HILL-DIGGING AND MAGIC

THE utterances of royal personages are sometimes very startling. They assume upon occasion the tone of gracious command which none may gainsay and live; but not unfrequently they perplex and dismay by their magnificent assumption of infinite possibilities of obedience. They come upon us, too, at such unexpected moments, and they come in such unexpected forms, that we--the weak ones of the earth, born to grovel and crawl and serve--actually do set out upon our audacious missions now and then, simply because we are bidden, and we actually do get a little way upon our journey, and drop down exhausted only when the eyes that cheer but not inebriate are no longer turned our way.