Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-05-07

faint and weary, and my feet are be.
ginning to blister from the dry and sandy
path. If rest, it is only to gather
strength to renew my journey"
"Beware!" said the stranger; "the
night cometh when no man can work.
Go on, and strength shall be given. Go
on, if thy purpose is holy, and thy ambi-
ton pure Take my rod and staff, and
it will support your weakness; bind my
sandals on your feet, and they will pro-
tect them from the burning sands, and
take this cross on your shoulder and
bear it, even unto the gate of the temple.
Bear it, though with bleeding flesh and
shrinking frame; for by him who sware
by himself, because there is no greater.
the crown is only for him who bears the
cross and despises the shame"
The eyes of the youth seemed gifted
with supernatural power, and he beheld
what he had not before seen, a cross,
that must. have been borne by the stran.
ger, for the mantle that covered his
shoulder was stained with blood; and he
pressed his hand against his side as if
oppressed with WEAKNESS. Constrained
by mysterious, inexplicable power, the
youth bowed himself down, and attemp-
ted to lifI a burden at once so gloriied
and so accursed. but his trembling hands
| fell TO his sides, unable TO overcome It's
weight. "Fear not, l am with theei''
said the stranger; and lifting the cross as
if it were a silver thread, he laid it across
the shoulder of the youth, and taking
his hand with benign smile, he bade
him arise and be of good cheer. land
then," said the youth, looking back upon
the pilgrim, on whose head the nocnday
sun fell with a strange glory, elf thou
hast borne the cross. where is thy
CROWN"
The stranger lifted his right hand to
Heaven, as he slowly receded,, from
view, and to the dazzled eyes Of the
youth, his face seemed Ike the body of
heaven in its clearness, and his drapery
white and glistening, so as no fuller on
earth could whiten it. And lie went on,
endowed with strength from on high;
with the pilgrims staff in his right hand,
and the pilgrims sandals on his feet, he
was enabled to bear the burden of the
pilgrims cross. 1t is true, his heart and
flesh oftimes failed, and his spirit painted
under the weary load, while tears gush-
ed from his eyes, and blood trinkled
from his wounded shoulder. But
voice seemed ever whispering in his ear,
"No cross-no> crown" And he fixed
his eyes on the mountain summit, and
toiled upward and onward, pausing only
to ''drink of the brook by the way" for
the shadows began to lengthen, and
chillness crept through the air.
ooh, God, he once exclaimed, in the
extremity of despair, while the cross he
had borne: seemed bearing down upon
him with crushing weight, 'my burden
is greater than can bear! Is this rug
ged path the same 1 entered this NOR
ming, SO green and fresh, and blushing
with new born flowers? Is this laden
heart the same that then throbbed with
such glad pulsations?-these weary eyes
the same that Knocked the dawning sun
beams. Oh, if this be life's journey,
why did 1 ever enter it? Why were
such glorious aspirations given, combin-
ed with so much weakness-such long
ing for Immortality, yet such dragging
down 10 earth-such divine ambition
bound by such mortal coils? Alas my
spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak"
Who that had seen that crushed and
wearied figure, travel sOiled, dim and
dusty, with pale and tear stained cheek,
and dry quivering lips, and eyes like
smoking torches, would have recognized
the youth in his morning bloom of his
heart and cheek, his hope, and JOY and
brightness? His knees bend under him
-heis about to sink, as many poor bur
dened heart has done in life's pilgrimage,
when through the parting mountain
shadow he catches glimpse of the tenn
pie which is the goal of his footsteps,
glittering and flashing like the glOries
seen through sunset clouds. He rises
and presses onward, and as he remem-
bers the promise of him who had him,
self bourne the cross and despised the
shame, who had placed the staff in his
hands and bound the sandals to his feet
when he recalls the divine efulgence
in which he melted from his sight-the
sublime gesture slowly sweeping heaven
ward, bis spirit burns within him, and
his failing strength is renewed. He
presses onward and upward; the noun
tain stream dashes across his path, and
the cold waters threaten 10 submerge
him. but he plunges in, and they soon
roll darkly behind him. The mountain
side is whitened by the bones of way
farers, who perished ere they reached
the temple goal, now almost gained by
him.
Hark Is it music that greets his
faintipg senses? No, it is the opening