The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-03-23
Ifaer from Dr.. Samuel Johnson, March Il,
il52 o. s.

I8Her from Dr.. Samuel Johnson, March
il52, y. 5.
Dear outstanding the warnin
or philosophers, aud the daily examples
L,sses and nisferienes, witch life forc
mon rs. such is the absorption of our tho
= the business OF the present day-snt
the rsignaiion Of our reason 10 emp
hnnes of future felicity, or such our INV
,ingness to foresee what We dread, III
yer, calamity cones suddenly upon L
and not only presses az burden, but ctusl
es rs Il blow.
Taele are evils which happen out Of Il
common COURSE 81 nature, against which
!, no reproach MT To he pto, ded. \ ias
of lightning intcfcepts the traveller oa h
WAY. The conclusion of an earjhquah
heaps the ruins Of city upon their iuh;
bitants. But other miseries time bring
though silently, vet yisibly forward, by II
own lapse, which yet approaches uasee
becaase we turn eur eyes away, aud the
srlze ms unressted, because we would M
arm ourselves against them, bysett'ng Their
before us.
That it is in vain to shrink from wha
cannot be avoided, and IN hide that from
ourselves which must sometimes be found
!. n truth which we all know, bnt which a
neglect, and perhaps none merc than Il
speculative rras9ner, whose thoughts Il
always from home, whese eye wandel
o,erlif whose fancy Ounces after mrtea
Of happiness kindlrd by itself, and who e
a,nincs every Thing rather than his o.
state. Il
Nothing is more evident than that y
decays of age must tcrrnnatr IN death ,
Yet there is ~ man, says fully, who do
not believe that he may yet live anoth ,
wear, and there Is none who does not, up'
the same principle. hope another year fl
his parent or his friends hat the faIlacy " 9
be in time detected the hst year, tire Ia :
day will come. il has come, and IS past Z
0Tac life which made my own iic Pile
sgnt, Is at an cad, aud the gates Of dea,
are shut upon my prospects.
The loss Of lend, on whom the llei ,
was fix ii, and To whom every wish AZ
endpayor tended is stale Of desulallonIii
Which the mind looks abroad impatient q
tiff aud fluids nothing bat emptiness ant
bnrror. The hiunelc5- lfi, the artlrss ten
derne.s. the native siuplirity, tn" modes
ir,ignalon--the patient sickness and III,
.,a;st death. are rene u'hered only to ado
value Ia thG loss-to a-2ravate regret fol
what cannot be amended to deepen sor
row for what cannot be recalled.
These are the calanites by which Pro
violence gradually disenGages us from thu
lave of life. Other evils forttude may re-
pei, or hope may mitigate but Irrrparahit
mivation leaves nothing to exercise rrsolH
ton, or iatter expectation. The dead can
not return, and nothing is left rs but Ian
enlistment and gief.
Yet such is the course OF nature, thu
Whoeyer lives long must outll,e those whom
he loves and hanors. Such Is the cundlIor
Of our present existence, that llie must ont
time LOSE its associations, and every inhab'
tant of The earth must walk downward te
the grave alone and unrcSardrd, WIthon
any partner of his JOY or gnel, M'lh"t any
interested witness of has mistptnneS III
success Misfurtnnes indeed he may ye'
frel for where is the bottom al the misery
or manl but what is success To him, WHIT
has none To ENJOY IL? Happiness IS nol
found IN srif contemplation II Is perct1N'
ed o,,Iy when it il reflected from another
W. know little of the state of departed
souls. hccausc such knowledge IS not ne
ce>sary 10 , good life Reason deserts IL
nj lhr BLK of the grave, aud gives no far
Acknowledgements Revelation l. not wholly
sjlcat 'There Is JOY among Angels II
heaven over u sinner that reprotcth.' And
surely the joy i not incommnllc"hle IL
souls di5rutangltd from the body, ans
made Ike angels.
1T hope, therefore, dictate what rrYeia
lou does not eohfatr, that The union u
t1al~ my ,'ilI remain; and that We, WIZ
a. struggling viii sin s"rr"", ana mir
miafs. may have or part III the attrntlol
AMI kindness of thosr who have fnlshc.
their course, and are now receiving TIT
reward
These arc the great occasions which i"rct
the mind to take refuge in religion, " h'1
We have no help in Ourselves, what rd'
tpn in but that wc look up toa higher ant
greater power? And I" what hope may
We not raise our eyes and hearts, Mitn VT
consider that the prenteSt poner as me best .
Surely there is 10 man ho, thus aiillci
ed, does not seek succ"r IN the gospel
which has brought life and immortality Il
light The prrcepts of EpIcnrhs, whlrl
teach rs Ia cudure what the laws OF Tn
Nuirers, make necessary, may silence, bn
not contrUt us. The dictates al Icno, "hl
commands us to look with indifference ~
abstract things, may dispose us to concea
our sorrow, but cannot as,llase It. Aea
allasi tiion of the loss of i,riends and ratlon
al tranquility in the prospect Of our ow'
dissolution, can be received only from TN
promise of him in his whose hands are hi
and death, aud from the assurances OF ano
finer and hrtter state, in hich all tears vii
be wiped hom our eyes, aud the whole sou
shall be G,Ird with JOY. Philosophy mn,
lniust stohhnrnness, hut Religion only cis
give patience. SAM. Johnson
.~cGS.--
Napoleon, in hi. Italian successes, toe
aiiunsaran battalion prisoners. Tn" col
nrl, am old man camplained bitterly Of Il