Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century Allegory — John Shaqi
Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century AllegoryHarris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Religion
Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century Allegory
Harris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Christian fiction
“Perchance, my words,” said the speaker, “are insufficient to fully
satisfy your mind. Go now from the rear door to the College where all
such perplexing questions are made clear.”
The visitor seizing, as he thought, a golden opportunity, gladly
consented and, to his great surprise, found a building of magnificent
proportions into which he entered.
After listening a very short time to Satan’s teaching on the origin
of sin, he emerged from the school with a heavy bundle of opinions on
his back, and failed to find the Old Way. After wandering and stumbling
about on this summit of human learning, he finally found the Broad
Highway whereon he could carry his vain burden with ease.
These bureaus of information have ensnared so many learned men,
including ministers and professors, that the King of Glory has here
placed special signs of warning to all travelers; these have saved
many men from the snare of “the fowler.”
I saw three young college students about to enter one of the bureaus.
There stood an aged pilgrim near by who shouted:
“Come! ye young men, out of the snare of the Devil, or ye will be taken
captive by him at his will!”
The voice sounded so friendly that they hesitated long enough to discern
that the building did not touch the King’s Highway.
Then they remembered that they had been told long before to go by the
King’s Highway, and not to turn to the right hand nor to the left, nor
even to step from the path, lest they should slip and fall to their
hurt. So they passed on about their Father’s business.
Near the edge of the King’s Highway I saw another device to catch men
unawares. It was invented in the Wizard City and had been successfully
used by Satan for many centuries.
It was an _artificial woman_, dressed in modest apparel, and so
constructed that the arms were uplifted and the heart plainly visible,
making the curious image just unnatural enough to attract the attention
of all pilgrims.
Over the head of the image these words were written: “Touch this magic
heart for the charms that follow.”
It was ridiculous to see how many of the young and old, in passing
over this way of life, stepped from the path and tried the experiment.
One man I saw who ventured to touch the mystic heart, and ere his eyes
could look into the face of the image its arms embraced him in a
tightening grasp.
Away the image moved with graceful ease into Elysian bowers of sensual
joy. There he remained to breathe its poisoned air and feed upon the
husks of such a clime.
I also saw a man of riper years who looked curiously at another image
similar to the one that had just moved away. At first he was doubtful
whether to test it or not, and as he stood in consideration he raised
his eyes and saw these words plainly written over the King’s Highway:-To
ALL DESCENDANTS OF ADAM:
Beware, O pilgrim, of this woman’s heart, Lest you should from the
Narrow Way depart; For if you touch a secret chord within, You’re borne
away to wider fields of sin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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