The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-04-18
For the HeraM.
The What Not Club.
No. 4.

FRIENDSHIP -Deceitfulnes of Appearances
Beyond doubt this world is full of evil
Disease and pain wars, wounds and bruises; ;
storms and earthquakes; pestilence and
famine; envy, hatred and malice; lying, cov-
etousness and sins of every kind, make up
mess so horrible and internal in its nature,
that, were we not accustomed to it from our
very cradles, we would surely be struck with
after horror and amazement at the sight.
Brother betrays brother; neighbor is at
war with neighbor; even lovely woman, who
is Just one half degree lower than the angels,
too often disfgures her face and mars the glory
of her soul by entertaining, as intimate guests
al hateful and evil passions. The loVelest
female form that ever lived on earth; and the
sweetest lips that ever murmured words Of
love, may be as false and Internal as the fallen
angels that seek to betray and lure to destruc-
ton the innocent and 7irtuous heart. Beauty,
may be only snare, and the sweetest flowers
mag grow around the mouth of the pit which
has no bottom, The greatness and splendor
of the world; the wealth, the fame, the power
for which men toll so much, may, and do
mock US with. their images ofjoy, as the mi
rage in the desert mocks the eye and heart of
&he dying traveller.
There seems to be an element of strife in
the very air we breathe. All races of animals
war with all others; and the dove, the emblem
and the type of innocence, does not seem to
be exempt from the universal curse. Even
the flowers, that load the air with their frag-
rance, and make the senses heavy with their
sweets, bear deadly poisons hid away in their
fragrant cups. Disease, pain, war, sorrow
and sadness mark the footsteps OF man and Of
other creatures, from the first, weak futtering
breath until Death comes and hides all behind
the curtains of unknown night. have thought
sometimes that peace could be found only in
the silence Of the tomb. have thought that
rest for the perturbed heart could be found
only in the chill embrace of Death. I have
looked upon the face Of the dead and there l
saw no trace of pain. The evil passions, that
marred the beauty Of the face of the living,
left no sign upon the face of the dead. And
then l thought to myself, surely death is
peace and here only we have that which never
deceives. But then I looked further and
thought thus: 1t may be that the beauty Of
Death is deceptive, for the body is but earth
and man is more than clay. How do know
that the man once turbulent with passion and
disfgured with evil thought is row at rest
because the body lies here so still? I do not
know it, and the calm stiffness of this marble
form, which is soon to crumble to dust, if it
speaks of peace, may lie as foulIy as the har-
lot lips which lure young men to hell. look
ed upon little sleeping child, and the sweet
ness Of angelic peace seemed to surround it
and clothe it with a garment of beauty.
saw it smile and through it's half closed eyes
it seemed to catch giimpses of heaven. But q
change came DER the spirit Of its dream; the
rosy. smile faded from its lips; and this little
innocent child Showed that it, too, had in its
nature, the stormy passions Of hell.
Thusau things~even to the very faces of
the dead may deceive. The words OF love;
the voice Of friendship and the smiles that
wreathe the lips, and light up the eyes of
beauty, may be as false and deceptive as the
songs of Sirens which lead the souls Of their
listeners to the world of woe. I have seen
those Tho were called friends; side By side