Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-05-15


No young man ever thinks he shall die. He may
believe that others will, the doctrine that
''all men mortal abstract proposition. but
be is far enough from bringing it home to himself In
dividually.* Youth, buoyant activity, and animal
spirits hold absolute antipathy with old age well
as with death; nor have we, ii the heyday of life,
any more than in the thoughtessness of childhood,
the remotest conception how
"This sensible warm motion can become
A kneaded cled'-
to withered weak, and grey" Or if In moment of
idle speculation indulge In this notion Of the close
of life as a theory, IT is amazing what distance
il seems what long, eisurely perpective there is
between what contrast its slow and solemn APP
proach affords present gay fleeing existence
We eye the farhest verge of the horizon, and think
what way we shall have to look back upon, ere we
arrive at journeys end; and without in the
least suspectng it, the msts at feet and the
shadows of age encompass The two divisions of
our lives have melted into each other the extreme
points close and meet with none of the romantic in
terva stretching out between them, that had reck
oned upon and for the rich, melancholy solemn hues
Of age, 'lhe scar the yellow leaf" the deepening
shadows of an autumnal evening"" we only feel
dank, cold mist encrcng all objects, after the spirit
of youth is fed There is no inducement to look for
ward; and what is worse, little interest In looking
back 10 what has become trite and common The
pleasures Of cur existence have worn themselves out
and 'gone into the wastes Of time,' have turned
their Indifferent side to u.s. the pains by their repeat
ed blows have worn US out, and have left neither
spirit inclination to encounter them again in
Prospect. We do not want to rip up old grievances,
nor to renew our youth like the phoenix, to live
our lives twice over. Once is enough. As the tree
falls. let it lie. We shut up the book and close the
account once for all!
1t has been thought by some that life is like the
exploring of passage that grows narrower and
darker the farther advance, without possibility
of ever turning back, and where we stified sor
want Of breath at last. For myself, do not CON-
plain of the greater thickness of the atmosphere
approach the ndrroo house. | felt it formerly I
when the idea alone seemed to suppress thousand
rising hopes and weighed upon the pulses of the blood
At present rather feel hinness and want of support,
stretch out my hand to some object and find none,
am much in a world of abstraction; the naked
map of life is spread out before me, and in the empti-
ness and desolaton | see Death coming to meet me.
In my youth could behold him for the crowd OF
objects and feelings and Hope stood between u.s. say
ing-'Never mind that old felow." If had lived
indeed, should not much care to die But | do
not like contract of pleasure broken off unfullled
a marriage with Joy unconsummated, promise of
happiness rescinded. My public and private hopes
have been LETT a rum, or remain only to mock me.
would wish them to be re-edified. | should like to
see some prospect Of good to mankind, such as my
life began with. should like to leave some sterling
work behind me. should like to have some friendly
, hand to consgn me to the grave. On these condi-
then write on my tomb-GRATEFUL AND COMMENTED
But have thought and suffered too much 10 be willing
to have thought and suffered in vaini-In looking
back, it sometimes appears to me if | had in
manner slept out my life in dream trance on the
side of the hill of knowledge, where / have fed or
books, on thoughts, pictures, ard only heard il
hafmurmurs the trampling of busy feet or the noise.
of the throng below. Walked Oft Of this dim, twi
light existence, and startled with the passing scene
have felt wish to descend to the world of realities
and join in the chase. But fear too late and that
had better return to my bOokish chimeras and ndo
lence more! Zu,etto, dscia le donne studid
: nlatanldticd.
1t is not wonderful that the contemplation and fea
of death become familiar to us we approach
nearer to it: that life to ebb with the decay
blood and youthful spirits and that we find ever
thing about subject to chance and change as on
strength and beauty die as hopes and passions
our friends and affections leave us we begin by de
grees TO feel ourselves mortal
/ have never seen death but once, and that was il
: an infant. II is years ago. The look was calm
and placid, and the face was fair and firm. It wa.
I as if a image had beeti laid out in a coffin
and strewed with innocent flowers. 1t was not lk,
DEATH but appeared to be more like an image of life
4 No breath moved the lips, pulse stirred, sigh
or sound would enter those eyes or ears more Whi
looked at it. L that no pain was there it scenes
e to smile at the short pang of Life which over
t but it could not bear the colin-d to be closed
almost stihed me and still as the nettles wave in
corner of the church-yard his little grave tn
: welcome breeze helps to refresh and ease tn
a tightness at tn5 breast
An ivory or marble image, like CLantrys monunien
of the two children, contemplated with pure delight
: Why do we not greve and fret that the marble is no
e alive, fancy it has shortness of breath 1t
Is was alive and if the difficulty of making the transi
tion fror, life 10 death, the struggle between the tw
IN imagination that confounds their propertie
painfully together, and makes conceive that til
infant that is but Just Dead still wants to breathe,
enjoy, and look about it, and is prevented by the ic
hand of DEATH locking up Its faculties and benumbn
its senses; that if it could, it would complain
= its own hard fate. Perhaps religious consideration
reconcile the mind to this change sooner than an
others, by representing the spirit as fed TO anothe
sphere, leaving the body behind it.. But in refectin
1t, and thus make it the CHASTITY monster ii is: w
II think how should feel, not how the dead feel
n "Sii from the tomb the voice of nature cries
y Even in ashes live their wonted fires !"
n There is admirable passage on this subject i
A fuckers Light of Nature Pursued, which | sha
tanscrbe by much the best illustration can ofe
II of it.
e "The melancholy appearance of lifeess body, tn
mansion provided for it to inhabt, dark cold clos
II and solitary, shocking to the imagination but
is to the imagination only, not 10 the understanding
for whoever consults this faculty will at fir
glance, that there is nothing dismal IN all these eli
cumstances if the corpse were kept wrapt up in
|, warm bed, with a roasting fire In the chamber
: would feel comfortable warmth therefrom; wei
,f store of tapers lighted up soon as day shuts in,
would object to divert it were 1t left at larg
a 1t would have no liberty, nor If surrounded wit
e *"AI men think ali men mortal but themselves YOU'VE
T remembers il particular having this feeling
fading schilIes Don Carlos, where there is deserPiis
-