Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-12-29
The P.,,Iessuess Of Death.


All who have thought upon the subject
know how nearly pleasure and pain are A.
lied to each other. 1t appears as if they
were two adjoining spheres or elements. and
that you cannot oyerstep the domain Of the
one without entering the opposite state. 1t
is this proximity Of opposites that will e1-
plain many Of those remarkable occurrences
which are recorded in histories and biogra-
plies. Martyrs roasting at the fire, GRIMM
als under the rack, and soldiers mangled up
on the battlefield, have all shouted in costa
cy, and never were so happy in their lives.
Geooge Fox relates in his journal how that,
on certain time. when he had peen beaten
in most horrible manner and thrown into
sinking prison, he was so happy that he
sat up in the dungeon and sang for joy.
Just think of that-a Quaker singing when
brutal populace thought they had killed him
and yet this is nothing more than would
have happened to any Of Us under similar
circumstances. Here, then. are the limita-
tions which the Creator has fixed to our sus-
ceptibility Of sufisring-fsintness, delirum,
pleasure, death, and all is over.
A still better conception may be formed Of
the painlessness Of death by comparing it
with what Homer calls
Deaths half brother, sleep"
for the phenomena in ono case bears a
close analogy to the other. We sleep when
ever the circulation Of the blood in the brain
is SO low as not to stimulate the gray mat
ter which overlays the involutions and CON-
volutions. If one particular part be exercised
and not the others, we dream dreaming is,
therefore. partial wskefulness. If the
circulation be entirely withdrawn, the sleep
is profound, and if the brain be full of blood
we are thoroughly awake. l lave now been
awake for about l3 hours in he course of
another three hours | shall re-, to rest; a
slight change will take place the circuls-
ton, and sleep will ensue and when
sufficient excitability has accumulated to
sustain another days toll, | shall wake
again. Now, | am not only unconscious OF
the time when | 60 to sleep, bat may be burnt
to death without ever waking at all. This
often happens to people in cases of fire, or to
those sleeping upon lime kilns, when the
limbs are burned from the body without the
sleeper ever being conscious of what is taking
place As, therefore, person cannot go 10
sleep in pain. no more can they die in pain;
the one event being as impossible as the other,
and for the same reason.
We NAV remark further, that this pain
lessness Of death is the result of physical
cause, and altogether independent Of NOR
al qualifications. Shakespeare, who is al
waws true to nature, represents the death Of
Boosting, cheating, guzzliDg old Falstafi as
calm and peaceful.
Nay, sure he's not in hell, B." said Dame
| Quickly, "he's in Arthur bosom, if ever
man went to Arthur's bosom. A made a
finer end, and went away an it had been
any Christian child a parted just between
twelve and one e'ea at turning of tide, for
after saw him tumble with the sheets and
play with flowers, and smile at his finger
ends, knew there was but one way for
his nose was a. sharp as pen, and "a bah
bled of green fields. Henry v, Scene Ill.
A still more positive proof Of the painless
ness of death may, If YOU seek it, be found
in the experience Of those who, after being
rendered insensible, and apparently dead
have been resuscitated. OF these cases we
have an abundance. Some have been hung,
Others drowned, and Others sufocated for the
want Of air but the experience is much the
same in every instance. There was one keen
sensation Of pain, one moment Of vivid mem
orv, as though the whole life had been re-
stored, succeeded by series of pleasing SEN
sations but the Consciousness Of existence
was never lost, and the person who had been
hung amidst the yells and infamy Of a public
execution, or engulied in the boiling suIges
OF the sea, was, until restored 10 actual life,
surrounded by beautiful scenery. and in q
state OF tranquil bliss the whole of the suf-
feriug encountered being scarcely more than
the extracting of tooth. We have abun-
dant testimony that it is the case even when
the muscular cOnt0rtions might lead Us to in
fer the contrary ; for, as person in cOnyul-
sive fits Is perfectly free from pain, so the
spgSEodic cOutOrtions sometimes observed IN
DYING people are DO indication of the con-
scious sensations Of the subject they are the
mere resoursces of nature to return her yitalI-
tv. In the last moments of our existence,
nature deals gently with Us, and lays no bur
den upon the soul as it makes its exit from
the to1y. We came unconsciOusly into ex-
istence, and found kind friends around, who
rel0iced al our advent, and 4 mothers arms
and heart ready TO receive Us and as we
make our exit from the stage OF life, Its cares
and troubles, which have often pressed heay-
lily upon Us, are gently removed We pass
onward to our new home, and angel friends.
more kind and benihcient than We Of earth
can ever be, wait our spiritual birth, and
rejoice that another immortal Is added 10 Thu,
nuu,iar Dr f,bu MI