两条路(The Two Roads)

itwasnewyearsnight.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,andillchoosethebetterway!"butbothhisfatherandthedaysofhisyouthhadpassedaway.hewasthelightsflowingawayinthedarkness.thesewerethedaysofhiswastedlife;hesawastarfallfromtheskyanddisappeared,andthiswasthesymbolofhimself.hisremorse,whichwaslikeasharparrow,struckdeeplyintohisheart.thenherememberedhisfriendsinhischildhood,whoenteredonlifetogetherwithhim.buttheyhadmadetheirwaytosuccessandwerenowhonouredandhappyonthisnewyearsnight.theclockinthehighchurchtowerstruckandthesoundmadehimrememberhisparentsearlyloveforhim.theyhadtaughthimandprayedtogodforhisgood.buthechosethewrongway.withshameandgriefhedarednolongerlooktowardsthatheavenwherehisfatherlive.hisdarkenedeyeswerefulloftears,andwithadespairingeffort,heburstoutacry:"comeback,myearlydays!comeback!"andhisyouthdidreturn,forallthiswasonlyadreamwhichhehadonnewyearsnight.hewasstillyoungthoughhisfaultswerereal;hehadnotyetenteredthedeep,darkcave,andhewasstillfreetowalkontheroadwhichleadstothepeacefulandsunnyland.

thosewhostilllingerontheentranceoflife,hesitatingtochoosethebrightroad,rememberthatwhenyearsarepassedandyourfeetstumbleonthedarkmountains,youwillcrybitterly,butinvain:"oyouth,return!ohgivemebackmyearlydays!"