Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-09-21
No Death Bed


awe whispered with white lips, over the
coffin of the strong man smitten down in
atantly, by death blow from an i'll adjust
ed lever in his saw mill
My mind wandered from that funeral ser
vice, and that coffin, to others; then from
the dead to the living, and I thought:
'Who of all this concoursc will have a
death bed? Who of all have loved, who
of all have laborod to benefit, who Of all
| have neglected, who Of all | have ever
known, has had death bed? Many, Oh
many have died; but as they lived so they
died, scarcely one admitting, This Is my
death bed. >"
Mystrong ncighbor, Mr.. Williams, going
daily to his labor, full Of life and vigor,
had no death bed. All unexpectedly, a
raging fever boiled in his veins and fired
his brain; from delirious rawlings he passed
to utter unconsciousness, and brcathcd no
more.
Mrs. Liycrmore the feeble sufferer, lin
gcrins 50 long in view ofthe grave, had at
ter all, no death bed: Others marking the
gradual decline, said, she will never see
another summer" She said, MY cough,
and the hard winter keep me down: next
summer I will 20 into the country and re
cruit." But her grave was made beneath
that winters snow.
Mary, the maiden of seventeen, had no
death bed True, she died of consumption,
and seeing her often with the fatal hectic
on her cheek, | knew she had not long to
live. The neighbors, also said, 'When the
apple blossoms fall, she, too, will drop
away" Yet Mary'~ parents who believed
that all would be saved, allowed no one to
disturb their beloved daughter with awhis-
per Of death, so, one fair May morning,
she said to a friend, Il am better and ex-
pcct to ride out soon" At evening sud
denly waking from sleep she gasped
Mother, I'm faint" and drew her last
breath.
Arthur, the joyous school boy, had nc
death bed. When I saw his weeping par
ents, alone, they said, The doctor think,
he cannot live the day OUT but when
went to the child he whispered "Only
think my throat is 50 sore they say | cam
90 back to school again this term. Isn'ti
too bad?' When | yentured to speak o
death, he smiled incredulously; but dice
that evening.
Old Mr.. Wallace, past his four scor,
years, sinking inch by inch into his grave
surely he had death bed? Alas, no.
Whenever we spoke to him of his end
he answered, 81 know am old, but tn
youngest often die first have outlived
great many that expected to see me die
and may outlive you, it takes powerful
constitution to take man up to eighty-fvo
constitution that may lift him into hi
second century, His cough grew worse
one windy March,. "What wonder, sal
he; such horrid weather! Half the tow
is barking worse than l." That night h
ceased to cough, and to breathe.
Even poor Mr.. Livingstone, who lay help
less twenty-six months, had no death bee
He said continually, a man may live fit
years with paralysis" While he slept tn
stroke came, and he was no more.
\ hundred instances within my ow
, knowledge, similar to the above, | Nigh
relate. | might, too, if could speak fror
heart, of those nearer and dearer; but lie
it pass. As each lived, so each died.
Whenever hear it said, ''Do not put 0
the work of repentance to a dying bed,
, my soul cries out, "The very thought of
: death bed is deusion. As we live "
die"
All, yes! as / live so shall | die; as
would die, so let me live 'In such a
hour as We think not the Son of Man con
eth. - 0ngregatiOnahst.