Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-11-01
BY L. G.. GOULD.
New Series.

III WHlCH WIS HO Sblcllt anu UtthHllHS VI no
DANGER he was led aside 10 the commission Of
on act that violated human and Divine laws.
Wien James returned home, he felt afraid 10
meet his father. Oh, how unhappy he was !
Never in hls life had he been so wretched-
He had gathered The first fruit that bung emnt.
ingly from The branches that bent over the way
he had chosen to walk in, but / had nroved TO
his tase aS bitter aS wormwOOd. All tha! his
iailef had said, when warning him not 10
choose the way Of error, came wildly 10 his
mind, and almost with tears did he repent Of
| his folly. Alone IN his room, bowed down
with shame and self condemnation, James
! Lewis sat after the shadows of evening had
fallen. Gradually as The twilight derpened
and his eyes seemed 10 reflect tie Obie cts
around him, he mind Of The lad became filled
with confusion and rapid changing images.
| Suddenly there was q great change. lie
found himself standing on beautiful plain,
! from which departed two roads iOwa:d he was
walking. His mind was ira nQuil ana happy.
| One of these 'oadS looked exceedingly inviting.
Bright flowers sprung th,cky beside il, and
trees, among the branches of which SEor,rd
birds Of gayeS! plumage, grew oil along is
Dor lerS. The other road presented nothing al
| iraclive. The margin was nearly barren, and
began al once 10 ascend q steep aud some.
what rugged hill. As james drew near The
point where these two roads dlvereed, he me-;
an old man, with mild counIenan"e, and
eyes Int up by wisdom
"You see b, fore you, said the old mnn.
''the way Of life and the road 10 desiruclo
Choose, now, which You will walk in. The
road 10 destruction looks more inviting than
the way of life, but the flowers yoI ste have
no sweet perfume, The fruits that hang tempt.
ingly from The trees are biler 10 the taste, aud
the road that looks So smooth ard pleasant, i,
in reality rough aud stony. The farther Won
20 on this road The less attractive il becomes
but with every St-p OF progress in the way OF
life, :he more beautiful will all appear The
one leads TO death, The other 10 life. Choose
new, the way in which you will walk"
The boy paused only for n few minutes
He looked, frs! at the unai;raclive way, aud
then at the path so full Of heauiy.
"The cid man has erred" said he in his
heart. "This is The road 10 happiness aud 10
life, and the other is the way to destruction" ;"
And then he entered, with hurrylng ftet,
the road 10 destruction. Earnestly The ol
man called af'er him and lendariy did he warn
him, bu, the hoy needed hun not.
In his eagrrness 10 reach a spot nj q short
distance from The point where The two roads
separated, and al which there was beautiful
arbor. with fountain throwing bright waters
into The sunny air, his foot struck against stone
which was not perceived, and he fell 10 the
earth with as'unnng jar. He was in so much
pain from the fail when he reartc,' III. pTepu
arbo:, that he could rot enjoy lis p, aSanl
shade, nor take delight in the heautIul fnun-
tain. With q groan he threw himself full
length upon the green Swar', where lie had
| lni Ia m when Lt.S I
his feet in sudden terror, for close 10 lin had
crept poisonous serpent that was just about
striking him with his deadly fang.
With less ardOr, The boy moved on The way
he had chosen. Soon number Of flowers,
y lowing in all The coOrs Of the rainbow, ar.
rested his ewes, aud he stepped aside TO gath.
er them. But heir odo' waSSn offensive, that
he threw them 10 the thqnicklv. Another
flower tempted him by is beauty. but, in
pluckng il he ;OTe his hands with thor S.
Pauslng now, he looked back, aud the wish
arose III his miCd that he had taken The o;hel
road. He would have reraced his Steps, hui
he remembered the serpent at the h'untain
ard feared to 60 by that dangerous place again
SO he moved Oh once more Far in advance,
there opened before him beautiful prospect,
and he passed on 10 enjo tie scene. But al
was on lluSlOn-a mirage in the desert
When he gained The spor, the attraction had
disappeared. And now the road began 10 as
ceEd and 10 wind alons the skirts Of forest
His heart grew f0inl as he entered deeper an
deeper into this gloomy diStric., and he saw
no open space ahead.
As lie walked learfnlly a ong. roar SHOOK
the eurih; then beast ni pre- rushed pas, hin
aud struck his fangS deep INTO the yialS o
some weaker animal Terror gave wings tt
hissee and he ran deeper into lie forest
Nigh, at length began 10 come. 1t was wlf
difficulty that he cOuIi find bis way OF kteT
in The path, which had become so rough thai
he stumbled al almost every step. His fee
were bruised and cu:, and he walked ohwari
in pain.
ooh, that ! had taken the Of her road" he
said. pushing in the midst of the dark forest
an looking behind. But The ciy Of the wIir
beasts arose in The direc ion from which ht
had come. He moved again, when, Suddrnl!
a meteor shot aclOSS lhe sky. By The ligh
which il gave, he saw himself on ;he yer,
brink Of fearful gulf, and he would have !erl
los; in another moment. The shock startled
him from his dream.'
All was dark in the chamber where Jane
Lewis sal, rmd il was some moments before
lie could realize ,he fact that lie was in hi
lathers house, with two ways in Ile yet be
fore him, and he in freedom 10 choose the on,
in hlch he would walk.
Dear children, if you wish 10 enter the righ
way-lhe way Of life, leading To eyeraStIn
; frliciIy-yon must do 80 through obedience
You cannot yourSelf know This way II mus
, he pointed out 10 you. II left 10 Yourself, ynl
) would be slnIoSt certain 10 take the road Il
destruction. The way Of obedience is ilI