I saw a relentless monster, in deep silence, stretching forth his bony arm, and with his icy fingers he pushed the two companions from the brink of the river, thus bringing them face to face with the last enemy whose sharp sting they felt as they were being overwhelmed by the merciless waves.
[Ill.u.s.tration: When they who journey on the King"s Highway reach the River of Death, they are met by a convoy of angels and borne aloft to the gates of the Celestial City.]
Their heart-rending cries for mercy brought no relief. They had sinned against all light, and had even spurned the last kindly warning. The Door of Hope was shut forever.
As they were sinking to rise no more they caught another vision of the Shining Pilgrims of the King"s Highway, and saw that when they reached the brink of the River of Death they were met by a convoy of angels, on whose snowy pinions they were borne aloft to the very gates of the Celestial City which apparently stood on white clouds.
THE END