HEAVEN AND HELL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 38, 15 January 1897, Page 23

HEAVEN AND HELL.

(Prize Essay, Christian Brothers" School. Dunedin, l<s!>7.) One hot summer evening in tho present century, in a small suburban garden, there sat an old man called John H. Hartely. He was loaning over a book, and by the bright glow of the setting sun you might have discerned his features. His hair and beard were white, his face wrinkled by age. but its cxprossiou was kind, as was the expression of the 'eyes that shone beneath the down-turned lids. He was deeply interested in the reading of his book, but as the evening' light faded away, the \anishing ot the letters recalled him to himselt. lie shut the book and rose, and walking- quickly, as if he only now felt tho chill night air. went into the adjoining- house. After putting away the book carefully, he went to rest, and soon tell into a quiet slumber. It seemed to him that he had hardly closed his eyos when he w.is awakened by the entry of a youn»man. This visitor was tall and well-proportioned, and was clothed in a flowing white robe. Hut about everything concerning this young man. there was such an air of hazy indistinctness, that John really doubted whether it was all a reality or not. At length. "John." said the \isitor. '-you were reading to-night of the justice of God ; of how he punishes all wrong and rewards all good. The Almighty is so pleased with the attention with which you read of Him. that He has sent me. a spirit, to show you what will teach you more of this justice than all the volumes of spiritual reading in the world. Come with me." Old John, too stupefied to answer, stepped out of bed. and stood bosude tho spirit. Suddenly the floor opened beneath them Looking down. John beheld a long- stone staircase leading far beneath the ground. Down this staircase they went. Down. down, down. And as they went the air seemed to grow hotter and 'hotter' and the earthen walls on each side blacker and blacker. And soon tho steps on which they walked became warm, and then hot s 0 that John could hardly bear to put his feet on them. And then the walls began to heave and orack in great slits, vyitha great rumbling • noise like thunder. This thunder grew louder and more frequent as they moved on. And soon they stepped out on to a subterranean passage, the floor of which heaved and fell, and occasionally sent up flames and smoke, while the heat became almost unbearable. But through all these dangers the spirit guided him carefully. In a few minutes, which were hours to John, they arrived at a »rcat stone door that blocked the way. Now tur the second time the spirit spoke :—: — •• Man," he said. •• the passage we have passed through is the passage to hell. This is the gate ol hell enter," Immediately the great door swung on its hinges, and John sawhell. At first, he folt as though ho would die, so awful was the sight. They stood on the edge of a lake, a lake of fire, (Jut ot this dense vapours rose. The rock on which they stood shook so much that John could not have kept his footing, had not the spirit supported him. Fire was everywhere. It sprang- from crevices in the d.irk walls, and from the narrow, shaking ledge that ran all round the

Like. The thunder of eruptions was deafening-. Stones and lava were continually tossed up into the smoke-filled air from the unseen volcanoes that lay beneath the surface of the lake. « d noW John saw what was most terrible of all. Every part ot hell was filled with human creatures. They were shot rapidly through the flames. They were tossed into the air by eruptions Ihey were knocked violently against the cliffs by the fiery waves and tell back into the burning mass, all covered with ragged cute and bruises. And every one of those sores was immediately filled with nre. They were crushed beneath great masses of falling stone and driven headlong to the bottom of the lake, only to be once more tossed to the very vault of hell by the never-ceasing volcanoes. All this John saw, and as he watched he was spell-bound by the scene He hardly felt the stifling air or the darting flames that shot out in all directions about him. But the voice of the spirit recalled him •• Oome, it said, " you have seen the punishment of evil, see the reward of virtue." ' At once they left the scene of horrors and floated up together to the open air. So deeply was John interested in what he had seen that he seemed to think that flying through the air was his natural mode of moving. Up, up, up, they went, leaving the earth tar below them. Soon they neared the clouds, but higher and higher they went still. At last passing through the clouds. John found himselt in a land that is hidden from the view of mortals. I fiey entered an immense hall miles in length. Standing in the doorway, John saw that this building was filled by people of all nations. Some were moving about, some standing and talking, some sitting down, but all looked happy and contented. At the end ot tHe hall, God was seated on a throne, and so wonderful, beautiful and grand was He, that John would have kept his eyes on Him all the time. But he felt impelled by some supernatural power to observe everything. The hall stood in a garden, and through the open windows streamed the bright sunlight and the scent of flowers Suddenly John saw that something important was going to take place. lor all moved towards the throne, and standing there began to sing. How beautiful the spirits looked in their pure white robes, and floral crowns. But their singing soon took his attention troin everything else. It was so grand, so beautiful. All musical instruments were there, but none like those of earth No there was no comparison. And as they sang John felt a great joy creep into his heart, too groat for mortal heart to bear. He sank down in a swoon overpowered. The music died away from his ears The white-robed figures, the hall, the garden, and his guide, all vanished like mist. He was awake in his own bed, with the bright sunlight ot an early summer morning creeping in at the darkened window. John B. Callan.