Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1848-03-02
OBITUARY..

There is dispense ton of Providence, in the
Snatnra order Of events, which, claims the inost
Z serinus a,teasion Had al! the occurrences
which pass among us, been suffered to sue
coed each other with unbroker unifnmi,y, We
: should at las; have entirely ceased to regard
@then, and every tender or devout reflection
wen, saon have become esranged from our
bosums The melancholy toll Of the bell, the
Fse,emn bier. the Ire turf upheaved, the deep
Rssgush of some fond heart as "a Ya"ning grave
began to close. are events so ordina.,T: ''a. &c
continually feel them losing ;heir ns,ural en-,'s
!. But every now and then wise Prominence.
! in some mysterious way renewb his mercifu
: admonitlons, breaks the general uniformity by
g.some striking and unexpected feature, and rou
sses our dormant sympa,hies into a fresh train
sol serious reflection. --.'t''
\ At the late death and burial Of ELIZABETH
sANN ZiRKLE, daughter Of Daniel and Nancy
I Zirkle. Of Rockingham, the feelings of great
xnumbers no doubt could have borne testimony
a,o the truth Of these remarks. On the MORE
sing Of the 22d Of January last, this amiable
syoung lady. just entering upon her twenty
Z third year, only three weeks before, i'll the full
Gbloom and buoyancy ofllfe. and possessing a
1 conssiiu,lon unusually vigorous, sunk under an
sindispositlon contracted from slight cold, and
atar from causing at frs. any serious apprehen
Sssons. She WAS member OF the Evangelical
. Lutheran Church, and manifested in her last
amoments her usual genieness and equanmity
4 accustomed from her infancy TO that aniable
Elsimpiicitv which is the CTS pring Of the rural
Hvir,ues, and the most lovely demonstration of a
Sgood heart, she was always admired for her
Estnodesty and affectionaie seisih;l,ies. Much
..scare had been bestowed on the the accomplish
81. : III !
|5charns, which alone would have been snfi-
sci-ht to adorn the fair circle of her associates.
Essshe possessed fund of solid and ornanenia,
Eknowiedga. She had undertaken 10 instruct
ssa class Of Young ladies on the Piano in the
ssSeminary q, New Market, and in her ardent
prosecution Of this noble object. she contracted
Ned so Unexpectedly fatal. The premature fate
[sof this accomplished young lady, the vast con-
sscourse Of relatives and friends, who attended
q he sad rites OF interment; the gloom which
& pervaded them, every circumstance seemed
NcaIcuIated to fill the mind of spectator with
offender and melancholy reflections. Sorrowfml
Fit was to think, that the fresh, young vigor of
Esexs.ence. the skill Of physicians, the trembling
aassduties of parents, and brothers, and sisters.
Econld not retain her.-,hat she must die; that
Zone chill breath should thus Blast the ripening
khopes Of twenty-five years; that her own gen
ferrous purposes, the thoughts which she had
E,reasured, the views which she had INDUCED.
ssshould thus vanish like dream.-that the
Esweet impulses of life, the light and loveliness
sof world she has just visited should be snatch
lMed away SO soon, and darkness eternal settle
its evanescent beauty.
q Desolate indeed would have been every be-
Elreaved heart, if chained down TO such rehec-
Esions But the light Of immortality comes to
lsdispel the phantoms of Imagination. How
Ecold, how crcumsc!.bed how inadequate our
Eivews of existence! Unlimited space, endless
Eiduration, and the revolutions Of universal nature
1--WE strive to compress within the little range
Hof cur puny conceptions. A few months or
Eyears some lovely being passes among US, and
B when the joyous vision hasiens on to other
Hclimes of the endless revolution prescribed 10 it,.
Ave fancy that because it passed from our eyes.
Iii has sunk into dreary nothing, that it has
avanished alike from erery.eye. Yet we know
gthat each drop which we see sparkling III the
srver or the little brook, when it gdes beyond
hour view, will still continoe to sparkle, even
ssswhen il shall have .raversed the vast ocean.
ssand fluated again .hrongh the deep releases Of
tine EARTH We know that the little bird which
edeiights the summer of our cline with its
fbeau.v and its song, does not cease TO sing
: when ,,e cease to uehold it, bu, has only pass
Fed on to rejoice in some more congenial cline.
: And so it is with the vrtnous spirits and
&wi,h the lovely accomplishments of the mind
SThe qualities which rendered ELIzAAETH ZIR-
sKLE tho delight of her fair companions, the
jov of her parents, cannot die. Every nobIer
sentiment Of her heart. every kindling eoncep.
I tion of her Youthful mind, must continue to
advance under perpetual accessons Of fervency
j and low. She has left thousand dear recollec-
ktions to lnger among her friends with ten
ederness painfulIysweet but she herse'fin the
embrace of universal Benevoence. must hasten
10 the COOL Of her glorious destiny. diffnsing
! still richer and swee,er tokens of remembrance,
and still putting on fresh charms Of expanding
Intelligence.