The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-07-06

man has an immortal soul, or that there
is an immortality for anything. We would
answer that it is alien to our purpose to
discuss any such questions, or allow the
same to be discussed in this paper. We
profess to know as little upon matters of
this sort as those who profess to be able to
tell what awaits us beyond the dark, i'm
penctrable curtain that separates The Flu
ture from the Present. There is enough
mystery around us in this world which we
shall never be able to solve, and we have
no idea that Rosseau was wise in commit
ting suicide in order to find out what was
in the aoorld beyond the grace. Whether it
be the effect of education, or the 'divinity
that stirs within u.s." we cannot tell, but
we are sure that in our heart is a 'longing
after Immortality" and a 'sccrct dread
lhe!l inward horror of fallingin int nought."
nc, akher it is Heaven that points out an
nd dkfter and intimates eternity to nan
know not, but we do know the soul
itOi nks back on itselfand ~startles at des-
uo.Jion."
~. ,sJbrief, we had rather believe that not
mattel men, but brutcs, also, have souls.
fricu men have come to such a conclusion.
| sOnonly q week or two since we saw a
4 VIII trained to lead a blind man. We saw
lasslcldog, doing this duty of love by his
. fr, and carrying him safely along the
80 It's of Winchester. And in the poor
.iu.1;,E travels, his dog will halt at any
4 sod -roads and patiently wait for some
fn..do come along and give directions to
the master. And our friend, Mr.. S. b.
Stockard, of our town. has a little terrier
which gives evidence of a memory as keen
as that Of mans. She certainly under
stands the i%ntOnations of his voice, or the
words. so well, that she does all he tells
her to do, if she can. No wonder, then,
that there should be some inquiry concern
ing the souls Of brutes. 1t is all specula-
ton, but such an inquiry 5 just as admis-
sable as that any man should set up a
theory and say that if we do not believe
that theory we shall be damned. And we
have not only concluded for ourself that
ue have a soul, but have seriously ponder
ed over the words of the poet Upper,
who, in speaking of brutes, says:
"Arc these then made in vain? is man
alOnc
Ofall the marvels of creative love
Blest with a scintillation of His essence,
The heavenly spark Unreasonable soul?
A NIL hath NOT Upn nrapinu, dor that find
A meaning in the shepherds idiot face,
Or the huge elephant, that lends his
strength
To drag the stranded galley to the shore
And strives with cumulative pride to exec
The mindless crowd ofslaves tina t toll be-
side him.
Or the young generous w%ar-horse, when
he shifts
The distant field of blood, and quick and
shrill
Weighing for joy, instils a desperate eour-
age
Into the veteran troopers quailing heart
Have they not all an evidence of soul
(Of soul, the proper attribute of man),
The same in kind, though meaner in de-
gree?
Why should not that which hath been, be
for ever?
And death-O can it be annihilationp
+ No-though the stolid atheist fOndly cliTgs
TO that last hope. how kindred to despair
No--'tis the struggling spirits hour o.
joy,
The glad emancipation Of the soul,
The moment when the cumbrous letters
drop,
And the bright spirit wings its way tc
heaven!
r TO say that God annihilated aught,
Were to declare that in an unwise hour
He plann'd and made somewhat superflu'
Gus:
Why should not the mysterious life, thai
dwells
t In reptiles as in man, and shows itsel
f In memory, gratitude, love, hate, ant
pride,
Still energisc, and be. though death ma!
crush
I Yon frugal ant or thoughtles butterfly,
Or with the simoom's p%estilential gale
Strike down the patient camel in the des
ertT"