Lewisburg chronicle, and the West Branch farmer. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1849-1849, 1849-12-19


90 much 10 lose, 90 much TO live for.
would 90 gladly do some good in tn
world. Were it not for my bodily suffer
ings. I should probably cling yet NOR
strongly to life, but these are severe.
Ia my mothers house, in the arms o
those | love, to 60 into the long sleep-t'
fall in the battlefield, fighting for my dea
country-that would no. be hard. But ,e
die SO solitary-so inglorio',sly sick bed
far from oil whom love-,his weighs me
down. Yet | will NO, murmur. will bt
resigned. My fate is not harder than ,ha
of millions of my fellow creatures; I will
seek, before the shadows OF death obscure
my thoughts, for something that will afford
consolation to them and to me. will ex
anime tho foundation and extent Of the
consolation which feel in myself at this
time, and make it more active in my heart
for heavier hours than these yet await me,
before the end comes.
shall soon die! Die. Ny soul has
still too much life fully to conceive this
certainly. the deep. deep sleep. My soul
was full Of other images, images Of honor,
Of love, Of joy. Yet it is certain shall
soon die. The bird which passes over my
head, the flowers which are scattered over
the ground, have a longer future than !
The hand which writes this vii! SOON
moulder in the dust. and the eye which
guides the hand will DO devosred by worms.
Be i, 50! But while it is yet open it will
look thee in the face, thou pale destroyer
Of life. Thy followers, o Death! who
will soon lay their hands upon me, shall
not terrify me. am now alone with ,hee,
thou terrible and wonderful being, whom I
have seen from my childhood as an image
Of terror and woe. will examine thee
more nearly, before thou seizest my hand /;
perhaps shall then willingly offer it.
Death Since life has been put upon
earth, death. too, has been here. The
flowers start up 10 spring from the earth,
shed their fragrance for a short time a,
The time Of harvest they Are dead. The
animals come into life, sport awhile. pair,
build hablta,ions for themselves, bear
young. and die, serving as prey for each
other.
Aud man, He awakes gradually to
consciousness, as from dream, looks upon
the earth around him. and up to heaven,
and understands, and worships. A higher
aspiration fills his breast, and an,icipatioDs
Of eternal truth penetrate hin bu, as he
stands, and strives. and hopes, with an un-
fulfilled longing, and without having az
anything. death seizes him, and
he sinks into night, and passes away
yes, oil that is left OF him, is his memory,
and food for worms. He is dead. Many
men die 90 carly, that they have not yet
been able to accomplish anything on the
earth. Everything which has life must
die; wherever | turn my eyes | see death {;
and the liieless mountains are the only ev.
srlasting things on earth. Why, then,
does she produce aught else! These be-
ings who love, who in this world, in sufie-
ring and in hope, cast their roofs into each
other. and then are torn away from one
another, and forced to die-why are they
herei Why all this loveliness which must
vanish, all this power which must be Grip.
pied. all tits beauty which must mouIder
away! Why these sparks. which are ex.
at the very instant Of their kin.
life without pleasure-these
deep sorrowsi In order 10 be silen, at
las:, and to sink into the earth-,he earth
which will equal ze and cover up all Shall
my heart despair, while it sinks in these
sad thoughts-in these dark questions !
That shall it not.
q God! n thee, whom, since my child.
hood, I have learned TO worship. whose life
feel IN the depths Of my soul. whom |
reverence in the sacred voice ofconscience,
and 10 oil that | see Of good and beautiful
upon The earth-on Thee do my heart and
thoughts firmly rest, as the first and only
cad Of oil life and Of all thought: Thou
art holy, and full Of love; Thou art good,
o God; that do feel, that do believe in
nv inmost heart. should understand
myself no longer, nor what love in 9th.
efs, their virtue. their love, nor the holy
sense of duty. which 10 written in every
heart. and which holds the world together !;
oil would be 70 me q riddle, if did not
believe 10 Thee. Ny Creator with the
bees that Thod' hast given me. with this
heart which loves Thee. with this reason
which can think OF Thee, with this will
mighty to listen to. and obey Thee-1 will
and mus. wossbip Thee. Deep in my