The Straight Road Is Shortest and Surest, by A.L.O.E. (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. FIRE. ' What am I to do?what on earth am I to do!" exclaimed Wilfred. "Oh! that I had never seen this detestable deed " and he spurned the parchment with his foot. " What ought I to do? Carry that will to my father in the morning ? That would certainly be the course of duty, the course of honour; and he?my noble, upright parent?he would at once make known to the world the existence of a will which robs him of all, which reduces him almost to beggary, which compels him to begin the world again, and toil for .his daily bread. I can't do it?I wont do it!" cried Wilfred, springing from his chair, and beginning to pace up and down the gloomy apartment. " The living, too,would be lost; all the happiness of my darling Mina would be crushed at a blow. I never could deal that blow. It is not," said Wilfred, pausing in his rapid walk, and trying to bring argument after argument to drown the voice of his conscience; " it is not as if this Benson deserved anything at our hands; it is not as if he were one to make a good use of fortune. The building of the school would be stopped at once; the poor widows, whom my noble father supports, would have no refuge but the workhouse. It would be cruel, wicked, to sacrifice at once so many interests for the sake of one mean wretch who cares for no one on earth but himself." Ah, Wilfred, self-deceiver ! it is not for him, not for any mortal, that the sacrifice is required; it is sacrifice to duty, simple obedience to the command of God, provide things honest in the sight of all men ! Our enemy is ever ready ta persuade us that what is expedient must be right; that we may turn a little?but a little?from the straight, narrow path, and yet walk on with our faces towards heaven. Again and again the voice sounds in our hearts, " To do...