The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-07-10

; ''Come with me- said the good angel; II
will take you home; will spread my wing
over your pillow; will lovingly escort you
all through life under supernatural protec-
ton; will bless every cup you drink out
of; every couch you rest on: every doorway
you enter; will consecrate your tears
when you will weep. your sweat when you
toll, and at the last will hand over your
grave to the bright angel Of Christian
resurrection. In answer to your faith
er's petition and your mothers prayer,
I have been sent Of the Lord out OF
heaven to be your guardian spirit. Como
with me-" said the good angel, IN
voice Of unearthly symphony. 1t was
music like that which drops from Lutte OF
Heaven when seraph breathes on it. ''No,
no." said the bad angel, 'come with me; I
have something better to offer; the wines
I pour are from chalices of bewitching
carousal; the dance lead is over floor tes-
selated with hunrestrained indulgences; there
is no God to frown on the temples of sin
where 1 worship. The skies arc Italian.
The paths I tread are through meadows,
daisied and primrosed. Come with me-"
The young man hestated at time when
hesitation was ruin, and the bad angel smote
|! the good angel until it departed, spreading
wings through the starlight upward and
away, until door flashed open in the sky,
and forever the wings vanished. That was
the turning point in that young mans
history; for, the good angel flown, he hesi
tated no longer, but started on a pathway
which Is beautiful at the opening, but
blasted at the last The bad angel, leading
the way, opened gate after gate, and ct each
tho r0o1 hacaO1n crhnr and tho sky
more lurid, and what was peculiar, as the
gate slammed shut ii came to with a jar that
indicated that it would never open. Passed
each portal. there was a grinding oflocks and
showing of bolts; and The scenery on either
side the road changed from gardens to des-
erts, and the June air became 4 cutting De-
cenlber blast, and the bright wings Of the
bad angel turned to sackcloth and the eyes
of light became hollow with hopeless
grief, and the fountains, that at the start thad
tossed with wine, poured forth bubbling
tears and foanling blood, and on the right
side the road there was a serpent, and
the man said to the bad angel: "What
is that scrpent!" and the answer was:
That is the serpent of singing remorse.n
On the left side the road there was a
lion. and the man asked the bad angel:
w ldv IS tudG I4Ou. diC lilS Siu>"SL
was: THAT is the lion of all dcvourins
despair a vulture few through the sky,
and the man asked the bad angel: "What
is that vulture:' and the answer was:
THAT is the vulture waiting for the car
cases Of the slain" And then the man be-
gan to try to pull off Of him the folds of
something that had wound him round and
round, and he said 10 the bad angel: "What
is it that twists me in this awful convolu-
tion?" and the answer was: THAT is the
worm that never diesm And then the man
said to the bad angel: "What does all this
mean? trusted in what you said at the
corner of the street that night; I trusted
it all, and why have you thus dc
cevcd me?" Then the last deception
fell off the charmer, and it said: Il was
sent forth from the pit to destroy your
soul; I watched my chance for many long
year; when you hesitated that night on the
street, gained my triumph; now you arc
here Ha! hal You are here. Come now,
let US fill these two chalices of fire, and
drink together to darkness and woe and
death. Hail! Hail. 0, Young man, will the
good angel sent forth by Christ or the bad
angel sent forth by sin get the victory over
your soul? Their winso oro in serlcclsad thic
you, contending for yoHr
destSaS; IS &c re peIines and
condor fight gullsky This hour may de-
eide your dese God help you. To hesi-
tate is to die!