The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-21

winch was not al Dream, to quote
| Byron, but very sad reality / read be-
| fore the war an account of the youth. and
| it was stated that the main features were
true. / use these facts in my own way
| in the hope Of benefitting some sin-bur-
dened soul that needs repentance and the
rest and favor of God. If this report of
how the young Scotsman was so solemnly
warned shall benefit one youth or some
older sinner. / shall be glad indeed God
bless the article therefore.
A person in the full flush of manhoods
early prime had just been graduated at
distinguished university. He had borne
of the highest honors of his class, and
by general acclaim had been pronounced
the best intellect among all his brother
collegians Full of hope and trimming
with a restless desire for yet higher hon
ors and for nobler achievements than the
circumscribed arena upon which he had
recently ruled would furnish he began
the study of law, a great profession when
honorably pursued. But here the current
OF his life gradually changed. The placid
stream OF earlier days became disturbed
as 1t ran on into maturer years. and ex-
perience not so uncommon as to be speci-
ally marked His studious and moral life
was forgotten amid the gay festivities the
winsome delights, the fascinating enter
tainments of Vanity Fair. He became
man of fashion. He lived under false
conditions where vice flourlshed and al
lUrements abounded. Read that memoir
able book by Sir Otto Trevelyan on the
early life of Charles James Fox, and you
will learn much of such influences, sur
roundings conditions / may not here
enlarge My hero soon acquired a taste
for balls parties, wine suppers, late din
ners and intoxicating frivolities in all of
their enchanting forms. In few years
the change for the worse was most mani
fest. He who had been so moral, so stu
dlous, so assiduous In the offices of de-
corum, politeness, frugality, fine ex-
emplar for young companions became in
dolent, reckless, dissipated in habits. He
had hosts of friends and many worthy
relatives. He was the pride of a fathers
yearning heart and the object of a moth
ers unfatering, tenderest love. All who
knew him well anticipated that his would
be very bright career, and that re
corded honors, to quote Junius, would
soon or late gather thick upon him
those honors that are to be plucked from
the worlds capacious brow by a manly
heart, high ideals OF living, consecrated
erdeavor and peerless intellect In the
midst of the highly gifted young mans
wild, abandoned, reckless, defiant career,
he had warning OF very solemn and i'm
pressive character-a warning not of man.
hut evidently that came from God.
After a day spent in the usual round of
folly, madness and sin, in open defiance
of the Almighty Father and all the
teachings and influences of his fathers
pure home, he had sought that sleep and
rest which a severely abused nature de-
manded. The earlier part of night had
worn away and just before the hour of
twelve had arrived, his hitherto undis-
turbed sleep was interrupted by a most
startling dream.
1t appeared to him that after many te-
dious and distressing days of sickness he
had become at last conYalescent enough
to breathe the fresh and inyigorating at
mosphere of the hills ana to brush again
the gTeensward with his liberated feet
He was out on a pleasant afternoon in the
balmy month of June taking his recently
accustomed stroll when he discovered
that he was walking In an extensive val
ley instead of upon some commanding hill
top. Enraptured with the lovely scenery
that burst upon his view, and decoyed by
the beautiful farms and the Astounding
sweets he had wandered some distance
when suddenly he saw an entrance into a
hln that rose precipitately in his pathway
His curiosity was Immediately excited He
approached rapidly and found that 1t was
an immense doorway cut out of solid
stone. The huge gate was standing wide
open. hung upon massive hinges. His in
terest was profoundly stirred and the de-
sire to see more got hold upon him.
He entered without hesitancy or fear,
curious to know what it all meant, with
er 80 strange passage could lead But
scarcely had he taken ten steps along its
silent and rather dim corridor when he
heard harsh, Earring, grating sound, and
the gate was closed upon him with
mighty resounding clang His hfe-blood
curdled for moment at his heart, but
gathering courage he pressed on without
hesltancy. AS he looked 40! what a start
ling, bewildering view was presented to
his astonshed gaze. AS far as he could
sec countless thousands of persons were
walking leisurely about in what seemed
a vast area. Each individual had upon
his person a long white garment that
swept the blackened floor and gave a
gnostly, gruesome look to the whole
scene 1t was a very strange, sad scene.
Despair was written on every face
Agony and woe were traced in every
movement real horror was upon them
all. He at last approached one who ap-
peared the most melancholy and nliser-
able oil the entire multitude he gazed
upon. He begged to know with most
anxious look and earnest voice, what
place was this so full of sadness and
gloom. The person addressed started as
il with deep surprise, and turning quickly
around, fixed his strange, sad wild eyes
upon him, and with voice deep-toned
and sepulchral, said: rs it possible that
you should be here and know not the
name of this place? Why, this is He'll"
A deep shudder shook the young man
throughout his being. His knees smote
together, his respiration became difficuIL.
a feeling of deadly sickness came over
him, with the sense of a great horror and
utter dismay, and he could hardly gasp
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