Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-07-15
For the Herald.


Last scene Of ALL that end this strange eventful
history, is second childishness and mere oblivion !:
sans teeth, eyes, sans TASTE sans everything!
The energies are expended mentally and
physically; the receptacle has an irrepleUiable
leak, and the waters Of life have oozed out -
the several members Of the machine now re-
fuse their office-have lost the power "aninai, =
and'erect position; the props are too feeble and
weak, to sustain the body corporate. The In-
roads Of decay are marked and beyond eradi-
cation; the an,lnative agent is taking last
farewell Of the citadel. and the ''grim tyrant"
is entering therein 10 feast upon the remains;
there is mighty struggle between the two
powers, but death, as ever, gets the upper
hand and possession !; the last gasp ard gfoan
the last up-heaviug Of the bosom-the last
ingress and egress OF the ci.cnmambient Amos
phere-the last spasm of the muscle. and the
last twi,ching Of the nervous fibre, or electic
threads, are the acknowledgements that "the
weary conflicts over;" that the Unsuitable
monster has fastened his fangs upon the heart
and is arres,ing its throbbings, and the free
exit Of the blood.
The vast frame Of nature changes ever more
her organs and members decay. Restless,
and restless generation! powers aud functions
dyi, and produced at need. and by this law
the mighty whole subsists, with an assent and
progress in the main.''
We, for our single self, do not believe thers
are any instances now, In the human family,
where the period of Lifetime is not abbreviated
from VIVA, it was originally. The condition
which mankind are in al present, and have
been for centuries past, is ininical TO smooth
and easy passage to the grave. The dis,or-
- l,hl
false customs and habits have become SO in
terwoven with us, that the decline oflife-the
''sear and yellow leaf" arrives p,emaurely,
and is withered and shrunken, and rustles to-
wards the ground TOO soon.
Adverse ana contrary winds are perpeiually
springins up, TO re,ard the ship of life and him
der prosperous voyage; the bark is tossed
and iunbled SO that the main timbers become
loosened from their origin stability, ere the
season Of inherent decay supervenes. The
lapse Of time has no, solely aud siugy effect
ed the wreck, but accidental and un,cward
events and occurrences, inc ,ngruous to nat
ural course. Suppose, for illustrations sake,
an infant born perfec, in all its parts and func-
iions-no unnatural deierlorauion exiaaiag Of
any kind or degree. bat every motion in unison
with primal health and rectiude. Suppose
described infant existed at this time.
in our community. under the same universal
law of life that other infants are subjected TO !;
how long, think you, before circumstances
would prrverl and disorder the harmonious
action primarily possessed; would not some
improperly, or carelessness. or ignorance, or
neglect in the parent or nurse, interrupt the
primitive congrui,y of its nature! yes, most
certainly; life, like other things, must be
scrulinzed and watched, 10 operate in order
and system congenial with the mandates Of
dame nature.
We have inherited from our orogenitors and
forefathers, many habits, customs and laws, Of
viliated quality SO do we, likewise. imbibe
their physical and mental failngs and imper
fec,ions; their determines and diseases, their
idosyncralic characters and pecuiarites.
Why is it so general that mankind at The pres
ent era, are more prone to do evil than good
simply because the stimuli of temptation 10 do
the wrong. is more potent than that of the
right; and what Is the cause Of this deplorable
fact-.his strange anomaly in our dispositions
and characters! Why, no more nor less than
the force Of erroneous habit enailed upon us,
a, handed down. by our forefa,hers and pro-
seniiors. They commenced the errors-,he
first corruption. that has grown with the con-
tnua,ion Of time, and strengthened with the
strength of empires!
The following beautiful verse is very ex
pressive, aud briefly por'rays the principle we
are, anC have been, in these essays, inculca-
ting:
''Vice is monster of such hideous mien,
That to be hated, needs but to be seen;
But seen to oft, familiar with her. face:
We first endure, then pity, then embrace"
All men know how difficult i, is TO uproot
or kill long established, fixed and settled
habit, which has ''grown with our growth and
strengthened with our strength - Injured to it
from childhood to maturity. We suffer, often
times, against our Judgements, continuation
OF those evils. that require much exerlion to
stay, or be broken, till neglect aud crcuu,-
spec'Ion has gained the supremacy, sinking
US into the gulph Of sensuaI,y and an,i-nalure,
and lni1'ct'ng upon our posteriiy as has been
inflicted upon US :-perversions and enormiiies
that might have been easily avoided and for
ever crushed in the lncipent bud. See how
many ways and means Of the present day. tend
to shorten life! sappine the foundation Of cen.
'eniment. qulelude, order and longevity; rem
dsring US easy preys TO the sting of death, in
an It's shapes and forms, and hurlng US "head.
long, bowling" to the dust.
Plato, when he returned to Athens, was
asked by the philosophers there, If .'he had
SEEN any thing in Trinacria,'' which is now
called Sccily, replied, '.vidi ,nonstum in ma
tura, hominem bis saturatum in Dies saving
thus. because he had beheld Dyonisius the
Iyrani. who introduced the practice Of eating
at noon, or midday, aud Of taking supper At
night. In ancient times, dinner was NJ. con.
sidefed necessary. or in vogue. All nations,
from time lmmenorial, excepting thu Hebrews,
ate at night. who took meals al noon only. Il
has been aptly said our lives, at present, may
% compared 10 comedy the breakfast is The
prologue. dinner the interlude, and supper the
enlllUu1., Men do IL.