, 1870-09-18
the WORLD :oF AMUSEMENT,
Hamlet.
Some Thoughts on Ills Last Words.
Silence and Rest.
As Applied toSEveryday Life.
Review of the Week and the Outlook.

CHICAGO, Sept II.
To the Editor Of The caicoao Tribune:
Tho grey lowering heavens above and tho
ceascless clatser, rattle and din Of the streets
below, Al the whsels Of Mammon aud Bel,al
roll along, 1sye brought to my mial the
dying words Of Hamlet with so much force
that cannot refrain from writing you few
lines it, serious mood. When heard them
in Mr. Booths peraonation the other evening,
1rg, and this sad, ashtu morning gives
emphasis anil illustration to tue thought:
The rest Is silence"
In Ill Hamlet'4 melancholy life lie uttered |
no such pregnant words as these. Not i'll |
that grotesquc satire, 30 transparent, how |
ever, that his great love hl4iues through it Ill,
with which lie upbraids Ophelia not In thai
fearful irony with which he asaaila King.
Queen, Polo1.ius, aud all ; not in the tn |
umpbant moment when the story OF Gonzago
smi,cs the guilty conscience Of the King; not
in the pr,pcely ecorn with Which he battles
Guildeusteru: not in that magnificent GU
counter with his mother not in bis funcreal
var Of wosas with tue grave-diSger, and his
musings over the skull Of Yorick not in lir
terrible laillery of L.ertes ut the grave Of
Ophcla; in no single Eceac or event Of Lis
litc docs be utter four sucls words az those
which, close the book OF hi= life for us: 50 The
re It il s,lciIec."
q The rest IL silence" p1rc. deep, uuh1oken.
Not the song OF bird in the wi!1S@1sstrl.sd.
not the rustic of the winds through tie aow-
ers and grass. not the voice OF some loved
one calling down through the darkness OF the
naifo" chamoer can osstn.p the siomoof o.
tue sleeper. Perfect rest, because perfect 81
lence. No dreatie como in that sleep to Charm
or terrify. Ono nj s!t last month was on
49, ~ ~ ,or.,ass .,.-a ~ Is1a ca,s,;o:
on 9ne WIZ not'nefn snofe u Lshe oup"''os'
miles away from any Auman habitation, sur-
rounded on every liand with towering ellis VI
rock, vl.ic!, in the iudi-tinct light assumed the
mo,t sunnrn.,ura, forms. A. stood alona
s..,s =, 49, s..,..,.. 49, ,o-.;,,1s
al'oh 'ne uecA IL, 'ne oasAuoes' LUIS 'ets'o,e
sublime fllencc, tae utter absence OF sound,
the feazfusnrss OF this sleep Ut Mother Nature
oppressed nc, and IN its .,eaence could not
Int ,ec,,, thoso wo1f. ~ 11am1a, - rh,, rI,t
l.; .,,a,,,or - T., ..,,, ,,.,, .,,o ,,.,,o,a -ros,s
- s"snce' ~ eeen tes1' tiae "ao!e "o1'o
faded AWAY, with al lily petty troubles aud
pleasures, anu III theaf place canie lie sefenlay
OF PERFECT cafm-eo perfect that sou, 100.
would iie down IN the silence aud sleep th',
I "--H- -
70 forget, glad TO rooos. even n uttes nelen.
the. Atl thts sleep cf nature IL the aleop Of
| the atom. the slcop Of tue body, tue reposo OF
The enet i'll the dust, atom giving back and
claiming kladred win atom, ana rest-
ttanG IN the same SILENCE Unit! Moth.
cr Nature shall cali upon -, them
and make them beauiful. thongh et1ll silent.
| IN tue s!ory OF tile uoWers tile majesty oi Tie
trees, aud tue grace OF tbs vines; until the
trumpet ~ tue last morning shall summon
| Hl1EHrA 70
inE back to ns tic Old forms and tnaturcs We
hst Hete, else how should We know each
other There:
Alter Hamsets stormy hEe, go thlckiy
euew1 with "recks Of su that man holds
dear, bow grateful must have been thib r..
