MUD-LARK AT WARKWORTH.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 August 1901, Page 2

MUD-LARK AT WARKWORTH.

Two commercial .travellers sojourn- > ing over Sunday lately atWarkworth, being ardent followers of John Knox, determined t° spend the •' Sawbath ' evening .jis befitted good chrJE.jiajbodies. To this end they wended their way arm-in-arm to the ,J£nk on the hill. They exporienced no drawbacks to.their pious thoughts and bent until they reached the foot of the hill, be- : cause, they had ao far, .travelled th--, broad road; the well metalled way; the way that only sinners could travel. Had they turned in at the open door ready to receive them here, they would have :been -safe, we could assure them, ,but alaa! the blood of the Covenanters coursed through their veins, with the same indomitable determination, of their forefathers, they wouldnofebeturned aside by other alluring light? No! "Onward" was their cry. Strangers without other guide than the beacon,on the .hill, fl.iker.ing- enticingly as the star of old, leading ' them forward to the .zenith of Zion and penitence, for it was ever so, the road thence bringing vividly to mind "Bunyau's Pilgrims Progress," was rough, narrow .and hard to climb, with.an additional barL-wire innovatation, a modern invention of our present day up-to-date Satanic. But uudauuted» ;they steeled their nerves for the ordeal and again "onward " was their watchward. Not many steps had they advanced when their trials were upou them and .their steadfastness severely tested, for <the ground gave way from under :.the soles of their feet, and aided by ;the slimy clay they were precipitated arm-in-arm a score feet >to the bottom of tt well washed W& ga%. At fhis stage anad in this plight, jjthej. devout feelings overpowered £tfcßm, f-Qr £hey littered of jJEayei^ sr.e hops., in gratitude for %c blessing of having found a friendly crya&sicfltream, which served to break their £all. However,, finally getting •thr-ough thistbrial, ■"onwarl" again w*# sounded, and some more; falls d*ly accompanied bj some more derotionals, and more efforts onward, only to meet, with fartfeer obstottetioxis, ti-txee tsenrb and gorse. A haHA w»s caß«d ior rest, but not a thowig'bl of turning back had they, instead their commercial and fighting in#ti!H3i» were *ro»«ed «nd strategy was tho measure decided upon to negoitmte tltis road of peril, Leaving the soad (the old, old story), they thought to make another and better one for themsißl«7;eß through the scrub, with ill* inevitable result that they were lost, and AS • punishment for going off the "beatentrack" became separated and apart -vrand ered jft tlw maze of scrub, in circular bewiideni|»nt and th. >ras Providence in pity brougKt them together once more to ttavei "onward and upward" which they nobly did by the tieaten track. As they ascended their hearts, grew lighter, joyful ie«^ngs fast springing into their once aad'bosoins at -tb«»-';near -approach., of deliverance. In the exhuberance of that joy they sang the sweet melody, "Only One More River to Cross," without * thought of how soon would that crossing take place. Face to face with them, strained rigidly across the track, a fence of many wires bristling like a hedgehog full of barbs; but passit they must; around it they dare not go—no more side-path transgressions; over it they, could not get; through it they must, for " onward" was their watchward, an«i the beacon light was shining'righ.tjahead. This modern device of his ingenious Satanic was the last straw to these now clay-bespattered, scub-t ttered, wet cold and exhausted disciple«;o<JCalvinism. In the struggles through the fenc«i many .groans and derotionals were heard in tones most deeply profound, no one hearing those devotionals could doubt their sincerity.. After many more struggles, rents in garments and body, the one more river was crossed. Without further mishap they reached the beacon light on the top of thehill "Just as the sun went down" (as the popular song says) just as the last light was turned out, too late! too late!. It seems sad to tell but so it ever was. A friendly hand led them "down the hill" again to the "hroad^road" which is so easy to travel. They got back to the "Travellers Best" where mine host had the sorrow of' receiving the sorriest and forlornest pair of beggars he had ever encounteied, pleading to be reinstated to the comforts they had only two hours before left; The unkindest part of it all was their vain endeavours t .convince boniface that they had been only trying to attend church; he shook his head, looked sad, but .sai£ nothing. But what else could be expected of ■'such-a cast iron, unbelieving old sinner? Say! who were the commercial travellers ?