Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-12-04
The ola Path and the False Leader.

Inc U1d rain ana thes raise Leader.
Far out on the Western plains there
is valley known as the VALLEY OF
Death" 1t is about ninety miles in
circumference. and iswaIled in by cliffs
mountains hundreds of feet in Insight.
In the distance it is grand, inviting
beautiful to look upon. Yet it seems
that even the wild Indian, in his wan
behring's, was never known to enter
within its dismal walls.
In the year 1850, several hundred
emigranis left Salt Lake City to seek
homes further West When few
days on their journey, some concluded
to try new route. The veteran lead
er and guide urged that they should
keep in the ''old path, the one known
to be safe. and for the reason that it
abcnuded in water and grass for their
teams and herds and that there was no
danger of being led into a desert in
seeking new routes. The tragic fate
OF other trains that had quit the known
and tiled route was called to mind. all,
however to no purpose. A new leader
was chosen by those who wished to try
new route; eighty-seven families,
more than three hundred persons, fol-
lowed him.
1t was a sad hour when separation
began. The voice of warning might
have been heard In almost every camp,
among those who could not be induced
to quit the old road. 1t was answered
with jeers and often contemptuously
Soon the trains we're out OF sight of
each other. For days the train travel
ed without interruption, nothing &C.
CURED to cause any regret for their
abandonment of the 'old road" 1t
was not long, however, before it was
found that their supply Of water was
exhausted. This trouble was soon re-
lieyed by the word being passed along
the train that beautiful valley was in
sight, that abounded with lakes of
clear water. All was hope and hurry
as they pressed down the declivity and
descended into the broad valley which
lay out-stretched before them with its
promised cooling fountains. Water
was the necessity, and this they imag
ined they could see Just in stght-an
hours drive ahead 4 days travel
did not bring them to water, but to
the center of the desert, where, instead
of lakes of water, to their utter dis
may they found white sand banks, re-
flecting a heat like powerful furnace,
which increased their thirst rather
than diminished. There was no sign
of life as they could see-not sprig of
grass nor drop Of water. All was
deathlike. What delusioni What
mistake How much better it would
have been for US to have continued on
the road we abandoned !" were among
the lamentations of the unfortunate
travellers. For a few minutes there
was utter dismay. Parents turned
pale and little ones wept as if their
hearts would break The cry was
Water" from their parched lips.
Now for the escape The train was
turned towards the walls. Here they
found no outlet, not so much as where
they entered. Around the gloomy
walls they began their doleful march.
But it was the march of death. Their
hocks stretched themselves under the
sehorching sun. Then the little chill
dren crying for water, died at their
mothers breast and mothers. in turn,
laid down to rise no more. Here and
there might be seen the father, moth
er and little ones all stiff in death. In
little while bm t,CO remained out of
the three hundred. These escaped to
tell the tragic story of their comrades.
To this time scattered along the Dor
der of this dismal valley, are the wag-
ons of this ill-fated colony with their
teams attached; and side by side in the
lonely waste are to be seen the shtiv-
led skeletons of parents and their lit
tie ones-ghastly and frightful monu-
ments of the folly of those who treat
with contempt the counsels of the aged
and experienced.
What a sad fate! They should
have kept On the old road" all will
say. Yes, and you are right. Bat
did not those unfortunate people act
just like many little boys and girls,
even grown up people, who grow tired
of the old paths pointed out to them
by their parents and friends, and who
seek new ones to their shame and ruin?
Boys who quit the Sabbath School or
the church TO roam on the street, or
hunt, are quitting the "old paths" for
new aud dangerous ones. Those who
lay aside the Bible and the religious
book or paper for such publications
az the Chimney Corner, Days Doings,
the Ledger or the New York Weekly,
are abandoning the "old paths" for
those that lead them to the real valley
of death-the dark vale of eternal
perditiOn. Young people should close
their ears to those that call their pa
rents ''old fogies" because they insist
that they are right. Many are laughed
aabecause they hang TO their mammals
apron strings. Better this than to
hang to the end of rope from a gal
lows.
All! how many that once were things
of beauty-dear, darling little sons
and daughters-the pride of doting
parents and friends, are now the loath-
some, the shriveled skeletons, the vic
tins who fill dishonerable graves, and
whose souls are in the vale of eternal
night-all this because they abandoned |
the old, tried paths of truth and virtue
for those of pleasure and dissipation. |
Take warning children. When tempt
ed to do evil, TO abandon the teach
ings of Gods word, think of the emf
grant train that was lost by quitting
the old, tried road on the Western |
Mains