The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-01-11
SUNDAY READING,
The Two Roads


raised his eyes toward the deep blue
sky, where the stars were floating like
white lilies on the surface of clear,
calm lake. Then he cast them on the
earth, where few more helpless beings
than himself were moving towards their
inevitable goal-the tomb. Already he
had passed sixty of the stages which
lead to 1t, and he had brought from bis
journey nothing but errors and remorse
His health was destroyed, his mind uns
furnished, his heart sorrowful, and his
old age devoid of comfort.
The days Of his youth rose up in
vizion before him, and he recalled the
solemn moment when his father had
placed him at the entrance of two roads,
one leading into peaceful, sunny land,
covered with fertile harvest, and re-
sounded with soft sweet songs; while
the other conducted the wanderer into
deep, dark cave, whence there was
no issue, where poison flowed instead of
water, and where serpents hissed and
crawled.
He looked towards the sky, and cried
out in his anguish: 80, youth return !
o, my father, place me once more at the
crossway of life, that may choose the
better road ~ But the days of his
youth had passed away, and his parents
were with the departed. He saw wan
dering lights float over dark marshes,
and then disappear. "Such," he said,
were the days of my wasted lifeP' He
saw star shoot from Heaven, and van
ish in darkness athwart the church
yard. " Behold an emblem of myself ~
he exclaimed and the sharp arrows
of unavailing remorse struck him to the
heart.
Then he remembered his early COM
panions, who had entered life with him,
but who having trod the paths of virtue
and industry, were now happy and
honored on this New YEARS. night. The
clock in the high church-tower struck,
and the sound falling on his ear, recalled
the many tokens of the love of his par
ents for him, their erring SON; the les
sons they had taught him; the prayers
they had offered up in his behalf. Over
whelmed with shame and grief, he dared
no longer look towards that Heaven
where they dwelt. His darkened eyes
dropped tears, and, with one despairing
effort, he cried aloud, "Come back, my
early days Come back ~
And his youth did return for all this
had been but dream, visiting his sum-
bers on New Years night He was still
young; his errors only were no dream.
He thanked God fervently that time
was still his own; that he had not yet
entered the deep, dark cavern, but that
he was free to tread the road leading
to the peaceful land where sunny har-
vests wave.
Ye who still lipger on the threshold
of life, doubling which path to choose,
remember that when years shall be
passed, and your feet shall stumble on
the dark mountain, you will cry bitter
ly, but cry in vain, " o, youth, return
o, give me back my early days!"
tB- Religions grand secret is living
upon Christ, looking continually to
him. All that is desirable In ourselves,
all that is useful to others, must be
drawn simply from this source; and
everything else must be in subservien-
cy to this. The secret of abiding in
Christ is compound grace of humility,
faith and ve,-humility, by which the
soul feels its OWE nothingness and emp.
tiness; faith, by which it embraces the
Saviour, as all sufficient for every want !;
and love, by which it continually
dwells in him.
ca The will of God is the light by
which we ought to be guided. Nothing
grievous can ever happen to us so long
as we follow it. When we walk with
out light nthe night of our evil will,
we cannot avoid either stumbling or GO
ing astray. Let Thy will, o Lord, be
always the lamp which may enlighten
my steps, and the light which may di-
rect me in Thy ways.
tB- Nothing is tolerable that is neces-
sary. Now,God hath bound thy trouble
upon thee, by his special Providence,
and with design to try thee, and with
purposes to reward and to crown thee
These cords thou canst not break, and
therefore lie thou down gently, and suf-
fer the hand of God to do what he
please.
Worth RememherinI.