Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-06-23
THE ANGEL OF TINE.

thousand years of additional life to bestow
on the inhabitants of the earth His
trumpet echoed far and wide, penetrating
the cities, the valleys, the mountains, and
the uttermost extremes of the universe
The people focked eargerly from all points
OF the compass, to prefer their claims to a
portion ofthe bcnofcient gift but it was
surprising to see that the crowd consisted
of the aged alone. The children were at.
tending to their youthful sports, and paid
no attention to the proclamation; the
youths and maidens were wandering in the
labyrinths Of love and the men and wo.
men of middle age were too much en-.
gagged in the pursuits of life to think of
death.
The first who preferred his petition for
a few additional years was an old man of
fourscore and upward, bent aim ost double
with age.
"Thou doubtless wishest to live little
longer for the sake of thy children and tie
companions of thy youth - said the an
gel.
"Alas.' clicd the old man, "they are
all dead
'Thou art in possession of wealth and
honors?"
"Alas, no. 1 have lost my good name,
and am niserably poor. Yet l wish to
live until l am a hundred years, and he
then went On his way trembling and re-
joicing.
The next applEsaSs5 for heightened years
was a feeble old man who was carried in
t litter. When he preferred his request
the angel replied:
"I understand. Thou art enamored of
the charms of women, of the beauties of
the earth, the waters, and the skies, and
thou wishcst to behold them yet few years
more %
~ am blind these ten years." answered
! the old man.
"Ihou art delighted with the music Of
the birds the murmuring of the waters,
the echoes Of the mountains, and all the
harmones of tic universe, and wishost to
hear them little longer ~
81 am deaf,and scarcely hear the sound
of thy trumpet"
"Thou art fond of the delicaccs of
food ~
ALAS my feeble health will not permit
such indulgencics. have lived on milk,
and crusts of bread these seven years, past
and more, | am miserable, sickly, old
man."
"And still thou wishcst to lengthcn out
thy miserics. What pleasure dost thou en-
joy in this lifc?"
"The pleasure of living" said the old
man; and the angel granted a few years
more.
The third who approached the footstool
of the angel, was a dccrcpit female, almost
bent double, and trembling with palscy.-
Her teeth were gonc-hcr eyes buried deep
in their dark blue sockcts--her check hol-
low and tleshless-and she could hardly
prefer her request, for an inccssant couhg
that drowned her voice aud almost chokcd
her
81 am come, said she, "to beg score
Of years, that may enjoy the pleasure Of
seeing the cypress trees l have planted
over the graves of my husband, children,
grandchildren, and the rest of my dear rel
atiycs, spring up and flourish before / die,
| am bercft Of all that were near and dear
to me l stand alone in the world, with
no one to speak for ne; | besccch thee to
to grant my request"
Though | grant the lcngthcncd days,
/ cannot remove thy infrmities and sulicl-
ings. They will increase upon thee, said
the angel,
l care not, since know they cannot
kill me before my time"
"Takc thy wish,' said the angel, smil-
ing, Ego and be happy
I "Strange !" cried learned man who
had come to petition for few years to
complete an explanation of the apocalypse
and had witnessed the scene, "Srange," {"
cried he, curling his lip in scorn, "that
the most helpless and miserable Of human
beings should still covct life, divcsted of
all its cnjoyments!" !"
"Silencc, fool - replied the angel, in a
voice of ineffablc contempt; "it rather be-
comes thee, ignorant mortal, to adore the
goodness of Providence, which having or =
dained that man should live to be old ,mer-
cifully deerecd' at the same time, that the
love of life should supply the absence of
all its sources of enjoyment. Go! take