It was New Year’s Night. An aged man was standing at a window. Heraised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars werefloating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. Then he castthem on the earth, where few more hopeless people than himself now movedtowards their certain goal—the tomb. He had already passed sixty of the stagesleading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors andremorse. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and hisold age short of comforts.

The days of hisyouth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment whenhis father placed him at the entrance of the two roads—one leading to apeaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft,sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, wherepoison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed andcrawled.

He lookedtowards the sky and cried painfully, “O youth, return! O my father, place meonce more at the entrance to life, and I’ll choose the better way!” But bothhis father and the days of his youth had passed away.

He saw thelights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; hesaw a star fall from the sky and disappear, and this was the symbol of himself.His remorse, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart. Thenhe remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life together withhim. But they had made their way to success and were now honoured and happy onthis New Year’s Night.

The clock in thehigh church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents’ earlylove for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chosethe wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heavenwhere his father lived. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with adespairing effort, he burst out a cry:” Come back, my early days! Come back!”

And his youthdid return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year’s Night. He wasstill young though his faults were real; he had not entered the deep, darkcave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful andsunny land.

Those who stilllinger on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, rememberthat when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you willcry bitterly, but in vain:” O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!”