cares Sil.ncc after his spiritual aud physical
conflicts silence after hl1 wrestling with the
ghost slhE after tho unnatural psJutSa:v
OF bis moils r; silence alter the cln!1dts! n!'u
and dead buly Ut poor opheila slteuco after
lence atIer his o~il Internal conflicts. his
Hesfnses OF life, SO stale. hat, End uuirod:a-
lie: eileuce after Ills doutts o; that bourne
trom which no traveller returns; silence alter
all these, the silence which is rest. nl"H
trun,peta, sound drums, sing ana dance:
yuggs'nant claiming iss saei..as every DAY tn
these streets, sound pnans ~ Matnnon. aud
then to zach one comes rest, and the rest
j. silence: And what is the extont of this lit
/
and the silence: What is this spaa
from the cradle to the grave. this
hkiId'H Breadth from ono Childhood
to another: but the eI.an from the first pain to
the iaoi pain, with t.il an3 sorTow and disal''
pointment all along the roads Now and then
the clouds nKnteu andthe sun brc1ks through
Atd We get the grasp Of friendly hand. Of
| nature utnnnlsteTb to IFS some eo!ace IN hcl
beautiful 4 sms, anu then the clouds closo III
age1n, sua ~e grope our way IN the darkness
, with d'.appo!n' ment everywhere, aud thel
comes the rest whieh 'e silence How many
0t " 10 oruef our lives IN falth aad Hope. ol
20 direct it IN dignity: or 70 elevate I iu Au
mauity and Mercy that tho rest which IL u
. !ence ls not more grateful than the toll "hict
! get beyond ourselves: Hon many OF III are
l l.rgc-h. arted enuuglt 10 appreciate what vi
j.. tio Lot feel otirscist>: How m4ny Of us eve
haze Thought which Reaches beyoad our o~'
iniie an1lstss 1'' to tlo srsas World beyond. a. Q
Which VT know nul1lng, because We will not
Ivory day. men in this city, filling ont III
ncaelra u day, with struggle to till til
stomach when the stomach Is full to hean u
gold wtea the coac!s ale running over, au'
e "fgrndgH'E tho fcw hours Of sleep Winch m
s. tute derna..d-, ami every dhy careless OF III
rlagues whteh death brings, 6
y | tho ~otte PisGues Witch poseEt
n s,lnGa' careless Of those 10 Whot
" olfth "as curse, anu e1lstence Aa pFolons:
t1on, ana WHO never Knew tue blessing c
n hetaeuic!aosl from ths pclp!t Which insokt
~ Heavens grace. OF f1om the fcllow-raan 1s'
!. cei,icS~ ren1si"f pe1!ur!. l.Fery ,ay. won'''
~ Ill thus city. moving III little circlo OF the
o"1'. meyer gathering pleasure beyond !!
% hsfer ailo"ahE' m an4le1s 70 efoSs It" lint
e. conti1.ts: ~ II there saIe no world beyond. =
. o. "hach ~ petls. AMI mean, anu EltIa5
10 although tho woman may Ire COED and genu
D. hearted. After all th1s selhrnn;ss of In
he should there not t's tie rest Which Is e1lrlss
10 tiesf, ahd tic rest Which Il silence to tho'
As Who l,ave fought ~is,'ou. help and sssffers
,c without tynY'athyE
,r And should Eot each 30 to thls rect silently
a, Should not each lay down the 'oad which
has carried silently, and 80 before tho g
N without any stnmre',ng ot good deeds. vii
~ out any SAtl'ltlng OF cEet!s, without ans boa
~ or lsmelt+ conttut that the Great Father. VI
s. has permitted this mysto1y OF lii
IN who has permitted the. spirits Of got
N, aud evil to 60 inhabit man tn
~ tn-tlay he shall Ascend among the cou-s..t!
,c- ticns aud so-uerros rraw! with the wots
shall aleo eo}rc tl.e ulyate1y in His own 70,
las Wy s:. time: And +. r!aps ttas is tile tr
III eit::.lcnEce to attach to Hauslets wu1.is, II
~ that the rtrose is alcEce, hit thatl.fe is 10 !:
-, that tic little day o.. earth is oytx. and til
~ ,,uw tile remainder is silence; that hr il CO
r. text Il 60 10 that bourne wheass no ,ravel1
~ rctuf,s with the rccorl OF his lfs, in s:1enc
'n- ard is really to be adjndsetl. II cannot
that Hamlet mCa1t4 to lh1Gr tue doctrine
IaE anibijat1ou, and that after tits life all il
lie trr silence forever for he has n1realr, in
liz n,.,rhi, Il. sol;loouv. doclarsI that Ills lii
lTy cafuut bo tho bc-atl and tho eud-all 4tre
Ice itWctc, he would jump tho life 10 come. Ht
II many more OF Us would not 10 tho sa.2t
ssS he m ar ,;o. have takeu ihn fa;al ninn.a il
W W'eu 10 ~ t.t ~ hore bo,yer.!r 't5r nj,
tha1 oAaeh'sess y. ues3a.s "n!ca 3.H
an Aaniuhen tne aeas't' !'.s1 sct,'se u""u ~