Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-09-22
[For the Gazette.
From Darkness to Light.
a ~ - ~ ID = 7
BY C.. A. r

BY C. A. B.
At the top of one of those gigantic mountains
in Asia VIII ch lift up their heads so far above
the clouds that the eye of man never saw their
SUBMITS, there was deep black hole al thel @
stood man upon the edge of that hole: and
the man was tail and stately in form, and was
wrapped up from his shoulders to his feet in the
toga of old Rome. And the outlines of his fig
ure were indistinct, but his features were the
features OF fallen angel, for the mantle of the
night and of the mist, and of the moon, and of
the dew, had left uncovered the features of his
lace' ana ms brow was lofty with thought
and his eye wild with care; and his countensnce
was distorted with intense agony, and sorrow
and WEAKNESS. And he lifted his hands TO
heaven and cried, "Woe is mel"
And the man shuddered and turned and
walked with faltering steps toward the deep
| black hole, and with a mad energy bersn ID a..
scending as if impelled by some irresistible
force, and he looked up and the sweat of great
agony was on his brow, and the man descended
and ne looked down, and he shuddered, and the
man snudoereo. and the man paused. and stop
ped ana voice was heard issuing from the
gloomy depths saying, "Descend descend oh
thou unrlghteous descendl" and the man de-
| scended. And presently he reached y ledge
and upon that ledge were characters engrsyen
upon the stone, and no turned and looked upon
|
acters were Despair.
And as be looked he was lifted and he was
| carried, and he was transported through the
air, down down, below. And behold there WAS
great light, and the man looked, and behold
! he was in an immense apartment, and he looked
and his brain reeed There was no ceiling
none-but dense whirling mass of fiery color
| ed clouds From above hung chain of an un-
known bood-red metal-its upper end lost to
view. From its lower extremity hung large
amp and from 1t poured light so intense so
STILL so terrible, that the man closed his ewes
and shuddered, and the man shuddered and in
this apartment reigned the silence of death and
the silence was broken by succession of wild,
laughter like and ierdisn shrieks and the man
heard the wailings and the howliags of the hope
less and the damnedl And the man opened his
| eyes and he beheld in each corner of the cham
Der skeleton, and in each of their bony hands
there was scroll, and on them were inscribed
in characters of blood respectively, "Dsmns-
ton Eternal, He'll Fire Everlasting, Murder and
Suicide and Desolation and Destruction" and
near each skeleton Was door,
And the man looked and 10, he beheld win
dow through which CLEANED the CHASTITY fires of
| hell. And he heard voice saying contest thou
hence! And the man looked and 10, ho beheld
demon, and the demon laughed, and pointed
to the doors saying, (which choosotL thou 2"
Anu the man spoke, saying, what art the mean
ing Of the inscriptions p And the Devil smoke
saying, thou art now in the kingdom of he'll,
| from VIII :ch there is no escape but through these
doors, If the portals of damnaton eternal are
| passed, there thou wilt hear Walings, crashing
OF teeth, the curses of the damned, and there
thou art sunk in misery, everlasting and endless
despair. If thou dost pass the portals of hell
fire everlasting there thou wilt be in an all
consuming fire, through which horrid serpents
with, and where demons hold their reves.
There thou will meet Kings Whiskey, Rum,
Gin and Death-Sstsns greatest subjects; and
thy duties wilt be to feed the serpents on the
bodies OF sinners. If however thou should'st
choose to pass through the door of Murder and
suicide thou ,would'st again ascend to earth,
and have for thy companions Kings Whiskey
Gin and Rum and complete the work thew NAV
have lett undone. If thou should'.t choose tho
path of Desolation and Destruction, thou
would st ascend to earth also and carry with
thee Famine, Floods, Pests and Plaques, and
tnou Wouldst have for thy companion King
Death. Which chooseth thcu2'
And the man grosned in his agony, and the
mans heart was softened, and the man wept
and he lifted up his voice and cried aloud
200, nave mercy on me- poor sinner" And
| To- the heavens became lvid-the wind howled
ana shrieked-the thunder rolled-the lightning
fell-and the apartment shook to its foundation
| ana there was u great noise and the ian listen.
| ed and heard shrieks, means, Kisses, wailinps,
| amen tations and cries of measureess despair
And the man looked up and the clouds were
rolled aside and rent asunder-the chain .wayed
and swung, and the lamp hckered and Jared.
ana 10, there was great light, and in that
hight there was cross, and on that cross an in
scrlptlon, ana that inscription was Hope. And
the man knee ed and prayed and when he arose
and looked around 10, he beheld beautiful and
! smiling country, and saw murmuring brooks,
beautiful meadows, pleasant villages and a
bright and shining sky and the man had
emerged out of darkness into hope. And 10, he
had found true happiness, and he went on his
way rejoicing.