The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-11-27

hcIC lIt Iuhu DducCu u lnulnCnlf NhNh
added: II suspect, old trapper, that the
cowardice is not seen in our voluntary sur
render of life, but in our grasping retention
of 1T. 1t is the fear of death, and not rever-
emit patience, that makes mortals hold back
from the grave. Their superstition makes 1t
a pit and not pathway, and so they cling TO
life Did they have faith in themselves; did
they but know their greatness-the indie.
structibility of life-tbe immortality OF be-
ing-that death is only an incident weighty
only because it brings emancipation from
ills that be. and gives introduction TO
world into which ills never come-did they
but know this, old trapper do you think
they would race and chase the world over to
escape it? Men cling to life because they
fear the hereafter; because they doubt them
selves; not because they have humility
enough to walt Gods will. But / fear no
hereafter, il is only the extention OF the
time that is. The God of the future Is none
other than the GOD OF the present see
Him now, and / love Him now.
at peace VITA men. am up
right in spirit. / am good enough to live.
1 own the future by the strength of my good
ness. 1t is an ample band. have repented
and believed. The Wise Man of the East
spoke truth. l have accepted his truth. l
have everlasting life. have it, old trapper,
/ have ii now. The everlastingness is in me.
feel it. 1t moves like a current through
my split. 1t beats like pulse in my soul
The grave is only a spot about which, pass
Ing in my onward flight l shall fly out of
my old self and fly into a new structure and
a ne plumsge. The old self will fall into
il, and 1, delivered, shall go on to infinite
voyages This world is a thing man uses,
and when he has outgrown its use he is done
with 1t. He therefore leaves 1t. have out
lived its use; shall leave it"
AS the man said this, his voice lowered
and happier sound came TO it as he said:
81 have outliyed its use; shall leave 1t.
am glad to say goodbye 10 il and meet
this sweet surprise of the future"
Again he paused. As he looked toward
the mountain his face was bright and cheer
full as one thinking of pleasant themes. At
ter while he asked:
do you know why have come to this
spot, old trapperP
Its cheerful spot for either the young
or old to visit" evasively answered the
trapper.
II will tell you why / came here" con-
tinued the man, speaking as il be had not
heard the trapper's reply. 81 came TO do
what admit to be a solemn act. l came to
surrender my body to the elements from
amidst which IL was originally called. To
me it is my second birthday. / wish by the
high communion to prepare myself for its
happiness. l have heard OF you as one wise,
good and thoughtful of strangers. As wise
man | wish 10 talk with you. AS a man /
wish to commune with you. AS one thought
full of strangers wished to ask your assist
ance. also wished to spend my last days
on the earth amid the beauties and the
peacefulness Of nature as she reveals them
in these woods. In the city should be
beggar In death. | should be compelled
to beg my hearse, my coffin, my grave. Here
/ am rich. / own all. As an old man may
claim from another old man, can claim of
you the services which friend pays to friend
when spirit has departed from body. have
eaten at your table to day. / shall leave my
body tonight; you will bury it to morrow.
1 would like it to have a suitable grave. Can
you guide me to a spot, old trapper?'
The trapper initiated MS guest in rising.
That he regarded his guest as perfectly sane;
that he had respect for his judgment; that
he accepted the conversation as utterly hon.
est, and the strangers view as final-was
shown by the fact that be yielded instant
compliance with the strangers request.
There is place just behind the rock
there that I've often conceited would make
a cheerful spot for a grave; for the pines be
big over Il, and the water makes pleasant
music on :lle white sand and leeiie stuns
underneath. We will go and see it."
The next morning the trapper rose at the
usual hour. He did not go to the bed oc-
cupied by his guest at once. He went and
stood in the doorway. He even went to the
spring and brought pail OF fresh water. lie
acted as IL his guest were asleep, sleeping a
needed Sleep and would fain not wake him;
but at length he entered the house and
moved with a steady and measured step to
the bedside of his guest.
The man was lying on his back, his hands
by his side, and his face composed with that
composure, the complete tranquility OF
which no earthly trouble can ruffie. The
trapper looked steadily at him for mo-
ment, and then he bent towards him 50 as to
command view of the farther side OF the
body. A knife lay on the blanket, and one
keen, delicately shaped blade was open. The
trapper took il up and looked at it. The
sharp point of il was colored with q stain.
He stopped and lookd at the wrist 1t had
been punctured Just above the pulse, for a
slight wound was there and blood stains
were on the white skin. The trapper reached
over and felt of the blanket In one little
spot it was moist-that was all.
The trapper looked astonished. He gazed
on the face on the pillow, white with the
sure whiteness that never deceives. He
looked at the knife blade with its stained
point; then at the wrist, with slight iDcision;
and then he made a denomination OF the
bedding, this time closely. On il, beyond a
few drops there was no blood. The man
had evidently prepared himself for this act,
had opened his knife, had pressed the point
of the blade into the flesh, puncturing as he
supposed, the artery, but by a misjudgment
had missed the artery and had made sltg ht
Incislon in the flesh that lies one side of it,
II is said that the imagination is able to
kill; that under similar circumstance men
have, from sheer imagination that they were
bleeding to death, actually died.
Why is 1t SO in this case?
Certainly not dozen drops OF blood had
left bis body; yet there was the white face,
and the knife. and the wounded wrist.
What killed him? How did he dieP Was