Tortured by Thirst

⁶ Then the lame will leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy.
For waters will break forth in the wilderness
And streams in the [desert].
⁷ The scorched land (mirage) will become a pool
And the thirsty ground springs of water;
In the haunt of jackals, its resting place,
Grass becomes reeds and rushes. (Isaiah 35: 6-7)

I’ve just finished reading the entire tract entitled “the Mirage of Life”. This is not like any tract you may find today; this ‘tract’ is more like a book. This is from the introduction of “the Mirage of Life”. (when is the last time you read a tract that had an introduction?)

To understand the natural object from which the title of this little volume is borrowed, let the reader imagine that, after travelling for hours across a trackless waste of burning sand, amidst the arid deserts of the east, he has, when tormented by thirst, made the discovery that his supply of water has failed. The last muddy drops are eagerly drained, but the sensation of pain is only aggravated by the effort. Meanwhile, the eyes, the mouth, the ears, are gradually filled with the fine sand of the desert, until it is felt that a cup of cold water from the spring would be cheaply purchased by its weight in gold. At this moment, when such is the traveler’s tortured state of mind and body, he suddenly beholds an object which, to his surprise, has escaped his notice before. In the distance is seen a large lake; its banks are fringed with groves of verdant palm; its bosom studded with islets of refreshing green, while its water seems tenfold more inviting when contrasted with the burning solitudes around. Reanimated by the prospect, he presses forward, eager to quench his thirst. As he advances, a singular spectacle is witnessed, a strange phenomenon arises. The lake recedes as he approaches it. Again and again does he advance, but again and again does the object retire; until at length, exhausted with fatigue, tortured by thirst, and overpowered by excitement he sinks in despair on the sand, discovering that all is deception, and that he has been chasing the mirage of the desert.

I recommend you give it a read: