Mr. World and Miss Church-Member Part 2

With quick insight Miss Church-Member saw that the By-Path was a blessed one and that it led directly to the King's Highway.

"Let us follow this shining path," she hopefully suggested. "I know it leads to the way of light and glory."

"Not such a path, my friend," hastily replied Mr. World. "Do you not see the terrible hill to which it leads, and those who are even now struggling to climb its arduous heights?"

"I clearly see it all," she calmly admitted, "but they who struggle most are endeavoring to carry many idols with them. If one will forsake his idols, he can, with ease and pleasure, mount to the shining summit which is but the edge of the King's glorious Highway. Come, Mr. World, hesitate no more. Let procrastination end, and go with me even to the hill, and I will help you to the summit--while Another will help you more."

"Very true, very true," he said, though somewhat irritated, "but we have not yet come to the place where I may wisely follow your advice.

This path turning away to the right leads to a place that may seem bright from this point, but nevertheless I know it to be a narrow, rugged way, whereon a few of your friends are trudging, eking out a miserable existence. Urge me not to go thither. If you leave me, I can neither accompany you nor give you my a.s.sistance. Surely you have learned, ere this, that your needs are of such a nature that you must inevitably suffer embarra.s.sment without my little help."

Miss Church-Member, with eyes but partly open to her own folly, was grievously perplexed and not a little disappointed. She fell on her knees and wept. Looking up pleadingly into his eyes, she faltered:

"Twice have I yielded to you since we entered into companionship. You well remember the solemn promise you made, but at each time you deferred its fulfillment, and now I must again hear your vain excuses. I have suffered much for your sake, and have now the enmity of many a former friend, and even my pilgrim robe is becoming stained with the filth of this way."

"Come, come, my friend, be a woman and not a sickly suppliant. The portion of the King's Highway which we would reach from this point is too rough for my feet to travel. We will shortly come to a more convenient place; then I can think more seriously of leaving this way."

"Ah!" sighed Miss Church-Member, "you say that in your folly. I can testify, from knowledge, that the way is most delightful and leads to mansions incorruptible in the Celestial City." "Let us cease debating,"

interrupted Mr. World, with ill-concealed impatience. "If you have sacrificed so much through my fellowship and imagine that you can find better company, you may leave, but you cannot expect me to accompany you on so th.o.r.n.y and rough a path as this which you have so foolishly proposed."

Strengthened by the remnants of Christian virtue yet within her, she sprang to her feet and was about to execute her n.o.ble purpose of leaving him. But a number of Mr. World's friends quickly rallied and complimented Miss Church-Member on the good she had already done. "Mr.

World is a better man since he has known you," said one. "If you will continue walking with him on his own level, no one can estimate the amount of good you will yet do for him," hopefully spoke another.

These unexpected testimonies aroused anew her missionary spirit and changed her thoughts to these yielding sentences:

"No sacrifice is too great, if victory but comes at last. If there is hope that Mr. World will cease deceiving me and walk in the path of truth, I will consent to be his companion still a little farther."

"There is every hope of that," smilingly returned Mr. World as he suavely bowed to her and to the little group of companions who had given him such timely help.

As I saw Mr. World and Miss Church-Member moving on, in closer fellowship than ever, I waxed warm with indignation, and addressed Blackana who was still lying at my side as motionless as the strata of the rock-ribbed earth:

"Will you explain to me this folly of Miss Church-Member, who has not only disgraced her cause before the fiendish Mr. World, but who also continues with him in such unseemly intimacy?"

"Miss Church-Member is not walking in folly. She is engaged in a n.o.ble work, endeavoring to elevate Mr. World to a higher Christian life,"

was the answer from the lips of Blackana in a low, heavy voice.

"Ah," said I, with a feeling of suspicion, "she is shining from the wrong lighthouse. The rays of truth will never reach him as long as she is in that position.

"Perhaps they might in a miraculous way," suggested Blackana.

"No good miracle is ever done in the steps of the Devil or in his dominions," I answered with boldness.

Then did Blackana enlarge himself, and as he replied he looked down upon me significantly. "O puny mortal, instruct me not in the miracles of my master. More great things are done under the canopies of h.e.l.l than mortals ever know."

