Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-02-27
From the Catholic Mirror,
WHICH?
BY EMMA BowARD WIGHT.

Sitting in my library one evening, be-
gan to tponder over virtue and vice, and
their influence upon ones life. Certainly
there was great deal of enjoyment in sim
ful pleasures, and life Of virtue and right
eousness was at best but dull one. As I
thus sat pondering, a vague, dreamy feeling
stole over me, the fre-lit room faded away,
snd was standing in wood with grave-
raced, venerable old man with snow-white
hair and beard, and before us stretched two
roads. Motioning for me to follow, the old
man started along one. 1t was wide,
beautiful road, with flowers on every side,
trees loaded with temptin-glook fruit,
cleal running streams, asd the sky above
us was so blue, and the sun shone so warm
and bright. l was Immediately seized with
desire to pluck the flowers, to taste of the
fruit, and to drink of the silvery, clear
waters. My venerable companion seemed
to fathom this desire, for he paused and
said to me: ''If you wish to indulge in
these things, you are at liberty to do So"
This permission filed me with delight, but
all things around me were 30 tempting that
hardly knew where to begin my enjoy
ment of them. Finally paused before .
bush covered with lovely deep-red roses,
whose fragrance filed the air. STOPPING
over plucked one, but the next moment
uttered cry of pain and dropped it to the
ground, for the stem was covered with sharp
thorns which pierced my fingers. a little
| further on was another bush covered with
roses equally fragrant aud lovely, though
Of pale pink in color. Though my fingers
were still smarting from the wounds made
| by the thorns Of the red rose, l could not re-
sist stopping to gather one OF these.
found there were no thorns to pierce my
| fingers, and with delight I inhaled the
sweet perfume, when lol the delicate leaves
began to shrivel, and the rose lay in my
hand dead and withered thing. l next
paused beneath tree, the branches OF
which were hung with great golden pears.
Eagerly gathered one and placed it to my
lips, but, to my utter disappointment, found
it most sour and disagreeable to the taste.
I then ran to another tree hung with lovely,
misunderstanding peaches, and gathered one.
Somewhat cautiously tasted it, but found
it most sweet aud delicious, and was eating
it with much enjoyment, when saw it was
filled with crawling worms, and with dis
gust and loathing l threw it from me.
then thought would refresh myself from
one Of the clear running streams which ap.
peared at intervals along the road, but
when l stopped my lips to the water found
it bitter and nauseous. Timidly tried an
other, and found the water sweet and cool,
but though drank and drank, it would not
satisfy my thirst, only left me thirstier and
more unsatisfed than before. Near one of
the streams grew bad of strange looking
but exquisitely beautiful flowers, their
many different hues making a gorgeous
mass of color, while there arose from the
hearts of the flowers rich and intoxicat-
ing perfume. l rushed over, and STOPPING
grasped eagerly at the flowers, but as
parted them saw coiled about their roots
| Of hizainn uurithi0n aHaa frOpV
which l fed in terror. noticed as We went
along that the flowers and fruit trees and
running streams grew fewer and farther
between; that the sun had ceased to shine,
while the sky looked gray and dull. | did
not stop to gather the flowers or taste of
the fruits. Their beauty had palled upon
me; or if anything more than usually lovely
tempted me, past experience warned me
off, For had not found thorns and snakes
about the loyelieSt flowers, or had they not
faded as soon as gathered9 Had not the
most tempting-looking fruits proved sour
OF filled with worms, aud the clearest water
bitter or unsatisfying? ] saw as we went
along that the road was covered with num-
berless footprints, and the old man, seeing
me regard these curiously, said: "Many
have travelled this road before you, and
many will travel 1t after you."
Suddenly the road abruptly ended, and
we were standing before large gate, dark,
gloomy, and frownng. The old man went
bup to it and flung it open, and pointed with
his finger beyond. And 1 saw vast,
gloomy desert, without a tree or a blade Of
grass, while a dark, lowering sky over
shadowed it, and seemed to cast pail over
its bare desolatiop. Then the old man
beckoned for me to come nearer, and saw
that upon the ground lay hundreds of hui
| ua pO0fiOntaSa n hQra
writhing and distorted, but one and all OK
pressed an utter abandonment of despair
and woe, while the air was filled with
shrieks and groaus and means. AS l gaz-
ed, horror struck, upon this scene, my ven-
cradle guide pointed to the beautiful road
which in sharp contrast stretched behind
us, and then to the tortured creatures be-
yond the cato. "They all came this road"
he said. The next moment found myself
standing in the wood again, and the old
man Was m0tioniDg for me to follow him
along the other road. 1t was very
straight and narrow road, and lined with
briars which pierced my hands and limbs,
and hard stones which cut my feet. Often
1 grew exhausted and stopped, and again
and again fell, but the old man always
urged me on, or lifted me up with gentle,
encouraging words. l noticed there were
fewer footprints along this road, and that
numerous little paths rau from it into the
other. | had not noticed them from tha
other side, for the flowers aud trees had
almost concealed them, but they were
plainly perceptib!e here, and again and
again felt tempted to rush from the hard,
stony, wearying road to the one which
looked 50 alluring and restful, but my
guides beckoning finger urged me on.
Finally, whea was almost worn out, and
1 e. o,,1 hn
began to grow less hard, the stones fewer,
and the briars less sharp, and suddenly the
same dark gate rose before us, and my guide
flung it open. Aud l saw a beautiful gar
der, in which there were exquisite flowers
and fruits which far surpassed any in the
beautiful road, and clear, sparkling foun-
tains. The songs of many beautifully
plumaged birds filed the air with melody,
and the air was soft and warm, perfumed
with thousand delicious odors, and the
sky was one blaze of exquisite coloring, like
a gorgeous sunset. And in this garden
we're numbers of human creatures, all
beautiful and smiling, and with such hap
py, happy faces. Some had their hands
and arms full OF flowers, some had clusters
on their breasts, and others had their brows
bound with them. Then again, some were
eating the delicious fruits, others drinking
the beautiful, sparkling waters from the
fountains. My guide pointed, as before, to
the road behind US, and then to the lovely,
Joyous screatures beyond. the gates, and
again he said: "They all came this road"
Again the heavy gate swung TO, and I
was standing in the wood. The old man
laid his hand upon my arm. "You have
seen both," he said, and to what each
leads. Which will you choosea" The next
moment the wood and the old man were
gone. 1 was in my old familiar room,
lshivarinp for the fire was Onlv a masa NJ