The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-14

Gus inheritance OF sympathy must cast
many distressing sfde-light upon pros
poets in which of old the faithful were
able TO take undisturbed delight. How.
ever, this may be, the mere prospect OF
prolonged existence beyond tho grave,
apart from other reasons for joyful conf
dence, must be taken rather as enlarging
the scope OF our hopes and Of our fears than
Of necessarily altering the balance be-
tween them. Habltual hope!llness may COL.
or the prospect beyond the grave with the
same glowing tints which 1t throws over
this world, SO that In some cases the same
cause which makes life delightful makes
death not qHwelpoma, Such . state Of
mind, though rare, is not unknown: But
perhaps perfect balance Of feeling Is
more readily 70 DO found at a lower level
Of expectation. .,....r...5 .ala.
II may be one Of the natural compensa,
tons tor comparatively low degree OF
vitality that, In thinking OF death, the
idea OF rest predominates over. that Of loss,
so,that there Is no alloy OF pain in the re-
Election that none OF the troubles Of this
life can be more than passing clouds; that
for each ono Of us "ihe Shadow sits and
waits that the burden OF lilo, however
heavy, must drop off at last and that none
oan say how near to any. one may be the
final relief from all It's evils. WEAKNESS Of
mere existence Is q heavy, and probably a
very common, secret burden; one which
makes the thought Of humiliation more
attractive TO some OF us than any celestial
visions. Those WHO suffer from 1t would
not welcome the brightest prospects OF
heaven, unless they could hope first for
"long and dreamless sleep in which to
wash of the travel-s.ains OF the past. (,
This is feeling which is probably most
common Ia youth or OF ago, when the ties
to life are fewer than they are in It's
prime, and when the past or the future
may well look almost intolerably long to
the Bearied imagination. II may DO that
In the miserable OK parienOe OF some suffer-
ers this deep WEAKNESS OF life may not ex-
clude the fear Of death; but so terrible
combination can scarcely be either com.
mon or lasting. Probably the normal state
OF things is that in which some degree OF
fear, or at least OF reluctance, exists
as pure instinct; rising and fall
ing with physical causes, ready TO
IYe force TO the terrors OF con-
science and the cravings Of affection,
but held in check by various considers
tons and controlled By the will, II not ut
terly snbdued by trusiiul hopes. In PEG.
pie 81 active, energetic temperament, with
keen susceptibility TO sensuous impress
sions, one may sometimes observe that no
amount either Of religious hope for anoth-
or life, or OF painful experience OF this,
will overcome the Observation-Disclosures
from the anticipated rending asunder Of
body and soul. They carry the same feel
ing through sympathy into their thoughts
OF the death Of others, which appears to be
almost physically shocking to them, how
aver obviously acceptable to the person
chiefly concerned. Such state OF feeling
Is to those who do not share It as unac-
oountahle as " is evident, Looking at
death calmly, Us one Of the very few cir.
cumstances OF quite universal experience,
any vehement disinclination 10 It would
seem to be inappropriate rs well Us futile.
But disinclination to some Of Its accident
al circumstances isibut too easily intelligi-
bid. This is probably another reason why
the shrinking from 1t often seems to in
crease rs youth is left behind. The very
Young cannot know how terrible q thing
sickness Is; those who have watched many
death.beds can scarcely forget the awful
vet It seems probable that many Of the
worst Appearances are moro or less
delusiye. 4 very, moderate export
ence nf sick-rooms suffices to show that
actual suffering bears no exact proportion
to Its outward manifestations, Be this
as It may, physical suffering is clearly no
necessary accompaniment OF death, and
the dread OF pain which makes US shrink
from tho prospect Of mortal ilIpes u quite
different thing from the real Instructive
dread Of death; It should indeed, and Of
ten does, act powerfully in reconciling US
to theprospect Of death. h. ~
In like manner the 1pYillingpess TO be
taken away from life In Its tufness, TO be
cut off from the enjoyment Of bright pros,
ptOts, and debarrea from the satisfaction
Of that ever-deepening curiosity with
which every active mind must behold the
mysterious drama going on around y.
| this plwjllineAess Is quito q distinct feel
/ ing from the shrinking Of the flesh and
spirit from dissolution. II Is n feeling
which should IN reason belong In It's full
force only to those who look upon death
as the end Of oil things, and for whom,
therefore, It Should at least hare no .tsFs
rors, Isit some gysIerlogsly inta1se ap,
petite, ~ an tnyelerate confusion Of
thought, which hinders most people from
perceiving that hot 10 erfa cannot possibly
| 10 in tho slightest degree painful or even
anpleasantg II, on ale olh0T hand, We
regard death merely rs transition from
one state Of existence to another land OF
an existence possibly otinfnite duration),
We open the door 70 all estrpMes al glorl.
Gus d fearful expectation, and the event
itself shrinEs into insianifeance. From
this point Of Wow, rs well as from tho last,
though for such different reasons, the I'M
portant question is not when We die, but
how We live, Religion and philosophy on
aifsrenL gpouBds combine 10 impress up.
on US the continuity and mutual depend.
ence Of successive ''dispenSations," OF
"dcvelopments1 We cannot conceive
OF, much less really believe in, a1ystste q:
IexIStencs IN WHICH Es can have any In:
tetest wholly disconnected from our inter.
| st In this lie. The laws which regulate
1.-The world we know must be IN some de.
can conceive Of yourselves a. existing and
\ derstaad how any rational being can find
a fanCied safety in the mere delay Of a.
inevitable crisis. q coIFsp, the t6eoloei
ieal origin OF such q stancy Is familiar
enough; but the result Is, think, as IN
i worthy OF It's own religious basis as II il o
our human dignity, To suppose that w
can haye any reasonable ground OF CONF
denee for this lie either in or apart from
L.. AI..l.tk,, nats.rx ka.,. 80. s..@uaG A...l.