At first I was filled with alarm, but under the voice of One invisible I rose as with superhuman strength, and I looked at him unflinchingly.

"O horrible creature! I fear you not in any of your pa.s.sions. You would even destroy me if you could, but you are forever restrained by the Power that holds authority over all!"

There was a sudden rustling, unlike anything I had ever heard. The uncanny creature dashed toward me in his awful fury. But I moved not, neither was I touched. Then I stretched forth my hand and commanded him, in the name of One who is supreme, to cease his foolish ragings, else would he be instantly flung through the wastes of h.e.l.l.

Blackana, knowing his limit, as all foul fiends do, dared to venture no further in his rage, but calmed himself and, with unexpected civility, he addressed me. He told me, in close detail, how Mr. World, by his binding promises to his companion, had played the part of folly rather than Miss Church-Member who did nothing more than enter upon a more convenient and a Broader Way to heaven, and that, too, in good company.

"And what think you,--will Mr. World ever fulfill his binding promises?"

"Do not doubt it, sir. Mr. World is an honorable gentleman. His promises are always fulfilled.

"A lie! A lie! Can you not speak the truth?"

Again he was about to rise into terrible proportions when a great hand moved the door on its hinges. Blackana, interpreting that movement better than I, continued in dread restraint. I looked again upon the Broad Highway, and saw how Mr. World had so completely won the confidence of Miss Church-Member that she now frequently expressed her sense of obligation to him, and declared that he was not so mean a fellow as some alleged, and as she had been inclined to believe.

"Pray, tell me who seeks to injure my good reputation?" he courteously asked.

"It has long been current talk on the King's Highway that you are deceitful and treacherous, and that you aim to lead people to ruin.

You well know that I hoped, by mutual a.s.sociation, to win you to a better path. I find, even after some painful errors on my part, that you are not so much in need of reformation as I imagined. You are a very considerate and clever fellow, doubtless under the sway of a moral evolution, and whether I stay with you, or you go with me, it is now, to my mind, quite evident that you will soon reach a perfect condition."

The wily Mr. World chuckled. "You are newly endowed with the gift of a wisdom whose inward glory has lent its brightness to your eye, and has given savor to your very words. If you continue in your present state of liberality and broad-mindedness, you will not only share all that I possess, but will wear a crown set with gems of truth."

CHAPTER III.

THE DEVIL'S OPTICAL COLLEGE.

1. The college described.

2. Mr. World and Miss Church-Member have their eyes examined, and Miss Church-Member is supplied with lenses which warp her spiritual vision.

3. The allegory shows how Satan supplies every conceivable kind of lenses to suit the people of the world and the church.

4. Blackana, with deceptive words, attempts to defend Satan's course.

This inst.i.tution of Satan has been in operation since the creation of man, having been remodeled as often as advancement in style or skill demanded.

Each one of the fourteen ma.s.sive buildings was a gem of architectural beauty, and was devoted to a special line of study or practice. The entire group worked harmoniously toward the same end.

In the course of their journey Mr. World and Miss Church-Member drew nigh to this great college, but the shrewd and wicked Mr. World remained silent, waiting for the first words of his companion. Miss Church-Member, however, as she looked upon the stupendous edifices, was so filled with wonder and admiration at the long stretches of masonry, and the perfect symmetry of parts, that she offered no comment until they were quite near the first building.

"For what purpose is this group of great structures used?" were her words that broke the brief silence.

"All for the sake of the eyes," he carelessly answered, as he called her attention to the King's Highway and the throngs of people that were admiring and entering the college from those parts.

"It is indeed wonderful," she commented, "that so small a thing as the eye should demand the service of such great edifices."

"The buildings are not too large nor too well equipped. Your surprise would not be so great were you to witness the large number from the two great highways that come here daily for treatment. You can see them now moving by thousands to and from the buildings. It might be wise for us to enter for consultation. My eyes, at least, may need some expert attention."

She, being anxious to see the interior of at least one of the buildings, offered no objection to his shrewd suggestion.

The building was so easy of access that there was not one step to climb. An electric elevator served to carry them to the sixty-fourth floor which formed a part of the huge dome into which the upper portion of the great structure converged. This style of architecture not only added to the beauty of the appearance, but also proved to be perfectly adapted to the uses of the college.