The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Top of the World, by Ethel M. Dell

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Title: The Top of the World

Author: Ethel M. Dell

Release Date: May 15, 2004 [EBook #12360]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TOP OF THE WORLD ***

Produced by Al Haines

THE TOP OF THE WORLD

By

Ethel M. Dell

Author of "The Way of an Eagle," "The Lamp in the Desert."

1920

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK

TO THE PRECIOUS MEMORY

OF MY MOTHER

"The years shall not outgo my thinking of thee"

When you have reached the top of the world
And only the stars remain,
Where there is never the sound of storm
And neither cold nor rain,
Will it be by wealth, success, or fame
That you mounted to your goal?
Nay, I mount only by faith and love
And God's goodness to my soul.

When you have reached the top of the world
And the higher stars grow near,
When greater dreams succeed our dreams
And the lesser disappear,
Will the world at your feet seem good to you,
A vision fair to see?
Nay, I look upward for one I love
Who has promised to wait for me.

For to those who reach the top of the world
The things of the world seem less
Than the rungs of the ladder by which they climbed
To their place of happiness,
And I think that success and wealth and fame
Will be the first to pall,
For they reach their goal but by faith and love
And God's goodness over all.

CONTENTS

PART I

CHAPTER

I.--ADVICE
II.--THE NEW MISTRESS
III.--THE WHIP-HAND
IV.--THE VICTORY
V.--THE MIRACLE
VI.--THE LAND OF STRANGERS
VII.--THE WRONG TURNING
VIII.--THE COMRADE
IX.--THE ARRIVAL
X.--THE DREAM
XI.--THE CROSS-ROADS
XII.--THE STAKE

PART 11

I.--COMRADES
II.--THE VISITORS
III.--THE BARGAIN
IV.--THE CAPTURE
V.--THE GOOD CAUSE
VI.--THE RETURN
VII.--THE GUEST
VIII.--THE INTERRUPTION
IX.--THE ABYSS
X.--THE DESIRE TO LIVE
XI.--THE REMEDY

PART III

I.--THE NEW ERA
II.--INTO BATTLE
III.--THE SEED
IV.--MIRAGE
V.--EVERYBODY'S FRIEND
VI