New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-18

side of the newcomer. And Br0ther' he said,
The stranger looked dimly with his heavy eyes.
And he replied, 1t is as dream that know
YOU and know from whence you came And
the dream is sweet TO lie here ana THINK that
am at peace. Deceive me notch! deceive ne
not with visions that are sweet-but let me 20
upon my way and find the end: II there is an
end, or II any good can be.p
What shall we do. "cried the little pilgrim,
to persuade him TINT he has arrived and Is safe.
and dreams no more p
And they stood round him wonderins, and
troubled TO find how little they could do for
him, and that the light entered so slowly into
his soul. And he lay on the bank like one
left for death, so weary and so worn with all
the horrors Of the way that his heart was faint
within him, and peace itself So med TO him but
an illusion. lie lay silent while they watched
and waited, then turned himself upon the grass.
which as soft 10 the weary waylarer as angels
wings; and then the sunshine caught his eye,
as if he had been newborn babe awakened to
the light He put out his hand TO it, and
touched the ground that was golden with those
heavenly rays, and gathered himself up till he
felt il upon his face, and opened wide his dazzlcd
eyes, then shaded them with trembling hands,
and said to himself " It is the sun; 1t is the
sun. But still he did not dare to believe that the
danger and the toll were over, nor could he
listen, nor understand what the brethren said.
While they all stood around and watched and
waited, wondering each how the newcomer should
be satisfied there suddenly arose n sound with
which they were all communicating sound OF
One approaching The faces Of the blessed we're
all around like the stars in the sky-multitudes
whom none could count or reckon but lie who
came was of none, save him to whom lie
came. The weary man rose up with a great
cry, then fell again upon his knees, and flung
his arms wide in the wonder and the Joy. And
Lord he cried, was it Thou? Lord. it was
Thou Thine was the face. And Thou hast
brought me herel"
The watchers knew not what the other voice
said, for what is said to each newcomer is the
secret Of the Lord But when they looked again
the man stood upright upon his feet, and his
with weakness and with WEAKNESS, and with
exceeding JOY yet the confusion and the fear
were gone from him. And he had no longer
any suspicion Of them, as if they might betray
hins but held out his trembling hands and cried,
Friends: you are friends? and you spoke to me
and called me brotherP And am l here? And
am | here ?" For to name the name Of that
blessed countr. was not needful any longer,
now that he had seen the Lord
Then great band and guard of honor Of an
gels and principalities and powers, surrounded
him, and led him away to the Holy City, and to
the presence of the Father, who had permitted
and had not forbidden what the Lord had done.
And all the companies OF the blessed followed
after with wonder and gadne,s and triumph
because the great love of the Lord had drawn
out Of the darkness even those who were beyond
hope.
The little pilgrim saw them depart from her
with love and Joy, and sat down upon the rock
edge and sang her own song of peace; for her
fear was gone. and she ready to do her service
there upon the verge OF the precipice as among
place was. From the depths she said they
come, they come!-frOm the land of darkness,
where no love Is. For Thy love, o Lord, is more
than the darkness and the depths. And where
hope is not, there Thy pity goes She sat and
sang TO herself like happy child for her heart
had iathomed the awful gloom which battles angels
and men, and she had learned that though hope
comes 70 an end and light fails, and the feet Of
the ambassadors are stayed on the mountains
ness swallows up the world, yet Love never fails
As she sang, the pity in her heart grew so strong
and her desire to help the lost,
that she rose up and stepped forth
mltted, in her gentleneSs and weakness, would
have gone forth to the decps and hid no fear.
The ground gave way under her feet, so dread
full was the prccipce; but though her heart beat
with tho horror OF it, and the whifl of the descent
and the darkness which blinded her eyes, yet she
had no hurt and when her foot touched the rock,
and that sinking sense Of emptiness and vacancy
| ceased she looked around and saw the nath by
which the traveller had come. For when the eyes
are used to the darkness, the horror of the gloom
was no longer like solid thing. but moved into
shades of darker and less dark, that she saw
where the rocks stood, and how they sank with
edges that cut like swords, down ana ever down
into the abySses-and how here deep ravlnc was
rent between them, and there were banks and
scaurs as though some one had caught the Jagged
points with wounded hand or foot struggling up
the perpendicuar surface toward the little ray OF
light like tiny star which shone rs on IN
measurable heights TO show wheic lie was. rs
she travelled deeper and deeper II was q WONDER
IN see how far that little ray penetrated down and
down. through CULTS Of darkness blue and cold
like the simmer OF diamond ana even Wnen u
| could be seen no more sent shadoWy rctIHcuon'
n line of something less black than the darkness,
lightning amid the gloom something ihue-
Enable which was hope. Ana tlle great pli9o
of an lev wind SWEET upward IKE some'hlns
| aying upon great wings so tremendous was the
force of it, whirng from the depths pei9W,
sucked upward by The very Warmh 81 t ao,i nt
| above so that the little pilgrim herself caught
at the rocks that she might not be swept a-aln
toward the top. or dashed against the stony
pinnacles that stood up on every SIDE ohe mas
glad when she found little platform under her
/ feet for n moment where she could rest, ana also
because she had come, not from curiosity TO see
that Gulf but with the hope and desire 10 meet
some ono 70 whom she could be OF little comfort
| or help in the terrOrS OF the way. -,
While She stood for moment to get her breath
she became sensible that sons iiVlhg tu INN was
near and putting out her hand she felt that there
| was round her something that was like DaStlon
upon a fortified wall, ard immediately hahd
| touched hers, and soft voice said: Sister,
fear not! for this is the wateh-towcr, and !
am one Of those who keep the way. She had
started and trembled indced-not That she feared,
| but because the delicate fabric Of her being was
! such that every movement Of the wind, and even
those that were instructive and belonged to the
habits of another life, betrayed themselves IN
! her And Oh" she said, knew not that
| there were any watch-towcrs, or any one to help
but came because my heart called me, If perhaps
might hold out my hand IN the darkness ana
help where there no light.
| Come and stand by me- said the wntcher:
and the little pilgrim saw that there was white
| ness near to her, out OF WnIcn SLOWLY Snapcu lir
face Of a fair and tender woman whom she knew
not, but loved. And though they could scarcely
| see each other, yet they knew each other f0r
sisters, and kissed, and took comfort together,
holding each others hands in the midst Of the
awful gloom. And the little pilgrim questioned
in low and hushed tones" Is II TO help that you
| are here ?"
| To help when that may he; but rather to
watch, and TO send the news and make it known
| that one is cOming-that the bells of JOY may
be sounded. and all the blessed may rejoice
"Oh,n said the little pilgrim. " tell me your
| name that | NAV do you honor; for TO gain such
high rromotion can be given only TO the great
| who are made perfect, and to those who love
most
i am not great" said the watcher but the
Lord who considers all, has placed me here,
| Ii rnn, hn tie first WHOM comes