, 1844-11-09
AFFECTION FOR THE DEAD.
BY WASHINGTON IRVING.

we seek to heal every other aifec.
ton forgot--but this wound we Con
slider i, a duty 10 keep epen--thi.
atilIctlon we cherish and brood over
IN soli,ude.-Where is the mother
that would willingly forget the infant
that persisted like a blossom from hel
arms, though every recollection i:
like a pang. Where is the child tia,
would willingly forget the most ten.
der OF parents, though to remember
would be to lament? Who. even in
the hour OF agony. would forget the
friend over whom he mourns--who.
even when the tomb is closing upon
the remains Of her he most loved.
when he feels his heart. as it were.
chrushed in the closing of its portals.
would accept OF consolation that must
he bought by forgetfulness, No, the
love that survives the tomb is one OF
the nob!est attributes Of the soul. Ii
Ii his lis woes, il has likewise its de.
lights. and when the overwhelming
burst ofgrief is Gained int" the gem
lie recollection, when the sudden an.
Guish AMI the convulSive agony over
the present ruins of all that we most
loved, Is soitened away into medila-
ton. on all that IT was IN the DAYS of
It's lOveiIneSS-who would root out
such Il sorrow from the hearth
Though II may sometimes throw a
passing cloud over the bright hour of
gayety, or spread u deeper sadness
yer the hours Of gloom, yet who
would exchange il even for the sony
OF pleasure, or the burst Of revelry?-
No there Is a voice from the tunIb
sweeter than song. There is a re.
membrance Of the dead to which We
,nrn even from the charm Of the liv-
Ing. Oh, the grave!--the giave!-It
buFIcs every t~error-covcrs every
de!ect-txiincuishes every resent
men'. From lis pcaceluI bosom
springs none bu, fond rcgre, and ten
der recolicctIons. Who can louk
Gown upon the grave even Of an enc
my. and not ieel a compunctious
'hrob, that should have warred with
the poor handful Of earth that lies
Wondering before him.
Aud the grave ofthose we loved
what a place Of meditation! There
II is that we call up IN long review
the whole history Of virtue and gen
tleness, and the thousand endear-
nenislavished upon US almcstunheed-
ed in the daily intercourse of intuna.
cy, there it is that we dwell upon The
tenderness Of the parting scene--the
bed Of death with all IFS stificd grief
its noiselcss attendants, its mute,
watchful assiduItieS-ihe last tesli
monies Of expiring love-the feeble,
.lut,ering, thrilling, oh, how thrilling.
the pressure of the hand-ihe last
fond look of the glazing eye, turning
on US ever from the threshold of ex-
istence--the faint iaultering accents,
struggling in death, TO give one more
of affection.
Ay. go to the grave Of buried love.
and mediate! Then settle the ac-
count with thy conscience for every
past benefit Observation-Disclosures
Inregarded, OF that departed being
who can NORTHUMBERLAND re-
urn to the soothed by any contribu-
If thou art a child. and hast ad-
led a sorrow to the soul, or a furrow
o the silver brow OF affectionate pa
'ents--if thou art a husband and hast
caused the fond bosom that ven-
ured its whole happiness in thy arms,
o doubt one moment OF thy kindness
II thy truth--i( thou art a friend, and
las ever wronged in thought or word,
,r deed, or spirit, that generosity
in thce-if thou art a lover,
nd hast even given me unremitted
lang to that true heart, which now
les cold and still beneath thy feet
hen be sure that every unkind look,
very ungracious word, every ungen-
le action, will come ,hronging back
pom thy memory, and knocking dole
llly at thy soul-then be sure that
hou wilt lie down sorrowing and re-
on that grave-and utter the
nheeded groan, and pour thy una
ailing tears. more deep, more bitter,
ecause unheard and unavailing. I
Then weave the chaplet Of flowers,
nd strew the beauties of nature Il.
out the grave, console thy broken
brit, if thou canst, with these ten
er, yet futile tributes of regret;--but
Ike warning by the bitterness Of this !
" contrite affection over the dead, I
Nd hepcefortb be more faithful and c