The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-02-03

about and initiate worm two or three
minutes. Francisco Call"
THE DARK RIVER.
A Beautiful Little Allegory, Suited TO All
= Times and Conditions.
Once upon time little boy came,
during his play, to the bank OF a river.
The waters of the river were very dark
and wild, and there was so black cloud
over the river that the little boy could
not see the further shore. An icy wind
came up from the cloud and chilled the
little boy, and he trembled with cold and
fear as the wind smote his cheeks and
ran its slender, icicle fingers through
his yellow curls An old man sat on
the bank of the river, he was very, very
old, his head and shoulders were cover
ed with a black mantle, and his head
was white as snow.
"Will you come with me, little boy?'
asked the old man.
"Where?" inquired the little boy.
"To yonder Shore" replied the old
man.
ooh, no; not to that dark shore, said
the little boy. Il would be afraid to
g"
s'But think of the sunlight always
there" said the old man, "the birds and
flowers: and remember there is no pain
nor anything of that kind to vex you.
The little boy looked and saw the dark
cloud hanging over the waters, and he
felt the cold wind come up from the riv-
er; moreover, the sight of the strange
man terrified him. So, hearing his moth
er calling him, the little boy ran back to
his home, leaving the old man by the
river side.
Many years after that time the little
boy came again to the river, but ne was
not little boy now-he was big strong
man.
1.-The river is the same," said he; ''the
wind is the same cold, cutting wind of
| ice, and the same black cloud obscures
wonder shore. I wonder where the
strange old man can beP"
|
The man turned and looked on him
| who spoke, and he saw a warrior clad
| in black armor and welding an iron
! sword.
"No, you are not he," cried the man.
"You are warrior come to do me
HARM
II am, indeed, warrior" said the
other. ''Come with me across the
river"
''No," replied the man, II will not
20 with you. Hark, l hear the voices
Of my wife and children calling to me-
| I return to them!'
The warrior strove to hold him fast
and bear him across the river to the
yonder shore, but the man prevailed
against him and returned to his wife
and little ones and the warrior was left
upon the river bank.
Then many years went by and the
strong man became old and feeble. He
found no pleasure in the world, forhe
was weary of living. His wife and
children were dead, and the old man was
alone. So one day he came to the bank
of the river for the third time and he
saw that the waters had become quiet
and that the wind which came up
from the river was warm and
gentle and smelled of flowers;
there was no dark clouds overhangine
the yonder shore, but in its place
was q golden mist through which the old
man could see people walking on the
yonder shore and stretching out their
hands to him, and he could hear them
calling him by name. Then he knew
they were the voices of his dear ones.
Il am weary and lonesome" cried
the old man. "All have gone before
me-father, mother, wife, children-all
whom l have loved. I see them and
hear them on yonder shore, but who
| will bear me to themp''
Then spirit came in answer to this
cry. But the spirit was not a strange
old man, nor yet an armored warrior
but as he came to the rivers bank that
day he was a gentle angel, clad in
white; his face was very beautiful, and
there was divine tenderness in his eyes,
"Rest thy head upon my bosom, u
said the angel, "and I will bear thee
across the river to those who call thee y
! So, with the sweet peace Of a little
child sinking to his slumbers, the ole
man dropped in the arms of the angel
and was borne across the river to those
who stood upon the yonder shore ant
called Chicago Nesps.