The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-06-04
ONLY A STORY.

In the garden all the apple trees were IN
full bloom-they had made haste to put ont
blossoms sooner than leaves; the little ducks
were quacking in ihe courtyard, and the cat
was sporting In the sunshine, and was licking
it from her own paw; and If one cast his eye
over the fields. the grain was standing there
SO incomparably green, and all the little birds
were chipping and twittering, just rs If it
were great festival. And indeed one might
say 1t was, for it was the Sabbath. The bells
were ringing and the people were going. in
their best apparel, to church-and they all
looked SO happy. Every thing and every one
indeed was full of joy, for it was such a
warm and beautiful day that one might
well exclaim, @God is SO infinitely good to
us men!"
But in the church the preacher stood up in
the pulpit and spoke SO loud and so harsh !
He said that men we're goddess, and that God
would punish them for it; and that when
they died the wicked would 60 to hell, where
they would burn forever; and he said that
they would never die and their fire never be
quenched, and that they never would have
peace or rest. II was fearful TO hear him; and
he said it, too, with such positiveness. He
told them that hell wns pest hole where the
fifth Of the whole world was collected, where
there was no cooling in the ever-burning sui
phur flame; that il was bottomless, and that
they would sink and sink into eternal silence.
1t was horrible only to hear the description
of it, but the preacher spoke from a full
heart, and all the people were terribly fright
ened.
| In the evening at bedtime, the preacher
saw his wife sitting silent and sunk in deep
thought.
"What is the matter with thee" inquired
he.
"The NATTER" said she, "the matter is that
am not able to bring my thoughts together.
cannot altogether comprehend what You
said, that there were SO many goddess per-
sons, and they must burn forever for ever !!
O, how long! l am but poor sinful womaT
but could never bring il into my heart to
let even the vilest sinner burn forever; and
how then could God do il who is SO infinitely
good and who knows how evil comes from
without and within! No, | cannot conceive
it, although you insist upon it,"
II was Autumn. The leaves were falling
from the tree; the earnest severe preacher
was sitting by the bed side Of a dying person
"a pious believer was closing her eyes. 1t
was the preachers wife.
"If any one can find rest in the grave, and
mercy with her God, thou art that one" said
the preacher, and he folded her hands and
uttered prayer over the dead.
| II was night, cold wind swept over the
| preachers head; he opened his eyes and it
secEcd to him as If the moon was shining
into his room, but the moon shone not; it
was human form which was standing be-
fore his bed; he saw the spirit of his deceased
wife, and she looked at him with such an
expression Of sadness, as If she wished to say
something to him.
And be lifted himself up in his bed and
stretched forth his arms towards her. "And
is the eternal rest denied TO thee, also p
Must thou suffer? Thou, the best, the faith.
fullest 7"
And the dead bowed her head assentingly,
and laid her hand upon her breast.
"And can procure rest in the grave for
thee?"
"Yes," was the response.
| sand how!"
"Give me hair, only single hair from the
head of the sinner whose fire will never be
quenched, of the sinner whom God will con-
denim to the eternal pains Of hell"
aAnd thou can'st then so easily be relieved,
thou pure, thou faithful one!" replied he.
"Then follow me-" said the dead." "Thou
may'st hover by my side wi.hersoever thy
thoughts direct thee; for so much is granted
to us. Invisible to men we may visit them
in their most secret recesses, but thon must
point out with sure hand the man who is
devoted 10 eternal torments, and he must be
found before the growing of the cock"
And quickly as if borne on thought they
reached the Great City, and from the walls
of the houses blazed in flaming characters the
names Of the deadly sins: Pride, Ayarice,
Drunkenness, Sensuality, in short the whole
seyen-colored bow of sins.
"Yes, there, as believed, as | know" said
the preacher, "there dwell those who are con-
demned 10 eternal flames" And they stood
before brilliantly illuminated doorway, and
the broad stairs were splendid with carpets
and flowers and through the festive halls re-
sounded the music Of a ball.
The porter stood there clad in velvet aud
silk with a silver-mounted cane. "Our ball is
almost as good as The Kings said he, and
turned towards the throng that filled the
streets. From head to toe the thought shone
forth from him: "Poor rabble, who are star
ing in Of the doors, In comparison to me, you
are all mean masses Of rags
"Pride," said the dead, "seest thou him!"-
"Him," replied the preacher "Yes, but he is
fool, nothing but fool, and will not be
damned TO eternal fire and torments." "No,h-
ing but fooli" echoed through the whole