11  Dear  cousin,  this  is  indeed  a  fearful  fate,  compared  with  the
glorious  hopes  and  morning  visions  that  glittered  from  afar  oil
the  horizon  of  our  innocent  youth.'7

"  Well,  I  care  not,"  replied  the  other,  in  severe  but  tranquil
tones.  "  We  have  enjoyed  our  summer  of  sunshine,  and  must
now  confront,  without  shrinking,  the  fury  of  the  winter's  storm.
Everything  in  nature  has  its  day  of  doom,  how  then  can  man
expect  to  be  alone  free*from  the  common  lot  ?  The  fairest
flowers  must  fade.  The  tallest  pine-tree  withers  before  the
thunderbolt,  as  the  mountain-top  on  which  it  towers  crumbles
to  atoms  at  the  shock  of  the  earthquake.  The  very  stars  die
out  in  the  sky  ;  and,  perhaps,  at  last,  as  the  old  myths  seem  to
indicate,  all  the  rolling  worlds  will  return  to  the  primitive  chaos,
whence  they  so  vainly  emerged.  All  things,  empires,  cities,
philosophies,  religions,  races,  perish  at  the  pre-appointed  hour  ;
for  what  force  or  cunning  can  fight  with  eternal  fatality  ?  what
menaces  or  idle  prayers  can  move  the  viewless  monster  from  his


366       RANGERS  AND  REGULATORS  OF  THE  TANAHA.
