Mr. World and Miss Church-Member Part 34

and go speak to the lost, not to me so well equipped to meet the direst foe. Turn your words to those on the other path, who go hobbling along in misery, not fit to live or die."

"Come, come!" put in Mr. World, "your pearls before swine are only trampled under foot. Forget not so quickly the teachings of our Lord."

As they pa.s.sed on, in a self-righteous manner, she cheerily looked into his face and said: "It was kind in you to come so promptly to my rescue. I might have prattled there a whole day and yet not have shown them half their folly."

CHAPTER XXV.

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.

1. Mr. World and Miss Church-Member getting farther from the light.

2. They drift into the deepening shadows where the path could be traveled only one way.

3. The terrible experience of the two companions contending with the imps of the dark valley.

4. Their sad and tragic end as they catch a glimpse of what they might have been.

After leaving the place of the Last Warning, the Broad Highway grew darker and darker as it steadily diverged from the King's Highway.

The little light that Satan's pilgrims do enjoy is borrowed from "the path of the just that s.h.i.+neth more and more unto the perfect day."

Mr. World saw the deepening shadows and endeavored to be as cheerful as usually, hoping thereby to prevent any alarm in the mind of his faithful friend.

The path, though wide, was now steeply descending, and travelers often slipped on the steeper inclines.

I saw that the two companions descended with difficulty, cautiously watching every footstop, lest they, like many others, should fall to their hurt. They now gave but little attention to the things along the way, and when they did pause for rest on the easier grades, they found the meadows more barren and everything more dark and dank.

Miss Church-Member had been painfully conscious of these unhappy contrasts, and Asked repeatedly the meaning of all that her eyes beheld and her heart realized, but Mr. World, true to his nature, partly allayed her fears with words of hope and glowing promises.

But I heard her again ask with a quivering voice: "Where is the light that so lately lent its blessed cheer, and whither go we stumbling downward in the dark?"

"We only go in the darkest hour that comes before the dawn," he said with a firm voice but a trembling heart. "Be hopeful, my dear, I will not forsake you."

Her heart was not calmed, for she could see his distress which he had hoped to conceal, and no one could minimize the surrounding scenes which now seemed like omens of death.

They stood still, and learned, upon inquiry, that they were standing in the Shadows of Premonition.

Mr. World could no longer endure the strain. His bold att.i.tude gave way to his rising fears, for he saw that his wasted life was ending with no opportunity of redeeming its days. His whole body quivered as they walked still farther in a desperate effort to find relief.

Miss Church-Member was almost overcome as she continued looking upon the ominous darkness around. She soon realized that her only refuge whom she had seized by the arm proved miserably weak in this hour of great need.

"Oh! Mr. World," she cried, in utmost agony of mind, "where have you led me? Save me ere I peris.h.!.+"

He spoke not, but with his aspen fingers he pointed backward toward the sloping Highway. Then with all eagerness they endeavored to retrace their steps, but somehow they could do no more than stumble and fall, and when they were making their most desperate effort to return they heard a voice from someone invisible. This voice announced to them that here the path could be traveled only one way. The same voice urged them to push through the shadows and face their end like heroes. At this their hope died within them, and they had no more courage to struggle up the hill. They stood again in their wretched dilemma and heard the sound of distant waters, doleful to their ears, and from this they could distinguish the bitter wails of those who also found that they could not return.

Mr. World and Miss Church-Member cast their eyes heavenward and discerned that they were standing in a very deep valley. _They saw the dim outlines of all their past evil life. Their deeds stretched away at interminable length, and in the aggregate they were piled, like ledge upon ledge, until they verily shut out the mercy of a just G.o.d._

Here they stood in the first shadow of their self-constructed h.e.l.l.

"Oh, what a valley!" shrieked Miss Church-Member, as her consciousness now revealed to her more in one second than all the fanciful dreams of a life-time evolved.

And Mr. World was undone. He knew not which way to turn. He was speechless as he saw so clearly the worthless product of his life's work almost overarching him.

Finally Mr. World cried out excitedly: "If we cannot go back, neither will we go forward!"

Then a grim monster spoke in a slow, dead tone: "No one remaineth here; away, away from this place!"

Miss Church-Member was terrorized at the presence of so cold a creature and frantically cried out: "I cannot and will not endure it! Can I not go back to the Voice of Warning?"

"Back? Never! No one who comes thus far ever goes back. During the earthly life of one called Jesus there was but one s.n.a.t.c.hed from these lowlands, and he was the thief on the cross."

"If there was chance for a thief, there might be hope for me," she sighed as her wretched face brightened.

"Hope for you?" repeated the cold-hearted monster. "None whatever, and for none of your kind who come thus far. Pa.s.s on, make room for the thousands coming this way, the sound of whose tread you already hear."

Looking at Mr. World she pitifully sobbed: "Why do you not help me?

You have brought me here; plead my cause."

"Alas, I cannot even plead my own!" He could say no more, for he took a longing glance backward, over the hills of time, where he could truly see, for the first time, the horrible depth of his folly.

Then came the monstrous creature again and sternly commanded them: "Tarry no more on this side of the river's brink."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Struggling with the real and imaginary imps near the Black River in the Valley of the Shadow of Death.]

They tasted the bitter fruits of opportunities lost, and felt the awful pangs of a soul without hope as their reluctant footsteps carried them on through the valley made dark by the shadow of their own deeds.

I then heard the discordant and agonizing wails of poor Miss Church-Member and her wretched companion; but the sounds fell harmoniously on the ears of Satan who listened to them chiming with the music of h.e.l.l, in its deathlike rhythm, as it reverberated forever from the depth beyond them, and from the throngs pa.s.sing by.

Miss Church-Member could no longer hold fast to Mr. World. It took both arms to contend with the real and imaginary imps who stood grinning at her folly, and grievously tormented her from all sides.

"O mercy! mercy! Where am I?" she shrieked. "How can you be so heartless, Mr. World? Why not rid me of these fiends?"

"Cry to me no more!" he groaned out in anguish. "I am also overwhelmed with foes and fears that verily drag me down with infernal and relentless grasp."

This only deepened her pathetic cry, for she saw that she was lost forever, and realized anew that Mr. World was unable to give help, contrary to all his promises of the past.

Then did, they look forth, and beheld afar off the Valley of the Shadow of Death through which the King's Highway pa.s.sed. They saw that its foot-sore pilgrims leaned upon a rod and staff, and that they were supported by the pierced hands of a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Neither did the pilgrims fear any evil nor tremble at any foe, for Christ was their all in all, and his lovely light lit the whole valley until it was all aglow with heavenly radiance.

This vision revealed to Mr. World and Miss Church-Member the place where _they_ might have been, and pierced their hearts as with a thousand daggers.

They soon stood on the verge of the Awful River which was filled with the filth and slimy putrefaction of the world, the fungus growth of society, and the sc.u.m of all nationalities. From these currents came unearthly sounds, doleful lamentations, melancholy and hopeless.

Not far down the stream they saw the fitful light of an eternal burning whose ghastly glare lit the water crests of the Black River.