The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-08-09
LIFE.

LIFE.
What il lio -? This isa question
We of, en- hear, aud perhaps often ask
ourselves yet il is seldom wo do
SO seriously, or, in truth, apply it TO
our cwn particular cases. Here we
gn from day to day striving after hon
ors and power, working for and lay
ing up riches, ambitious TO be noted
or influential in some way or other
laying plans for this ond tha; thing
aud for such and such times, aud
looking forward to many years yet
to come, aud all tho pleasures and en-
joyment. which We arc going to have
iu those years, seldom ever say inc
even to ourselves, il Providence per-
mits, or, il | livo till then. The un-
certainty OF life is something we have
heard OF over since we can rcmom~
Der, yet it seldom seems real tor ut
least We act as il IL were noU, unless
some one who is near Gnd dear 10 US
is taken out Of it, then. perhaps, for a
short timo We will think of it. and. il
may be, wonder that wo havo never
thought OF it before, but soon these
impressions will wear off aud we be-
come Is deeply interested in our bu-
siucss and pleasures as before we
woro aroused. The danger to our~
selves docs not seem imminent, and
therefore wo uro careless. But il
VIC live to old age, what 10 life =! 1t
seems shorter even then, though
when young, seventy or eighty year,
iuay have seemed very long Looking
back, first comes infancy then tho
unc ouscious babe lies on it's mc.hcr's
bosom with nothing to trouble il. or
at least knowing nothing of the trou.
blcs and trials that arc in this world,
suffering when in sickness OF pain
without Knowing or being able to
tell why, yet u an iu.ant be II lovely,
At least to his mothers eyes and
sometimes to his fat hers. Then comes
CHILDHOOD, when he frolicks aud plays
at his his mothers knee and learns e.
read AMI spell, md also begins To-
bulll air castles an! 10 lay plan, for
his future life he does not think OF
death. Most comcs youth, when he
thinks all is easy aud ho begins TO
tell what ho is going TO do--what he
lis going to be when hc gets to DO 4
man. Oh how much be il goin. to
accomplish cuory,hins looks bri sht
now, and his dreams and his dreams
arc golden ones happy is he, if he
realizes them. Next comes man.
hood, in which ho meets with stern
realities, but still he dreams on all
It's trials, it, temptations, and its du-
ties he thinks will be easy all ! vol
may 1t be if ho only finds il 80. II no
bears his trial with q stout heart if
only be overcome tho many temp,a-
tiuns that Icset him on every side,
ani if he faithfully anh firmly docs
his duty TO his God, his country, his
iellJw-man and himself, then may
his old ago be happy, even though
his life may seem but short. Bat
alas how few ever realize the gold,
en- dreams of their youth. how few
are true to themselves or the prompt.
logs Of their better natu,cs how few
fiji mly resist and fee from the tempt
ations which bcset them ON every
side and cannot even those who
have thought they have tried to do
their best, see wherc they have dopo
wrong or made mistakes which can
never be rcctiiied in this life; and
when going down the hill Of life, how
all our bright dreams have flown and
seem utterly worthless, and how ma
ny duties and opportunities to do good
do we SEQ that We have neglected,
and how short and full of evil our
days seem Yet how few there are
Comparatively spoakiug) who 1.-Two TO
be old, to go down the hill of lie /;
how many are cut off in infancy, IN
childhood, youth and prime OF life !!
Pass through any cemetery and read
the ages as inscribed upon the tomb
stones, and how many Of them do
wo find to bo old persons Few, We
ry few, tho greater number arc ba-
bics children and youths. Tho de-
stroying angel seems to delight in
striking down the young, here he will
find the mothers darling and tho fa-
theirs pride, here lies tho little body
which they delighted to adorn, while
tho soul has returned 20 Him who
gave it, and here, no matter what has
been our state and condition In lite
must wo all lie rich and poor, learn
cd and unlearned, tho good and the
wicked, all all |! must lie down in
the grave, and in a few months or
in q few years, at least, we will be
forgotten and our places filed by
others who in turn will follow rs
Then well may we ask, what is life 7
What are wo here for J.. VIII the
world be any better for our having
lived in it I? II we were in the hab-
it of frequently asking ourselves
such questions as these and taking
them to heart, We would be apt to
see ourselves rs we are and to feel
that this life ia but preparation for
a better and higher state OF oxist-
ence, and we would go about our
work with great energy, feoling that
now il our time, for "in tho grave
to which man Poo.h there is neither
work Sor dsvics,"'