Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1846-02-19

There are few Is iii. x5r,l NJ.
naye not lost some near ard dear ..'.ka
linked 70 them sithsl by he lies 81 Mood
o. oy = pleasant CON paoionship. enshrin.
ed 10 their hearts. and halo we'd and bel.
sacred By trae and disioiefesisd alfsc
ton. The insaiials tomb hss robbed Ill
most every onesip y BON ithas spared. q
some being on wh9ur|ilis eye rested viii
Pleasure. who soilened Tor him The as
petiiies Of lies rough pathway, ard mi,
v Apss bosom be poured = own hesrt',
rich' tsessstes-zfsklinss Cd 6dence, ans
loFe ftsE hS< spen them droop anc
Do gradually. pet They have seer
the rose t6des Toe G. j ras.es ske sAs~e,sl
relax landihe eye grow lusireless, or bel a
with ihatunnatnral Light which is some
times born OF disease, aud only tells Of II.
progress. They have watched ID gtie
and tears. The shit,ings Of feyer--the slow
sinking away oil lie. 1.-THE hours Of agony,
the days OF quiet and appsren, conva:es.
cence, the hopeless relapse, and The final
t:iumph Of death. They hsye paced The
room where the poor body lay shrouded
for The grsse. and where Death almost
seemed yisibly present, casting shadow
upon every wall and object. and gszsd on
the rigid form. the marble aspect, soulless,
unspxsking features They have felt. too.
that deep oppression and hearl.sickness
which comes over every one upon such
an occasion. where The grim tyranl Sc ms
TO be watching aud gloatng over his VIC
lin, apd the rio. Of decay.is already be-
ginning TO be seen. --All this has lacerat
ed and crushed their hearts !: but perhaps
the bilierest pang of all came with the
last look into The grave. when the coffin
had been lowered. the loved object con-
signed TO iis long. dreamless rest, aud The
busy spade Of thesex,on was thrown gbsck
the senseless earth upon il. and hiding il
for ever. Ell
During sickness we have the object be
fore Us. wasted and sadly changed il may
be, but still capable OF communing With
US, Of approaching eur kindness, return /,
ing our love, and Of throwing few rays
Of sunlight ovsT the cloud Of our sorrow-
faint. indeed. vel still enough 10 gild lis
gathering gloom. There Isl still The old
smile running now and then over the
features and lightipg them up with some.
thing Of their former expression THE
voice, TOO, though il is no, what il once
was. falls upon our ears, and we follow
our friend with SOFT oil lingering hope,
convinced Of his doom. yet half looking
for deliverence, down 10 the very banks
Of deaths river And even when that
voice is hushed. and The Hast smile has
faded, when the bolt Of doom has been
launched, and :hs wreck OF mortality
choly pleasure in gazing al the expires.
sionless features. and linger in blind de.
vo,on al the shrine, though The deity
which hallowed il has departed
But. when We gaze into the closing
grave. We feel that our friend has gone
and hidden from us for ever. He has
made his final exit from the stage Of life
the curtain has fallen, and we shall see
him no more, Till we ourselves pass be-
hind the scenes.
We know that we can listen 70 bis voice
no more breathing eloquence 10 public,
or chesrfulness in the daily intercourse Of
life. We can never gaze iato bis eyes q.
gain, flashing with genius. besming will
kindness, or shedding tears for human
suffering. We shall meet him no more
10 the busy crowd. or al the quiet fire.
side The grave has received bimeto its
remorse.ess embrace. and hissensible pre-.
sence is<lost 10 Us forever.
All these thong htssrush upon the mind
at that monaen, and sweep oversize heart
10 tempest Of wild and bitter agory
Thebrightness Of the past but renders the
present more dark, the future more
gloomy. The pinions Of hope, though
unbroken, are vet and heavy with tears
and scarcely bear the heart above The
grave into which il looks. and where liz
idol lies. OH! the last look into the
graves OF kindred on the cherished com
psnions of life. would indeed scarcely b
endufable, did not revelation assure u,
of a resurrection. and whisper To- GU
hearts the sweet promise Of Immortality
God help the man who. al such an hour
has no faith in lihstpromise. and believe
all which was bis friend is thencefortI
nothing but dust! 1n6deliiy shrinks a
way from the gravs.offsring DO consolation
toihe believers Of her barren creed and no
thing bni Christianity can throw any ligh
upon the burial-hour. and the resting place
Of the dead.
a FACT.
al woman who is a close observer. IN
der the influence Of the law OF love