The Plain Path Upward.
A mountain climber, who was a novice, was climbing one of the White Mountains when he was seized with mountain sickness. As it was a very severe attack, he had to return to the foot of the mountain. He found great difficulty in doing this, however, because the path was poorly blazed and was overgrown with moosewood. As he ascended, the path above was plainly seen between the stems of the short trees or shrubs; but as he went downward, the path was completely hidden by the thick leaves on top of those stems on which he now looked down. He lost his way several times before, quite exhausted, he reached the inn from which he had set out.
This is exactly paralleled by one's experience in life. The upward path is plain, but in going downward, one is sure to become confused and lost. It is easy going downward in one sense-gravity pulls us-but in every other respect it is terribly hard.