Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-07-13

| and, alas! If you nave To stand over .u.
grave OF Cne who perfshed from your neg
, lect.
Let me say to all young men. your style
Of amusement will decide your eternal
destiny. One night saw young man at
u 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 GO
ing up and DOWN The fact is that every
man has a good angel and bad angel
contending for the mastery Of his spirit.
And there was a good angel and a bad
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. l will spread my wing over
your pathway. / will lovingly escort you
all through life. 1 will bless every cup you
drink out Of. every conch you rest on,
every doorway you enter. 1 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 a Christian resurrec-
tiOn. In answer to your fathers petition
and your mothers prayer / have been sent
of the Lord out of Heaven to be your guar
dian spirit. Come with me!' said the good
angel, in a voice OF unearthly symphony.
1t was music like that which drops from
lutte OF Heaven when a seraph breathes on
1t. mo, no." said the bad angel, ''come
with me; l have something better to offer;
the wines pour are from chalices of be-
wtching carousal; the dance l lead Is over
floor tessellated with unrest trained indul-
gences there Is no God to frown on the
temples of sin where / worship. The skies
are Italian. The paths tread are through
meadows daisied and primrosed; come with
with me-" The young man hesitated at a
m w Ia h..gi a Nya FIli in hA had
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 hestated no 10 ger
hut started on n pathway which is beauti-
ful at the opening. but blasted at the last.
The bad angel, leading the way, opened
gate after gate, aud at each gate the road
became rougher and the sky more lurid
and, what was peculiar, the gate
slammed shut it came to with jar that
Indicated that 1t would never open. Passed
each portal, there was a grinding of locks
aud "A 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 foaming blood,
and on the right side of the road there was
Il serpent, and the man said to the bad
angel, what is that serpent?' and tho
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?" and the
answer was, THAT IL 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
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 diesl" 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; trusted 1t
all, and why have you thus deceived me?"
Then the last deception fell off the char
mer, and 1t said: II was sent forth from
the pit to destroy your soul; l watched my
chance for many long year; when you
hesitated that night on the street gained
my triumph; and now you are here. Hal
ha! You are here. Come, now, let US hll
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 you'll To
hesitate Is to diel