Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-07-28


We e.,rac, the foil owing from the journal o
the Rev. Mr.. Dewey.
STAGE CoACu CoNvERsATIoN.-As TOOK
my place on the top OF the coach at Glasgow
for Edinburgh, found a handsome young
man seated opposite to me--s boy of twelve
years and modest looking Scotch girl, with
eyes sparkling like diamonds, and freckle6
cheek, which colored and changed at every
turn, and to whom the young gallant was evi
dently attempting to make himself agreeable
On the fore part Of the coach sat young fel
low, who | soon saw was much given to rant
ing sentiment. We took up on the way a
sturdy looking middle aged man, dressed in
coarse but substantial broadcloth, who SAID,
to my surprise as he took his seat, "Ths is
the first time / ever was on coach.' What
American that ever was dressed ut all could
say that? However, this made up our dra-
mats persona; for we had dialogue on the
way, in which took 80 much interest that |
shall record it.
| forget how the conversation began, but /
soon observed some sharp spsrrng between
the gallant and the sentimentalist, in which
the former was expressing some ideas Of the
strongest sceptical taint, and especially insist
ing that there was no life beyond the present
'Ay,' said the sentincntalist, Il know what
you are; have seen such as you before; you
believe nothing, and destroy every thing. Do
you believe there is God?'
'Oh! certainly don't deny that was the
reply.
'Well,' said the other, you'll find there is
a God yet, and you'll find what it is to die
yet, and youll ses that after death cometh
the Judgment and he then, without much
dellcacy, warned the Scotch girl to beware
of such fellow.
You may talk, said the gallant, 'but you
know nothing about it, and nobody knows
any thing about it. | know as much az you
do, and that is nothing. There is a man dy-
ing! Now look at him. Every thing that
you know about him dies with him. His
speech dies, his thong hts die, the man dies,
and there is an end OF him.
Ii was easy to see that our rustic fellow
traveller was very much shocked. lie SEEM
ed never to have heard any thing like this
before. lie was evidently a repre- sentative
of the true homebred Scotch faith. who had
duly learned his catechism in childhood, aud
duly attended upon the kirk ever since, and
never thought there was any thing to be
mentioned in religion but the kirk and cate
cbism. He looked this way, and that way,
and shifted from side to side on his seat, and
at length said, without addressing any one
in particular, u am sure this man does not
know whnt he says; he is demented Pm think
ing.' lie then adverted to the little boy sit
ting by, and said that he ought not to hear
such things
have more than wish had Of the Eng !
lish aversion to taking part in conversation
with strangers in a coach; but as ! saw that
both our rustic and rantcr were rather failing
md sinking before the firm assurance of the
young sceptic, thought ought to spenk.-
So said TO him, you seem, from your conf-
dent assertions, to know much about death
what is DEATH \
'Why, DEATH said he-'what is DEATH
Why every bopy knows that's it is when
man dies-ceases to live-and there is an end
Of him.
But this, said H. is no definition. You
should at least define what you talk about SO
confidently. Else you attempt to argue from
you know not what; to draw certainty
from an uncertainty. is not DEATH said
the dissolution OF The body? Is not that what
you mean by death'
Yes said he; that is it; it is the dissolu-
ton Of the body 4
We'll then,'I said, ARE the body and the
soul the same thing? is the principle Of
thought, the same thing with the hand, or
TO be sure it is mott and what thenr he
rejoined.
why then,' said !, 'it follows that the dis
solution Of the body has nothing to do with
the soul. The soul does not consist of mate
rails that c'l,, he dissolved. Therefore, death,
while il passes over the body, does not, you
see, as we define it does not touch the SOUL
lie seemed something at a stand with this;
but like many others in the same circum-
stances, he only began to repeat what he had
already said, with more vehement assertions
and louder tone. Meanwhile, there was
little by-plsy, in which he endeavored to re-
assure the Scotch girl, with whom he had
evidently ingratiated himself by very marked I
attention, telling her as she rather drew Off
from HIM, that 1t was all nothing; and that
whatever he said it was no matter; aud that
he was Just like the rest Of us. was deter
mined that the warning which had been Civ
en- IN that quarter, should not want what aid
I could give il; and as saw that the meta, 1