The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-05-05

A few Thoughts About Death.

from the New YORK TrIouue)
There is an old story in an old book Of
IL certain we'll do man who found his
income so secure, his house so comfortable,
his barns so we'll filled, that he began to
look upon the whole affair, both master
and possessions, as tho one thing meant
To be permanent in this shifting world.
"Soul,H he said, in jovial humor one
night, TO tho Something out Of sight Of his
healthy body costly clothes, stately dwell.
Ing and estate-"SOul, let US cat, drink
and be merry" This live creature, at
least, he was sure Of. Body and land and
houses, being dead matter might wear
out, but that which had earned and ruled
them all would stay. When dawn came,
the old record goes on to state, the morn.
ing sun found fields and llocks unaltered.
There. too, were'thc comfortable houses,
and the rich clothes unchanged. Even
the body, which had served It's master 80
long was there ready TO do It's bidding.
But the soul had gone, and never sent q
message back TO say whittier. "For six
"thousan,i years." says Schiller, 1.-THE
dead have been going from us, and not
one hath returned 10 bring us tidings."
Certainly, this well.tO.dO man did not
belong 10 these days. Whatever else our
crimes, we ore moi Indifferent. We oil oil
us take keen interest in that unknown
country TO which each Of US must go some
day on IN memorable journey, never To-
come back, taking with US nothing that
we have needed here. When we so in
10 strange countries now, we can make a
place for ourselves with our money or &C.
uuaintances;ev good clothes are OF use.
But what baggage or letters Of credit can
we take with US there? Even the fair
lace or bodily graCes which have covered
up so much OF our real selves must be lett
behind. Tothink OF the dreadful naked
ness OF II! To whom shall VIC talk OF the
matters which have always filled our lives
unit! an hour-five minutes before? Who
will care there Tor the next election, or
the price Of stocks in the market! Who
will ask for the last joke or bit Of gossip?
Who will know OF the fashions or the last
new book? Things that have filled our
hands and brain for our whole lives will
have vanished from US like breath, and
hands and brain have gone with them
II we could but take bit Of hair from tht !
child that lay in our bosom; II We could
but leel the kiss which the one dearest TO
us LEFT on our closed eyes But the chi Id
will grow up and forget US; and the kiss
and the dead eyes will be together In the
grave far below; and what will be left TO
usS Who can answer-whatG
No man, however silly, is Indifferent to
this end Of tho history for each OF US.
Men nowadays do not talk much about
death, or heaven, or hell. Why should
they? Have any returned to bring them
tidings9 But they stand peering, rich
and poor, boOr and scholar, alike at the
closed gate, with the question OF tho old
Chaldean prophet Oh their lips. "When
"a man dleth shall he live sgaing He
"giveth up the ghost, and where is he "
Why do the poor crowd 10 funerals?
Why do hosts Of unimaginative people
accept table rappings and mediums!
Why Is death, from the lonely murder by
midnight TO the opening Of the great jaws
Of the sea and the engulGng Of hundreds
in q moment, the one subject which re.
news in us oil, day by day. the same
o brealhltss, morbid INTEREST," Not, surely,
that the article oil death, livid lips, ind
CHASING eyes arc rare show that at
tracts any man. II Is tho secret. beyond;
the hope that, hating In the opened dark
ness, on the verge Of the gull, the depart
ing soul may let fall some hint OF that
which It sees on the other side, and which
it will never come back to tellt TO US. Job,
even, in the first morning OF time, while
the world was yet young and fresh, cried
&. L.
LAND Of darkness" Tho poor Indian In
Brazil goes out at night into the forest to
try to learn the seug Of the bird which he
i4ncies has come from the spirit world
with message from bis dead, The wo.
man whose child died here to-day knows
only the old, upalterable longing Of that
savage and oil that man whom God and
Satan put to trial, when she kisses her
baby's icy lips, and they do not move
again 10 hers.