Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-04-24
A nEAuTIFuL EXTl,ACT,

" But tlel Snail i KNOW even as also u 6U
Corinthians, xiii II.
Shall we know our friends in Heaven?
How often is this question asked earn
estly and anxiously by the human heart
while we sit bereaved and mournful un-
der the willow or cypress, where the
stream Of mortal life flows sighing. The
wandering among the graves
Of the old church-yard, or sitting on the
shore Of the cruel ocean, which has
swallowed up in its mysterious waves
the forms of the loved and lost, wonders
when they shall meet them in
the spirit.world, they shall know them.
The mother, sitting beside little grave
where her heart lies buried with the
form of the little sleeper, asks with
trembling tenderness, "Shall l know
nv child in Heavea?" The aged hus-
band, leaning over the tomb of u loving
wife, whose gentle hand smoothed the
rough places of life for him during their
Of three.score years, and who
still so we'll remembers her in the days
of her youth and beauty, inquiries with
tender emotion, "Shall know her
when we meet beyond the dark river?"
The sister, as she plants flower upon
the grave of the brother of her child
hood, and waters it With her tears, feels
she shall meet him again, but she asks,
lingsringly, Shall | know him?" The
child, looking on the old armchair,
where mother and father sat, and re-
calling the happy scenes of an early
home, now broken up forever on earth,
the dear ones having parted, some at
the altar and some at the grave, pauses
to make the anxious inquiry, "Shall
we know each other when we meet in
Heaven?"
The fact that this question is the uui-
yersal inquiry Of the human heart,
makes it significant, and clothes it with
solemn Importance. The memory Of the
dead is the most sacred association oil
the past. We cannot forget them.
"Though the flowers of love dic in our
hoarts, they lose not their fragrance.
The looks, the forms, the voices, the
smiles of the dead are still to US like
" ointment poured FORTH" the odor ot
which comes to US richest in our loneli-
est hours. Their image, lovely rs the
purest thoughts we can form OF them
floats before our waking visions, and
smiles upon us in the dreams OF the
night. Our dead are very dear to us,
AMI our sorrow for them the heart re-
fuses to give up, though it may seek to
forget all other sorrows. We forget the
forms and features of friendly faces
which we meet in life, but we never for
get the forms and features Of our treas
ured dead. Is not this Il strong pre-
sumptive evidence that We shall meet
them again Let US look up longingly
and lovingly then to the home where
our pious dead are resting. "The eye
of the merchant follows his sreighted
vessel till it disappears in the dim, dis
taut blue; then looks often in the va
cant air that hangs over the broad sea
for its return, till he secs at last its hope
full penuants streaming on the breeze. "
Then let us look upward to distant
blue beyond the sea, through which we
shall take onr way, after awhile, to
where the dear ones are. We will see
them aCain-kuow them again-love
them again. Letus draw softly down into
the quiet border laud along the valley
of the shadow of death. Let us listen
intently. The softest notes that float to
our ears across the almost breathless
solitude, shall tell us hopeful tales OF a
better land, and of those who dwell in
il. To the ear of faith there comes tid-
ings from our long absent dead. Let US
listen to reason to the universal cry ot
the human heart to the Prophets; to
the Apostles; to the dying saints, and to
the Savior himself, and our faith shall
hear something in regard to the future
recognition OF friends that may give
hope and comfort to the sorrowing heart.
The universal belief in the doctrine oi
future recognition is strong argument
in its favor.
All universal ideas are true in sub.
stance. The universal belief in the
existence Of u God is common to all
men, whether rude and savage, or po'
lite and civilized and this idcn oi
God $ existence is not so much de-
duction of reason as a spontaneous
feeling of consciousness. This is strong
evidence that there is God. So with
the doctrine Of the Immortality OF the
soul, believed by all men, unless spoiled
by vain philosophy, is proof that
there is another life. IF, then, VIC find
that future recognition is q universal
belief, it is II strong proof of the truth
Of the doctrine.
As every nation found on the Garth
believes in n future state, we find they
believe also in the future recognition Of
friends.
Homer, who lived and wrote in the
time of Elijah, 900 years before Christ,
speaks Of Ulysses us visiting the shades
Of the dead, where he meets many
whom he knew on earth. With Achilles
he talks of the affairs of earth, and,
finally, meets his mother, whom he
hasteus to embrace. Socrates said,
when about to die, Who would not
part with great deal to purchase o
meeting with 0rpheus, Hesiod and
Homer? What an inconceivable hap
piucss will it be to converse in another
world with Sisyphus and Ulysses, es-
pecially rs those that inhabit that world
die no more" Plato, his celebrated
disciple, held the same views. Cicero,
the great Roman orator, said, "For
my part, feel myself transported with
the most ardent impatience to join the
society of my two departed friends, and
ihose celebtated WORTHLESS Of whose hon
orable conduct have heard and read
much, aud whose virtues have COM
memorated in my writings" Virgil
represents Sibyl as conducting Eneas
through the shades below, where he
saw his friends, whom he recognizes.
The ancient Germans believed they
should meet their friends again, beyond
death, in beautiful and peaceful
valley. Among the Hindoos, and in
India generally, widow burns herself
on the funeral pyrc Of her husband, be-
cause she says She must hasten to
the society of him she loves; she would
meet him in the spacious halls Of
Brahma to spend happier days than
were ever spent on earth" Among the
ancient Danes it was customary for the
women, and slaves, and subjects, and
friends of the deceased to kill them
selves, that 10 the better world they
.;-l, ,orya ,Ln,a thov loved an5 re-.