An old man going a lone highway,

Came at the evening cold and gray,

To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,

Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,

the sullen stream had no fears for him,

But he turned when safe on the other side,

And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man!"  Said a fellow pilgrim near.

"You're wasting your time building here,

Your journey will end with the ending day,

You never again will pass this way,

You've crossed the chasm deep and wide

Why build this bridge at even tide?"

The builder lifted his old grey head.

"Good friend, in the path I have come he said,

There follows after me today

A youth whose feet must pass this way. 

This chasm which has been as naught to me,

To that fair haired youth may a pitfall be,

He too must cross in the twilight dim,

Good friend I'm building this bridge for him."