ItwasNewYear'sNight.Anagedmanwasstandingatawindow.Heraisedhismournfuleyestowardsthedeepbluesky,wherethestarswerefloatinglikewhiteliliesonthesurfaceofaclearcalmlake.Thenhecastthemontheearth,wherefewmorehopelesspeoplethanhimselfnowmovedtowardstheircertaingoal——thetomb.Hehadalreadypassedsixtyofthestagesleadingtoit,andhehadbroughtfromhisjourneynothingbuterrorsandremorse.Nowhishealthwaspoor,hismindvacant,hisheartsorrowful,andhisoldageshortofcomforts.
Thedaysofhisyouthappearedlikedreamsbeforehim,andherecalledtheseriousmomentwhenhisfatherplacedhimattheentranceofthetworoads——oneleadingtoapeaceful,sunnyplace,coveredwithflowers,fruitsandresoundingwithsoft,sweetsongs;theotherleadingtoadeep,darkcave,whichwasendless,wherepoisonflowedinsteadofwaterandwheredevilsandpoisonoussnakeshissedandcrawled.
Helookedtowardstheskyandcriedpainfully,"Ohyouth,return!Ohmyfather,placemeoncemoreattheentrancetolife,andI'llchoosethebetterway!"Butbothhisfatherandthedaysofhisyouthhadpassedaway.
Hewasthelightsflowingawayinthedarkness.Thesewerethedaysofhiswastedlife;hesawastarfallfromtheskyanddisappeared,andthiswasthesymbolofhimself.Hisremorse,whichwaslikeasharparrow,struckdeeplyintohisheart.Thenherememberedhisfriendsinhischildhood,whoenteredonlifetogetherwithhim.ButtheyhadmadetheirwaytosuccessandwerenowhonouredandhappyonthisNewYear'snight.
Theclockinthehighchurchtowerstruckandthesoundmadehimrememberhisparents'earlyloveforhim.TheyhadtaughthimandprayedtoGodforhisgood.Buthechosethewrongway.Withshameandgriefhedarednolongerlooktowardsthatheavenwherehisfatherlive.Hisdarkenedeyeswerefulloftears,andwithadespairingeffort,heburstoutacry:"Comeback,myearlydays!Comeback!"
Andhisyouthdidreturn,forallthiswasonlyadreamwhichhehadonNewYear'sNight.Hewasstillyoungthoughhisfaultswerereal;hehadnotyetenteredthedeep,darkcave,andhewasstillfreetowalkontheroadwhichleadstothepeacefulandsunnyland.
Thosewhostilllingerontheentranceoflife,hesitatingtochoosethebrightroad,rememb