests.”
“Good for you, Mercury. You always say the right thing at the right
time,” said the Prince.
So Harold and Ione took the carved seats, and for fun, wished they
_were_ a king and queen, so when the Prince, Princess and Mercury turned
toward them, they were speechless with surprise for a moment, for
instead of two plainly-dressed American citizens, they saw two royal
personages with golden myrtle crowns on their heads, flowing robes of
velvet, and ermine mantles upon their shoulders.
“Well, I declare!” exclaimed the Prince. “You two rival all the kings
and queens I ever saw for beauty and kingly bearing. Where is your
sceptre?”
Harold held up a golden sceptre in the shape of a wand.
All this time they had been floating along on this silent, silvery
stream with its myriads and myriads of silver stars, so tiny and closely
packed together that they looked like molten silver.
The first country at which they landed was called The Land of Peace and
Quietness. Soft, gentle breezes blow across this land, laden with the
perfume of thousands of flowers. No destroying electric storms ever rage
here to disturb the peaceful, quiet, sunlit days. This is the land where
the tired people of Earth come to rest and have peace; peace,
everlasting peace, for those who choose to stop. Here are those who have
had to battle with discord at home and rough usage from the world at
large and now all they ask is to be let alone and to be allowed to rest
and wander through this blessed country, drinking in and enjoying the
beauties and quiet of this blissful land.
Here the grass is always green, the hills wrapped in purple mist over
which float snowy clouds lit by the sun, while all around are shady
groves filled with many birds that trill and warble until it would seem
as if their little throats must burst with joyousness. The silvery
streams purr through the grassy meadows, or sing a joyous song as they
tumble over the rocks down the mountain-side or try to rival the lullaby
of the willow-boughs swaying to and fro above them.
The flowers never die here but as fast as one is plucked another blooms
in its place. No harsh, loud sounds are ever heard, only harmony and
melody float out on the air, resting and strengthening the nerves of the
tired Earth people who come here for peace and quiet.
Just over yonder mountains, further up the stream, is the land called
The Land of Joy. Here everything is hustle and bustle, laughter and fun,
and wherever one goes he meets picnic parties, some riding on hayracks,
others in pleasure-boats, while still others roll by in open carriages.
Brass bands and dance music are heard in every direction, a decided
contrast to the soft, plaintive music heard in the Land of Peace.
Here come the people who never had time to enjoy themselves while upon
Earth, but who constantly longed to go to balls or picnics in the
country, the invalid sister of the society girl or the poor seamstress
who spent her life sewing on the garments of her more favored sisters.
Every day with the rising of the Sun, merry bells announce to the
inhabitants of this land that another day for jolly good fun has
commenced. Every one on the streets is either whistling or singing, too
happy to walk sedately or to keep silent.
“And is there no land of sorrow except Hades?” asked Ione.
“No,” replied Mercury, “there is enough sorrow on Earth to supply all
the spheres were it allowed to pass the air-shed line.
“Along this stream you will find a land to suit every body’s taste, be
it a good one. I think the land most thickly populated is the Land of
Music. Such halls and temples you never beheld and all are filled with
every kind of musical instrument that was ever invented, while all the
choruses are heavenly and harmonious.
“Would you like to travel farther or would you prefer to visit some of
the palaces of the gods and goddesses?” asked Mercury.
“I think we would like to explore that castle set on yonder high cliff,
that looks like a castle on the Rhine, only a thousand times more
beautiful,” said Ione.
“Oh! that one belongs to Jupiter and he always gives feasts when he
returns from his pilgrimage to Mount Olympus. Would you like to return
to the Land of Quietness and Peace and wait until the day of the feast
and then attend it? You have been traveling pretty fast and might like
to rest, or I should say change, for no one who possesses a magic robe
knows what fatigue is.”
“I believe that would be very pleasant,” said Ione and they all returned
to the Land of Peace to wait for the feast. Here they threw themselves
in hammocks under the shade of the trees, lazily listening the while to
the songs of the canaries and nightingales overhead in the boughs. Were
they hungry, all they had to do was to wish for something to eat and
there spread beside them on a pretty, rustic table was a repast, dainty
enough for an angel and substantial enough for a king.
They spent a day and night here and then a swift messenger brought news
that Jupiter would not return to his castle for a week and that the
feast had been postponed.
When our travelers heard this they were greatly disappointed but
concluded not to await his return.
The next morning they again boarded the barge and commenced floating
down the Milky Way, admiring the beautiful scenery and castles that
bordered its shores until they came to its extreme northern limit, when,
chancing to look off toward the North Star, they saw, shining with a
splendor that almost blinded them, what seemed to be a colossal human
eye surrounded by flashing streamers of light that radiated from it in
all directions.
“What is it?” they all whispered in awe.
“You may well ask,” said their guide. “That is The All-Seeing Eye. It is
placed there to remind us that God is in all, through all, and back of
all these wonders we have seen, and also to mark the limit to which a
human being may travel in this space. Thus far and no farther can you go
until you have passed through the gate of death and become immortal. And
here,” continued Mercury, rather sadly, “your journey in the clouds must
end. As a souvenir, you may keep the acorns in which your robes were
encased, but the robes, I am sorry to say, you must leave with me. I
will conduct you to your Elephant and see you safely started on your
return journey to Earth, and then I must also return to my duties, for
my life work is not yet finished.”
When our friends at last commenced their return trip to Earth, Mercury
waved his hands in adieu, and smiling and repeatedly waving, gradually
passed out of sight.
The End.
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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in
spelling.
2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.
3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.