d the window, panting, and
out of breath from having to climb so many steps, but they always
exclaimed, "How glad I am that I came! How beautiful it is! How
_beautiful_ it is!"

Every noon some of the tired, dusty workmen would come and look out of
the little round window, sometimes almost forgetting to eat the bread
and meat they held in their hands. Oftentimes the window would hear them
say, "It rests one's tired bones to know that the great ocean is not so
far away after all." There was one pale, sad-faced man who used to come
every day and lean his elbows on the window sill and gaze, and gaze as
if he were never tired of looking out on the view which the little round
window presented.

When the mill whistle sounded its shrill, sharp note, telling the men
that the noonday rest was over and that they must be back at their work,
the pale, sad-faced man would sigh, and as he turned away, would say
softly to himself, "I don't believe I could stand the grind of this mill
life if I didn't get a breath of ocean air from this window each day!"

Once in a while, a good father would bring his children up to the window
and, lifting them in his strong arms, would let them see the green
fields and shining ocean. Then the children would clap their hands and
shout aloud for joy. Occasionally one would beg that he might be
allowed to go away from the noisy, dusty town, through the broad, green
fields to the endless ocean beyond.

At night when all the town was hushed in sleep, and even the green
fields looked cold and dark, and deep shadows seemed to be on every
object, the vision of the great ocean was, if possible, more beautiful
than during the bright day. At such hours the little, round window had
the gleam of the never sleeping waters all to itself, as very few people
have courage to climb much in the night, and none of them knew how
beautiful the mighty ocean looked in the midst of darkness. So they lost
the gleam of the heavenly stars as they were reflected in its wavelets.
Sometimes the broad silver path which the moon spread upon the surface
of the water looked as if it might be the shining stairway to the
heavenly gates themselves, and the little round window felt quite sure
that it saw bright angels ascending and descending this silvery stairway
just as they had done in the dream of Jacob of old. At such times the
little window would tremble all over with delight.

But alas! alas! now comes the sad part of my story.