Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-07-10
9abiss' department.
FOR the SPIRIT oF.THE AGE.
HR Is DEAD.-A TRUE STORY.

Ak lS DEAU.ZA ThUE STUh1.
Reader. in whatever condition of life you
are, whether rich or poor, bond or free, mo-
torious OF obscure, prince or peasant, your
friends will soon say Of you-"He is dead"
No rank or station can ward off the blow
which the uplined arm Of Death is ever ready
to inHict. The poet says, "Pale death, ad-
vancing with impartial footstep, knocks for
admittancc at the cottages Of the poor and
the lofty palaces OF the rich"
But it is not our purpose to inform people
that they must die. This is apparent to all,
even to the redkest intellect. Allknow how
we are startled by the announcement to US
Of this short sentence concerning some friend
some loved one" He is dead" Very Of
ten in the midst Of gayety and merriment,
festiVity and amusement, do these words
bring sorrow to our hearts and cause tears to
steal silently down our cheeks. 1t is then
that we abandon every other thought and
call to our minds the image of our friend,
who Is r~eposing in his narrow home, our
pleasant associations and mutual acts of
kindness. How sad to think I've are 10th to
believe ~ that the face, whose smiles so of
ten gladdened our hearts, is pale in death
and covered with the funeral pail, that the
voice which SO often cheered us is silent, that
The holy whose image il in our view is Sleep
lux AA ~ Aa@N t06NAb6 BAe~Ng thOAooAA6o -
miles away, perhapsl But if we have reason
TO believe that our friends are gone where
God will wipe away tears from off all eyes,
then, indeed, we arc glad, and think of them
ms clothed in shining robes, walking the gol-
den streets Of the Heavenly Jerusalem with
palms in their hands, and singing ~hosannahs
90 their Redeemer.
The immortal dreamer in the "Pilgrim's
Progress" was sorrowful because he could
not join the shining hosts which came out
from the Celestial CITY to meet Christian and
Hopeful, after they crossed the river of Death.
And so we feel too sometimes, because we
cannot join our friends in that happy land,
far, far away. But if our friends did not love
aud obey God, who did so much for mankind
in redeeming their lost souls, what strange
thoughts enter our minds when we hear it
said Of one Of them, "He is dead - How
quickly the inquiries Where is that i'm
mortal soul, and what will be its condition
throughout the c~easeless ages of eternity ?
come into our minds.
There are real, sincere friendships fire.
quently existing between sinners friendships
ms strong as that existing between Damon
and Phintias, each Of whom was not only
willing, but anxious to die for the other. II
is often the case too that some, who arr
journeying towards the inheritance of th'
saints in light and glory, love as their owl
souls others, who never think Of that inheri
tance, nor have any part or lot in it.
Not long since news came to US in a letter
saying Of a dear, loved friend, "he is dead.
1t was placed in our hands on a lovely da,
in Spring, as we were gazing on the tai
oaks, waving with the balmy zephyrs, ant
listening to the vernal choristers warblinJ
forth the praise Of Him who made them
We had caught the contagion which tn
beautiful day gave TO everything around, an
felt within our bosom that happy gloN
the lovely, sunny days of Spring almost in
yariably impart. We were thinking Of no.
visible is the impress of God upon all II
works, and especially how Spring, with i
scenery, IN calculated to awaken thoughts
the loneliness and majesty Of the Creator
Occasionally, too, we were endeavoring
portray the appearance of Heaven Of whiC
the sacred poet says,
There everlasting spring abides
And never whitening flowers.
FROM the contemplation of such things '
turned TO the perusLl of the letter. WhC
We came to the announcement Of our FRIEND
death, the letter almost fell from our hand
We Immediately ceased to think of anythiI
but him. Ills image arose fresh in our min
We recalled his many virtues and acts
kindness towards us; the happy hours v
spent together and the pleasant convers
tons that passed between us. Then
thought Of rim as pale and CHASTITY, shrou
ed in funeral robes and lying beneath I
sod over which but a few days before he W
so confidently t~reading. Despite our efol
to refrain, n tear coursed its way silen
down our cheek. "Can it be true that
kind friend is dead.n We could scarcely
lieve it. The next thought that occur
~was-wherei IL his soulg Our mind imme
ately began to wander through the realms
space in search Of him. 1t assembled to
mansions of eternal glory, and descended
the gloomy caverns of unending woe, in gu
OF That immo tai soul. We were deeply
fected. From our knowledge of the
which our friend led, we had many reas,
TO believe that his end was lying dowr
sorrow. lie was not a lover of Christ.
was not journeying towards the Celestial c
But let us tell you something Of him
He was a young physician from the HI
bic walks of life. lie had to contend "
disadvantages and struggle with adverse
clmStances, but notwithstanding he soon
2ined to a considerable degree of emine
IN his profession. he possessed many M
traits Of character and was endowed with
tellect far above mediocrity. He was mo-
and u~nassuming even to q fault an,
know him was only to love him. He M
failed to gain the confidence and esteer
the communities in which he p~racticed
profession, and Of every person with WI
he associated. He seemed almost an en-
stranger to vanity, that besetting sin of
, world. He appeared, indeed, to want M
ing but the regeneratlng influence of the
ly Spirit and the love OF God shed abroa
his heart, to have made him one of the
blest Of earth's sons.
At the time we first became acq1ainte,
had left the walls Of preparatory instituI
and entered as an actor upon the broad
ire Of the world, to perform his part in
busy drama. lie was our senior by a
years, yet we became intimate friends, an
a matter OF course, the repository of
others secrets and thought.
Like our friend, we had to weathe
storms Of adversely, and contend will
disadvantages Of poverty. We had Sc
eye on the temple of Fame, and was str
10 get our lamp lighted to illuminate the
that leads TO the summit ofthe hill on '
II stands. But we were arrested in O,
reer by the whitening hand of diseas,
laid upon a bed of languishing. But
ing was 10 be feared. The skill of our &
in whom we had unlimited confidence
near for our relief He often laid his f
ly hand upon our fevered brow, and a
istered the soothing draught. He sat b
bedside at the silent hour of midnight,
solemn stiffness possessed all the worlC