Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-04-11

funeral obsequies. Death is indeed bitter
under such circumstances, being without
its usual alleviatious. Ii is sweetscon-
ISOLATION to die at home:
'On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
Even from the tomb the voice of nature cries,
Even in our ashes live their wontcd fires.'
There is something dreadful yet beaull-
full in consumption. |, comes stealing on
so softly and SO silently. 1t comes, too,
in the garb of mockery and deception, and
clothes its victim in beautiful garments for
the grave. The hectic flush, the snowy
brow, The brilliant eye; who could believe
that these " ere deaths precursors, the sig
net of the conqueror! II invests the pa
tient with preternatural patience and
sweetness under suffering, keeping alive at
the same time, in her breast the illusion of
hope. Even in her moments Of extreme
suffering, she looks forward to days of re-
turning happiness and while The worm
is forever preylng at the core, and her
slender form becomes each day more fee
BILE and a,lenuate, she halls before her a
gilded prospect, and the mind and spirits
are buoyant with The thought. But when
the final struggle has at last comme"ced,
how sublime is The spectacle! TO behold
the immortal mind so calm, so tranquil
and so triumphant; waxing brighter and
brighter, while the tenement which con-
tains it is but poor lleshless skeleton; to
behold the eye beaming with undiminish-
ed lustre toward The objects Of its affection,
until the soul al last bursting The charnci
vault which has too long confined it, takes
one triumphant bound. Then is The body
still and silent. The feather is unrullled
by the breath, and the glass retains its pol
ish; for dust has returned TO dust again,
and the spirit unto God who gave it.
1t was a tempcsluous night. The rain
poured down in torrents, The lightning
cleaned luridIy. AT midnight entered
the apartment. A solitary taper cleaned
dismaIly on the hearth. The forms of
those in the rooms appeared like gloomy
shadows, fitting 10 and fro. A stifled sob
and The ticking of a watch on the table
were the only sounds; and they struck like
bearded arrow to my heart. observed
her hand beckouing. Her head was rails
ed with pillows,a a smile shot from her gla-
zing eye. She essayed to speak. bent
down my head with easerness, to catch
the last whisperings of her voice. There
was a pause. She made signal TO those
about her to repress their emOlions.as they
valued her last legacy. The sobs ceased,
the groans were scarcely audible, aud the
tears stood still upon the cheek Of the
mouruer. 'Ah! that is kind she began
in voice as soft as music. Nature must
have her course. The fountains Of grief
were too full. They burst the barriers
which prudence would have fain erected,
and poured fourth in torrent, sweeping
all before them. A cry, long, loud, aud
piercing, filled The apartment. She cast
back look of sorrowfuI reproach.
She arose in The couch. A paroxysm of
coughing seized her. She writhed for
moment in convulsive agonies, and then
fell back upon the pillow. A glcam of
lightning, bright, dazzling, appalling, shot
through the easement. She was DEAD -
Let us pray exclaimed the reverend pas
Tor; and with ono accord the assembly
knet. while, at the noon of night, he Of
fered up fervent prayer. 1t was short,
but clothed in the poetic language of the
scriptures. II spoke Of the silver cord be-
ing loosed, and the golden bowl being
broken. Ii was flushed. We arose from
our knees, cast one look at The emaoiated
form Of the departed, aud left the apart.
ment.