Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-11-13

I
We always could trust him when he was
at home, and since he has been away
| there have been SO many prayers offered
for him We can trust him still" Then ..
: or 8 O'Clock, Just before they retire. sor
they go early to bed. they kneel down
and commend you TO that God who
4 watches in country and in town, on the
land and on the sea.
Honor to Parents.
! God pity the Young man who has
brought disgrace on his fathers name.
God pity the Young man who has broken
his mothers heart. Better that he had
never been born. Better IL in the first
hour of his life. instead of being laid
against the warm bosom of maternal ten
derneSs. he had been cotfined and sep
ulchered. There is no balm powerful
enough TO heal the heart of one who has
brought parents 10 a sorrowful grave and
who wanders about through the dismal
cemetery rending the air md wringing
the hands and crying, Mother. mother"
oh, that to-day. by all the memories OF
tue cast and by all the hopes of the fu-
ture, ,ou would yield your heart TO God.
May your fathers God and your mothers
God be your God forever.
This hour the door of mercy swings
wide open Hesitate not a moment. In
many a case hesitation is the loss of all.
| At the corner of street | saw a tragedy.
A young man evidently doubted as to
which direction he had better take. His
| hat was lifted high enough so yoa could
| see he had an intelligent forehead. He
had a stout chest and robust develop
ment. Splendid young man. Cultured
young man, Honored young man. Why
! lid he stop there while so many were go
! ing up and down? The fact is that every
young man has a good angel and a bad
angel eontending for the mastery of his
| spirit, and there were good angel and
| bad angel struggling with that young
mans soul at the corner of the street.
| Come with me, said the good angel. Il
| will take you home | will spread my
| wings over your pillow. | will lovingly
escort you all through life under super
natural protection. | will bless every cup
you drink out of, every couch you rest on,
! every doorway you enter. | will conSe-
| crate your tears when you weep. your
sweat when YOU Oh. and at the last | will
hand over your s,rSce into the hand of the
bright angel of a Christian resurrection.
| have been sent of the Lord TO be your
guardian spirit. Come " h me-" said the
| good angel in voice of unearthly SYM
| phOny. 1t was music like that which
drops from u lutte of heaven when Il
seraph breathes on it.
'Oh. no" said the bad angel. Come
with me. | have something better to Of
| fer. The wines | pour are from chalices
| of bewitching carousal. The dance | lead
| is over floors tessellated with unrestrain-
ed indulgence. There is no God to frown
on the temples Of sin where | worship.
The skies are Italian. The paths l tread
are through meadows daisied and prim-
! rosed Come with mer'
Hesitation Is Ruin.
| The young man hesitated at a time
when hesitation was ruin, aud the bad
| angel smote the good angel until it de-
| parted, spreading wings through the star
| light, upward and away, until a door
swung 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 hesitG ted no
longer, but started ON a pathway which
is beautiful at the opening, but blasted at
| the last. The bad angel led the way
| through gate after gate, and at each gate
| the road became rougher and the sky
more lurid, and. what was peculiar, as
the gate slammed shut it came to with a
| jar that indicated it would never open
Past each portal there were a grinding of
| locks and showing of the bolts, and the
| scenery on each side the road changed
| from gardens to deserts and the June air
| became a cutting December blast, and
| the bright wings of the bad angel turned
to sackcloth, and the fountains that at
| the start had tossed with wine poured
| forth bubbling tears of foaming blood
| and on the right side of the road there
| was a serpent, and the man said to the
| bad angel, What is that serpentZ" And
| the answer was, That is the serpent of
| singing remorse." On the left side of
| the road there was lion, and the man
asked the bad angel. "Wnat is that lionT'
| The answer was. That is the lion of all
| devouring despair \ vuIture flew
| through the sky, and the man asked the
| bad angel, What is that vulture?" The
answer was, That is the vulture waiting
for the carcasses of the slain"
And then the man said to the bad
! angel: What does all this mean?
! trusted III WHAT you Sdlu Ut inc street
| corner; | trusted it all. Why have you
| thus deceived me-" Then the last decep-
/ ton fell off the charmer, and he said: Il
was sent from the pit to destroy your
| soul. | watched my chance for many a
| long year. When you hesitated that night
at the street corner, | gained my tri-
umph Now you are here. Ha, ha You
are here. Come, now, let us fill the
chalce and drink 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 il terlocked this
moment above yon, confer ding for year
| soul. as above the Apenrines eagle and
condor fight in midsky. Ibis hour decides
| eternal destinies.