Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-10-09
From the New-YOrk Observer.
'ESick, DYING. Dead

Alate Mew-orleans paper In describing the raw
ages of the yellow fever in that city, saws: "The
Levee presents scene of awful desoIation. The
hustle on the wharf Is hushed--the animated crowd
has departed and no man knows whittier. The
ships are all gone, and only a solita~y steamer.
whose struggling passengers seem almost afraid to
land, finds an ample berth at the deserted wharf
No eabmen are there to importune you for a fare.
far their calls are now In the grave SicE-dgIag-
dead These are the words on every lip. Opera
music, dance, seem sacrilegious now.
Bnt why sacrilegious aolc7 Does death visit
New-Orleans only in July and August and is it
only eausel by the epidemic which has now sent
such iercing vail from the Crescent City2 Du-
ring the mild Winter in the blossoming Spring
are the physicians without calls the undertaken and
grave-dgger without employ? Are no loving hearts
there left bleeding as their most sensitive chords
have been torn asunder by remorseless deaths Are
there then seen no solemn professions following the
departed to their last resting places? What mark
ed exception must this place be in all the worId If
death is a stranger there except when the yellow
fever makes its fatal inrOads. Even while write.
summons calls me to the house of mourning
young wife, not eighteen years old, is dead Seven
teen months ago, when she was not sixteen. al
though IN maturity of manners and looks. she
seemed woman, | married her. and now today
am to bury her. She did not die of yellow fever
Our mountains never had ease of this disease
Less than two weeks ago only slight chill indica-
ted that she was sick, and then congestion tool,
hp hPaIn nD1x-
sickness did she know any one, Her mother and
sister had no voice to reach her consciousness and
even the meanings of her husband could NOT srousa
her. "Sick-dying-dea That is the brief
history of an interesting girl whose body we are TO
hide forever from the sight of the living. And vet
she was not in New-Orleans that place of asack-
cloth and ashes" but she died in what is known 90
very healthful region.
And just up at the top of The mountain beyond.
where the air Is very pure, and the scenery very
beautiful, gathered little while ago TO perform
the same Offices of kindness to the dead. The de-
ceased was greatly beloved and could affection have
raised barrier against the approach of death. the
barrier certainly would have been raised Friends
did what they could, and their sobs and tears teti
fed how heartsore they were that they could do no
more. The pure air and the lovely scenery of the
mountains had no medical power to arrest the dead
ly On it ate relentessly until it DESTROYED
the life which friendship held so precious. aSick-
dying-dead this was the brief description of a
case not even remotely connected with the yellow
fever. -..
And so pass from house to house IN this beau
tiful region, and find those three words contain
history descriptive of every family.
. K 4
The Psalmist must change his plaintive lament.
"as for man. his days are as grass; as The flower of
the field so he fOurisheth; the wind passeth over if
and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it
no more, and the world in which he wrote his
truthful lament must change the mortality of Its
inhabitants for immortality, else unto the eud of
time, the thrilling words, sick-dying-dead" will
be the true description of what is constantly trans
piring somewhere,
"0ur moments iy apace,
Nor viii minutes stay;
Just Ike food, our hasty days
Are sweeping away.
Well, if our days must fly
Wen keep their end in sight -.t
Wen spend them all in VISIONS wav
And let them speed their fight" i3#
ROcKAwAY.