"Enter, my friends!" said this strange man. "Go in, and look on
quietness. What do we seek for most, my friends? Look out on the world.
It's a whole world of seekers. How they jostle against one another! How
they sweat! how they strive! how they toil! And why all this? What seek
they for? For quietness, my friends, even so--the quietness of wealth to
gain, may be, or competence; may be, the quietness of some renown. And
some go seeking over land and sea for their lost health, and quietness
from pain.
"My friends, within there was as restless a seeker as I ever knew. Pity
the old, my friends, but pity more the young! Never such dreams of rest!
Never such restlessness! Hush! when he heard, he answered well. He put
all by. Somehow, we think he has obtained--wealth, honor, perfect health.
My friends, pass in! behold this wonder!
"My friends, you look up at the sky. Ah, what a sky! purple and deep! Yet
I see something in your eyes that is not quietness; for storms will come,
too well you know, and the cold blasts of winter; but if you knew that
never any sorrowful, hard wind could sweep across yon blue--then, my
friends, you would look as he looks who lies within there.
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