The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-02-17
Che Wallev &iroiniau !.
STANTON, VIRGINIA.
Thursday, = February II, 1870.
Life..-What is it?

For six thousand years mankind have
been cndcavoring to answer this question.
They have received and enjoyed the gift, and
regarded it as the most precious that could
be bestowed upon them, yet always without
knowing what it is. Philosophers, physiol-
ogists,, metaphysicians, have in turn attempt
ed to solve The problem ~ the subtIeties Of
logic. by scientific investigations, by mcdita
ton on the laws which regulate the existence
and movements of the whole universe, but
hitherto without arriving at any satisfactory
result Disappointed ambition has rronounc
cd it to be "a tale told by an idiot. full CT
sound and fury, signifyips3 nothing" The
i, first germ of life in the animal and vegetable
Kingdoms has nothing in shape or form indi-
eating what it is to become and when the
vital principle quits it's mortal residence it
takes its departure silently, invisbly. mystic
doubtful, though its absence begins soon to
be felt BY the icy. chill which succeeds tosthe
warmth, and ,joyousness Of life, Well may
man denominatc himself a microcosnl, a lit
/. tie universe; fer such he really is; and, to
all intents and purposes. quite as unintelligi-
bic as the great one. When the first receives
animation he is little more than an uniformed
particle of matter; but no sooner does the
= divine spark enter him than he displays mo-
ton, and activity. and growth and develop
mcnt,, aud BY degrees all the cells and cham
bers of the mind become filled with imagery,
with living and palpitating ideas. eternal in
I their essences, each and all of thcm repro
,,sentings some portion, material or immaterial
e n >, i
ing, till the interior Of the new creation be-
comes mirror, vast enough to reflect the
. entire universe without. sqasaJ o.. Il ga
E'ro Well. therefore, may We exclaim What is
life? Go to the grassy grave and put the
question there, and the worms, if they could
speak, would answer-dust and ashes But
their answer would be false; what has been
given up to their keeping is. not aad never
/ wasslife.i 1t held life, and was loved for
what it held; but when it fell life scared
away over the ruins to Him who gave it.
It has been said that what exists in success
sion cannot be eternal We exist in success
sion that is, are older to day than we were
yesterday, and therefore are not eternal But
does this imply that We shall ever cease to
live? Far from it; the spirits which come
Ioftn Ironl Uod eauuS9 ele|tney arg lllliAlol
tai; but God only is eternal, because He
had no besinniag, and can have no end; and
for Him, therefore, time has no existence
He docs not grow older or wiser, or greater
or less; all perfection is contained in Him.
He is the wellspring of life to Himself and
to everything else wkichexists; if ahe being
of other things can be truly called existence
when compared with His. To exist, in the
language from which the word springs sigai7
festo stand out, to possess distinct and sep
arate being, and thus to constitute palpable
contrast with nuthingness. But in this world,
at least, man .walketh in a vain shadow and
disquieteth himself in vain; perhaps because
he has not as yet passed the threshold Of life,
aud only looks from mist and twilight upon
its real sublime dwelling place. .e.s,