The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-10-12
THE CROSSROADS.

+ "Which road do we take, grandpa?"
inquired Harry, as grandpa's little black
mare and Harry's pretty little pony
battered slowly, side by side, up tow
ard the crossroads.
a''Whicheyer road you would like the
best, - replied grandpa, carelessly.
Harry turned and looked at grandpa,
it was such an oddreply, but grandpa's
face gave no more information than
his answer had done. e
''You are joking, grandpa, I know
you are said Harry, laughing.
Joking! I am very serious, " replied
grandpa. alsa
"But, grandpa, we want to go to
Cresson.'' sese er.
$50 we do. Your cousins will be
pleased to see you, Harry"
Harry found that grandpa said no more
about the road, SO he waited a minute
until they came to the point where the
question must be decided. ~ s7.
Grandpa drew up his reins and quite
stopped his little mare, and Harry won
dered very much what grandpa meant
to do, coming to a full stop just at the
point where the two roads crossed each
other.
''Do you forget which road to take,
grandpaP' ft*
''No, indeed, I have trotted over
them both too often to forget about
them.
"Then, which shall we take, grand
pap
''The one you like best, boy" .4a
Harry was perplexed. Grandpa
seemed so earnest in saying such silly
thing. ~
II don't care which road we take
grandpa, only I want to go to Cresson.'
''You want to go to Cresson, of
course, but it is strange you do not de-
eide which you like the appearance of
best; one you notice is much smoother
and easier travelled than the other.'' .
"Grandpa, I am sure they can not
both 90 to Cresson."
''Oh, no, nobody said they did, boy;
but what does that matter?"
Harry was greatly disturbed; he
thought something must be the matter
with grandpa, or that he was very pro-
yoking.
'We can not get to Cresson, grand
pa, if we take the wrong road," he re-
piled, scrap. impatiently; chow can
it matter about my liking the roadP'
''It matters a great deal. One road
is up hill and down ALI the way for
miles, and leads over stream which
we would be obliged to ford; the other
is smoother, easier; which do you think
you woald prefer?"
"But, grandpa, we. will have to take
the right one, no matter what kind of
a one it is. - 1888 '4+
: s'Why, my dear boy, your words are
contrary to the actions of the greater
part of the people of the world; how
do you happen to speak so unreason-
ablyP"
! Harry's little Nudge was getting a
scrap fussy, and wanted to go; Harry
looked perplexed as he tried to make
Nudge stand still.
81 do not know, grandpa; but do let
us CO." he pleaded.
: eyes, it is hard to stand still; ponies,
horses, boys, men, women-time, all
like to 60, and do go, but the great
point to decide is where to 60, and how
to get there ~
'NGrandpa, you are too funny for any,
thing" said Harry, more and more be-
wildered; "we decided to go to Cresson,
and now the thing to do is to go, isn't
it?''
'Yes, but how?-that is the ques-
tom
"By the road which leads there,
grandpa, for you know yourself if we
take the wrong road we will never,
never reach Cresson, if we even ride for
year"
''Do you really mean that, boyP" in
qlired grandpa, solemnly; ado you
mean to say that it is SO important
about the road?1
Harry did not like to laugh at grand
pa, but he did do it; how could he help
It?
"Why, grandpa;" he said, as he
patted little Nudge, and tried to make
him stand as still as JET was doing;
I" why, grandpa, it is just as important
to get on the right road as it is to start
at all, don't you think SOP"
ITO be sure / do, said grandpa,
with a sudden earnestness; 81 see that
YOU agree with me. so we will not con- |
slider which road is the easiest, or most
agreeable, but take the one leading to
Cresson, which is this to the right. But
stay minute; Nudge must wait. Did
you think your grandpa had lost his
senses?n
"No, grandpa, not just that" said
Harry, patting Nudge, and feeling re-
ieVed that they had succeeded in SO far
coming to reason.
Boy, said grandpa, holding Midge's
bride to make him stand quite still and
just where he could look in Harry's
puzzled eyes; "you are standing at taoo
crossroads instead of one. Do you
know what mean?"
mo, grandpa, can not think
s'These roads lead to the north, south,
east and west; the eye can see them;
the other crossroads lead to God and
away from Him; there are only two of
rem"
Harry was q little puzzled yet.