South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-05-16
A Few Thoughts About Death.


There is an old story 10 an old book Of
certain well-,o do man " ho found his in.
come so secure, his house SC cpnfofsabis,
his barns so we'll filed, that DO began 4,
look upon the whole affair, both master and
possessions, IS the one thing meant TO be
permanent in this shifting world. soul"
DE sa'd, IN j>Yisl hu,n"r one night, TO
the Something out Of sigh, o! his healthy
body, costly clothes, stately dwelling aud
estate. "Soui, let ia eat, drink and be
merry This live creature, at least, he
vas sure OF. BIdy 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 morning sun found his
fields and hocks uualtered. There, too,
were the comfortable houses, and the rich
clothes unchanged. Even the body which
bad served its master 50 long was there
ready to do its bidding. Bat the soul had
gone, and never sent n message back TO say
whittier. "For six thousand years., says
Schiller, "the dead have been going from
us, aud not one hath returned to bring us
tiiings."
Certainly, this we'll TODD man did mot
belong to these days. Whatever eise our
crimes, We are not indifferent. We all
OF Us take keen interest ia that unknowr
country to which each Of Us mu.t go some
day on an memorable journey MAYER to come
back, taking with u. nothing that we have
needed here. When We 20 into strange
countries now, We can make place for our
selves with our money or acquAiutunces /;
oven good clothes are OF use. But what
baggage or testers of credit can we take
with Us therey Even the fair face Of bod
lily graces which have covered up so much
of our real selves must be left behind To
think Of the dreadful nakedne,s Of it! To
whom shall We talk of the matters which
have always filled our lives until an hour
live minutes before? Who will care there
for the next election, or the price Of stock.
IN the mirkGt 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 our hands and brain for our " hole
lives will have vanished from u, like y
breath, AMI hands aud brain have gone with
them. Ii We could but take bit If hair
from the chill that lay in our BOSOM if
We could but feel tho kiss which the one
dearest to Us left on our closed eyes But
the child will grow up and forget US and
the kiss and the dead eyes will he together
IN the grave far below aud what will be
left To usy Who can answer-what?
| NJ man, however silly, is Indifferent To
his end Of the history of each Of us. M,n
nowadays do not talk much about death.
or heaven, or he'll. Why should they
Have any returned to bring them tilngs
Bat they stand pecring, rich and poor,
boor and scholar, alike ut tue closed gate,
with the question Of the oil Chaldean
prophet on their lips "When a man dietb
shall he live a2ain He eiveth up the
ghost, aud whore is he ?" Why do the poor
crowd TO funerals? Why do hosts of un-
imaginative prople accept table rappings
and mediums! Why is death, from tue
bnely murder by midnight to the opening
of the great jaws of the sea aud The engulf
/ ing Of hundreds in a moment, the one sut-
ject which rencw| in us |, day by day,
the same brea'hless mo- bid interest NOT
surely, that the article of death, lvid lips,
and CHASING eyes are rare show that at
tracts any man. Ii is tho secret beyond ;
the hope that, halting in the open dark
, ""S', "" 'uo 'riSc w 'uo gun, tue uPp1tt-
ing soul may 1t fall somo hint Of that
which it secs on the other side, aud which
1t viii never come back ~ tell us. job,
even, in the first morning of time, while
the world was yet young and fresh, cried
out With impotent despair against tbi.
Gland of darkness" The poor Indian in
Brazil goes out at night into the forest to
Try to learn the song of tho bird which he
fances has come from the spirit world with
message from his deal. the woman
whose child died hero to-day knows only
the old, unalterablo longing Of that savage
and Vt ,hst man whom God and Satan put
to tri.l, when she kisses her baby's lips,
they do not move again to hers e,c
| York Tribune.