Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-07-21

together as a scroll. For tragedy, the doom
of the destroyed. For farce, the effort to
serve the world and God at the same time.
For the last scene OF the fifth act, the
tramp of nations across the stage-some
to the right, others to the left.
Again, any amusement that gives you a
distaste for domestic life is ad. How many
bright domestic circles have been broken
up by sinful amusements? The father went
Off, the mother went Off, the child went off.
There are all around us the fragments OF
blasted households. Oh! If you have wan
dered away, would like to charm you
back by the sound of that one word,
"Home." Do you not know that you have
but little more time to give to domestic
welfare? Do you not see, father, that your
children are soon to go out into the world,
and all the influence for good you are to
have over them you must have now? Death
will break in on your conjugal relations,
and, alas! II you have to stand over the
grave of enc who perished from your neg
Iect.
OF amusement will decide your eternal
destiny. One night saw young man at
street corner evidently doubling as to
which direction he had better take. He
had his hat lifted high enough SO you
could see he had an Intelligent forehead.
He had stout chest; he had a robust de-
velopment. Splendid young man. Cultured
young man. Honored young man. Why
did he stop there while so many were 60
ing up and down? The fact is that every
man has good angel and bad angel
contending for the mastery of his spirit.
angel struggling with that young mans
soul at the corner of the street. Come
with me-" said the good angel, 81 will take
you home. I will spread my wing over
your pathway. l will lovingly escort you
all through life. will bless every cup you
~ Of al,
every doorway you enter. I will conse-
crate your tears when you weep, your
sweat when you toll, and at the last will
hand over your grave into the hand
of the bright angel OF Christian resurrec-
tion. In answer to your fathers petition
OF the Lord out of Heaven to be your guar
dian spirit. Come with me!' said the good
angel, In voice of unearthly symphony.
1t was music like that which drops from a
lutte OF Heaven when seraph breathes on
it. mo, no." said the bad angel, "come
with me; have something better to offer;
the wines Ipour are from cbalices of be-
witching carousal; the dance lead Is over
hoor tessellated with unrestrained indul-
gences; there is no God to frown on the
temples of sin where l worship. The skies
are Italian. The paths tread are through
meadows daisied and primrosed; come with
with me-" The young man hesitated at q
time when hesitation was ruin, and the bad
angel smote the good angel until 1t de-
parted spreading wings through
the starlight upward and away, until a
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 hesitated no longer,
hut started on pathway which is beauti-
full Mt the opening. but blasted at the last
The bad angel, leading the way. opened
gate after gate, and at each gate the road
ham t,,a v1,n~ ,t..
and, what was peculiar, as the gate
slammed shut it came to with Jar that
indicated that it would never open. Passed
each portal. there was a grinding of locks
and showing of bolts; and the scenery on
either side the road changed from gardens
to deserts, and the June air became cut
ting December blast, and the bright wings
of the bad angel turned to sackcloth and
the eyes of the light became hollow with
hopeless grief, and the fountains, that at
the start had tossed wine, poured
forth bubbling tears and foamng blood,
and on the right side of the road there was
serpent. and the man said to the bad
angel, "What is that serpent?" and the
answer was, That is the serpent of sting
ing remorse." On the left side of the road
there was a lion, and the man asked the
bad angel, ''What is that lion?" aud the
answer was. "That is the lion of all-devour-
ing despair" A vulture flew 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
carcasses OF the slain." And then the man
began to try to pull off of him the folds of
something that had wound him round and
round, and he said to the bad angel,
''What is it that twists me in this awful
cohvolution?" and the answer was, "That
is the worm that never diesr' 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; l trusted it
all, and why have you thus deceived me?"
Then the last deception fell off the char
mer, and it said: 81 was sent forth from
the pit to destroy your soul; watched my
chance for many a long year; when you
hesitated that night on the street gained
my triumph; and now you are here. Ha!
ha! You are here. Come, now let us fill
these two chalices of fire and drink to-
gether to darkness and woe and death.
Hail! hail!'' Oh, 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 wings are interlocked this
moment above you, contending for your
destiny, as above the Apprentices eagle and
condor fight mid-sky This hour may de-
eide your destiny. God help youi To
hesitate is to die!