The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-10-30

your miseries that shall come upon you
Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust
of them shall be witness against you, and
shall eat your flesh as it were fire; you have
heaped treasure together for the last days.
Behold, the hiro of the laborers who have
reaped down your fields which is Of you kept
back by fraud, crieth and the cries of them
which have reaped are entered into the ears
of the Lord of Sabbath. ....s
And yet you never preached that to me ?
shrieked the dying man.
The preacher, who had blundered through
the passage from james, which we have quot
ed, knew not what to say. He was, perchance,
terrified by the very dying look of his dying
parishoner.
Then the wife drew near and strove to
comfort him, and the son (wl,o had been
reading the willy attempted word or two Of
consolation. l
And with the dollar in his hand he sank
into death, talking OF death, of stock, of rent,
of copper mines and camel, of tenant and Of
debtor, until the breath left. Thus he died.
When he was cold, the preacher rose and
asked the lawyer whether the deceased had
left anything to such and such charitable
society, which had been ingafted upon the
preachers Church.
And his wife closed his eyes and tried to
wrench the dollar from his hand, but in vain.
He clatched it as though it were the only
saviour to light him through the darkness Of
eternity.
And the son sat down with dry eyes, and
thought of the hundreds Of thousands which
were now his own.
Next day there was hearse followed by n
train of carriages nearly mile in length
There was q crowd around an open grave, and
an elegant sermon upon the virtues of the
deceased, by the preacher.
There was flultering of Grape badges, and
rolling of carriages, and-no tears. They left
the dead man and returned to the palace,
where sorrow died even as the Grape was
taken from the door knob. t
And in the grave the dead hand still clinch-
ed the dollar.
The Turn OF LIfE.-Between. the years
of forty and sixty, a man who has properly
regulated himself may be considered in the
prime of life. His matured strength of con.
sttution renders him almost impervious to
the attacks of disease; and experience has
given soundness to his judgment. His mind
is resolute, firm, and equal; all his functions
are in the highest order; he assumes mastery
over business; builds up competence on the
foundation he has formed in early manhood,
and passes througha period of life attended
by many Qualifications Having gone year
or two past sixty, he arrives at standstill.-
But a:hwart this is vindnct called "The
Turn of Life" which, If crossed in safety,
leads to the valley Of "Old Age" round which
the river winds, and then beyond without a
boat or causewny to effect its passage. The
bridge is, however, constructed of fragile ma.
terials, and it depends upon how it is trodden
whether it bend or break. Gout, apoplexy,
etc., are also in the vicinity to waylay the
traveller and thrust him from the pass; but let
him grid up his loins, and provide himself
with filter staff, and he may trudge in safe
.y, with perfect composure. To quit meta
phor: The "Turn of Life" is turn either into
prolonging walk, or into the grave. The
system and powers having reached their ut.
most expansion, now begin to either close
like flowers, at sunset, or break down at once.
One injudicious stimulant, n single fatal ex-
ctement, may force It beyond its strength;
while careful supply of props, and the with.
drawal of all that tends to force q plant, will
sustain It in beauty and vigor until night has
entirely set in.