The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-02-11
[From the chronological Journal.l
Death Without Pain-A Rational and
Psychological View.
BY ALEXANDER WILDER.

BY ALEXANDER WILDER
To grow old gracefully has been indi-
Gated to be one of the greatest moral
achievements of a cultivated mind. 1t
involves heroic qualities to part with
youth and whatever of beauty and en-
joyment are associated with it, and adopt
the costume of mature life-a furrowed
countensnce, paler or duskier complex
ion. thin and silvery hair, dimming sight,
and increased sepsitiveness to the several
agencies which cooperate to pull down
this earthly tabernacle" We sadden
almost imperceptibly; the vivid zest of
pleasure is superseded by the calmer en-
joyment of repose; we cast aside Shelley
and other writer's so attractive to the
young, and take up Pope, Emerson-our
American Plato,-and such authors as
have condensed luXuriant ideality into
automatic, sententious modes of express
sion; we read Proverbs and Ecclesiastes
instead of the Canticles; our selfish pro
pensities concentrate into avarice; our
passions, retiring from the post, leave
greater space for affections and the sober
virtues.
Happy for US if we can really consider
the transformation as benefcient and
not chafe interiorly at it as a depriva-
ton, a species of murder of our mere
buoyant life Happy if, with the blum
ders, the mistakes, the wrong doings of
that earlier time, we have been conveyed
onward to a fuller manhood or woman
hood, all the better, purer, and holier for
the experiences which we have encoun-
tered. No sin works out a fatal event,
no turpitude is mortal to the soul that
will learn. One law rules, or rather in
IL, I
all tines and all worlds-that of love.
The Orphic carmen declared truly that
Eros mingled all The Divine Power
has sown no harvest of wrath for erring
human beings to gather at the end.
Believing this, we may the more com
placently consider the providence ot
Death 1t comes from the same hand
| that gave US life; Aphrodite, our earth
mother, is also the dark Cora-Persephe
| neia that gathers us to her SIDE in the
world of the dead. In both relations she
is alike affectionate, nor has a fury
scourge, except that of memory and the
unhealed wounds of the world life But
even then she is more gracious than we
| apprehend; the very pain that is suffered
is not only evidence of life, but is from
the endeavors of the divine potency tc
! overcome the baleful influences that may
yet be clinging as the taint and gangrene
| of the former period. The establishing
| of healthful conditions will annihilate
| the dreadful suffering.
The terror of dying is, perhaps, the
greatest which we suffer. We would
gladly bargain with fate for any amount
of privation and endurable torture to Sc
cure exemption from the necessity. We
become gloomy at the thought or men
tion of the dreaded occurrence. A light
word upon any topic related to it is re-
garded with species of horror. Persons
have hesitated. while feeling full of life,
to consider religious topics because they
also brought the subject of death to the
mind. So Dame Quickly recites the last
moments of Falstaff: A made finer
| end, and went away, an it had been any
christom child; a parted even just be.
tween twelve and one, cen at the turn
ing o the tide: for, after 1 say him FUN
bic with the sheets, and play with flow
ers, and smile upon his fingers ends, 1
knew there was but one way; for his nose
was as sharp as pen, and a babbled of
green fields. How now, Sir John ?
quoth l, what, man! be of good cheer.
So q cried out, God, God, Godr three or
four times Now |, to comfort him, bid
him, a should not think of God |
hoped, there a0as no need TO trouble himself
aoath any such thoughts get. King Henry y,
act H., scene 3.
Others, in the mean time, considering
that they "have made peace with God, "
are inclined to eXult because now they
have no more the supposed reason for
fearing death. Yet we have never found
in such persons any eagerness or even
unusual willingness to "leave this wicked
world" The anecdote of the negro is in
int IL h. L.
meeting of glorious anxiety ''to depart
| and be with Christ" till he caught the
infectious aura. Praying zealously one
night he was overheard uttering this pc
tition: "Come, Lord. 'Tony's tired OF
this evil world and wants to go home.
| Come, blessed Lord, and take poor Tony
home to glory" At this moment a ran
at the door startled him. "Who's dar?
| he cried, trembling "The Lord" an
swered a roguish wag outside; 81 have
come for Tony. In an instant the can.
die was blown out and he cried, almost
screaming, Tony is not here; he's gone
to the meeting tonight; he hasn't been
here at all.
However sure sound Calvinst is o.
belonging to the elect whose number i:
so definite and certain that it can neither
be increased nor diminished" he is alway!
|
time" and to have it "a long time com
ing" He thanks nobody for desiring hi.
departure fastened We smile at this
for it has a comcal side. Yet he is right
He is no hypocrite, or particularly self
deceiver. He is obeying an instinc
higher and holier than his religious idea
and the latter, unwittingly, he has lef
in allegiance. Instincts are safer guide
than beliefs. There is purpose in GU
life, whether we recognize it distinctly O.
not, and it is but fulfilled when we liv,
out our time to the last The attach
ment to life is a propensity implanted il
us to hold us here and make us careful
about unnecessary encountering of dan
ger. 1t is recorded of the tumbrel-load
of victims of the first French Revolution
that they were usually very fearful of be
ing hurt when on their way to the gull
lotine; and that at the supreme momen
they were so overcome and insensibl
from terror, that at the severing Of thei
heads from the body, the blood scarcel
flowed. Perhaps they were already dead
Madame Roland, however was an excer