The King's Talisman — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE KINGS TALISMAN. 9 **Noureddin, I have indeed wisdom which it is not given thee yet to know; but you must obtain it as I did, and you will then retain it. I might labor in vain to communicate it to thee now.” ‘‘And how didst thou obtain it?” ‘“By experience. The general path of duty I have taught thee, and I have opened thy mind to a knowledge of those mysteries which are as chaotic darkness to the ignor- ant; but I may never point out to thee the exact works and deeds which may become you. You alone can see them. Every day will open to your understanding some new duty —some new sphere of operation. Along your pathway of life new thorns will be constantly rearing their sharp points, of which no man can tell thee, and you will be fortunate indeed if you avoid and overcome them. ‘Then there will be new flowers, too, ever rearing their fragrant sweets in your path, and more fortunate still will yon be if you pluck them. Ah, my child, too few of God’s children read the book of life aright.- He who only seeks to avoid danger—whose every thought is of overcoming his enemies—lives not at all; but the real life is given to him who, with open heart and humble soul, seeks to gather to himself the genial flowers that God has strewed with such bountiful hand over the great field of humanity; and then, should danger come, he may meet it as becometh a noble soul.” ‘‘ Surely,” returned Noureddin, gazing up into his teach- er’s face, ‘‘every man will pluck the flowers of pleasure when he sees them in his way.” «* Ay, my child, and the flowers which the fool plucketh may tear and lacerate his flesh with their hidden thorns.” The youth gazed in silence upon the old man, but he spoke not. Abdah Nazor continued his story: “‘ My child, let me relate to thee a tale. Once there was a man who had two sons. The eve of a great festival was nigh at hand, and calling his sons to his side he addressed EComicbooks GO