The Radiant City : $b An AllegoryGarratt, Evelyn R.
Religion
The Radiant City : $b An Allegory
Garratt, Evelyn R.
Allegories; Christian fiction; Christian life; Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Fiction
They had not however been free from the enemy. The little sprite,
Worry, had more than once taken hold of Belthiah, and had left its
wounds visible across her brow: and his comrade, Foreboding, had
occasionally thrown her in the way of Despondency, a troublesome enemy,
whom she had to fight bravely before overcoming; but she had had
seasons of great happiness because of the conscious presence of the
King.
Iddo also had had her battles.
Indolence more than once attacked her, specially when he saw her
becoming interested in her Guide Book; for after Heman's advice not
to depend upon her mother's study of the Book, but to study it for
herself, Iddo had often consulted it: nevertheless she was by no means
well versed in it, and Indolence so constantly attacked her with
success that she made but poor progress. Neither did Discontent and
his comrade Irritability leave her alone; sometimes Belthiah looked
with anxiety at her child when she saw how easily she gave way to these
enemies.
They were about half-way across the plain when their paths met those of
another mother and daughter, with whom they joined company.
Iddo was delighted to have a companion, and the two girls for many a
mile followed their parents hand in hand.
Adin,* for such was her name, had much to tell, having met many more
people on her journey than had Iddo, and the latter learnt much from
her of which she had been ignorant. Among other things, Adin told her
that there were people who were apparently journeying towards the
Radiant City with views quite contrary to her mother's.
* Dainty.
"Times have changed," she said, "since our mothers started on their
journey. People have come to the conclusion that much in which they
believed is mistaken; that for instance it is not necessary to be so
different to those who are not servants of the King; that certain
things are lawful which in those days were considered dangerous,
and that there are many ways after all to the Radiant City. The
old-fashioned views with which our mothers started their journey are
being more and more questioned and pushed on one side. We must move
with the times," she added.
Iddo listened astonished. Loving and reverencing her mother, the girl
resented the idea that her views could be anything but correct, and
expostulated with Adin indignantly when she termed them old-fashioned.
But by degrees she became accustomed to what she heard and began to
wonder if there might not be some truth in it.
"Do many people agree with these views?" she asked.
"So many that it is really quite peculiar to think like our mothers,"
was Adin's answer; then with a laugh she added, "there are a few
however who think my friends and I are very far gone in the wrong way.
We met an old man on the road, who walked some distance with us, and
when he heard one of these new thinkers discussing the subject with
mother, he cried out indignantly,"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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