River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-07-24
LIFE AND DEATH.
A GeOlOgist who Believes in the Counterpart
of Everything that Exists.
fFrom he Hartford Conn Times. NAV 81

On LttuFudN nl8uL AiiNu udti itNbuAc
room was we'll filled, and Prof. William
Denton, the well-known author and lee
turer on geology, spoke, without notes,
as follows:
Mrs. Hemans tells us that
Leaves have their time to fall,
And flowers 10 wither in the north-wind's
breath
And stars to set-but thou hast all,
All seasons for thine own, O Death"
Higher than our proudest steepIe scars
a California cedar; for two thousand
years it has been building its gigantic
pillar, IN defiance of the rocking storms
and the lightnings stroke. A thousand
cities, that earth bore proudly on her
bosom when it was a sapling, are now I'M
known. Yet there it stands in its majes-
tic pride. But death rcaps the forest of
two thousand years with no less certainty
than it cuts down the waving grass and
the blooming flower of a season.
The brOad-based pyramids have looked
down upon hundred generations, as
these have marched to their destiny be
fore them But even they feel the tooth
of Time-and "A mound of undistinguish
able desert sand will lie where rest the
enduring pyramids.
But here are the cloud kissing, the
heaven propping, the everlasting noun
tains; yes, they too must perish; these
rivers that run down their furrowed sides
are the corps bearers carrying them down
to the ocean, whose carvcrns yawn to re-
celve them. The winds that howl
around their frosty heads arc chanting
their funeral dirge.
DEATH A UNIVERSAL FACT.
Yea, the great globe itself, million
centred, rock-ribbcd, tiery-hearted, the
mother of myriads, she, too, must be
gathered, when her hour comes, into the
arms of the burning sun, from which she
sprang, and the heavens know her no
more; for worlds have their time to fall,
and suns to perish, and bright stars decay,
and all things the universe contains bow
before the sceptre of the all conquerOT,
death. Death is written upon everything
that the universe contains; but, after all,
if is only the turning of the caleidscOpe;
the old forms have departed, the cOmbi-
nations have dissolved, but that which
composed them remains, enters into
new combinations, as fair to the eye,
as perfect in form, in like manner to pass
and he succeeded by others, in the etern-
procession of all things The old cedar
falls; but out of its dust springs the
Young one, more vigorous for the ashes
of its predecessor, and waves in time its
lordly crown as high as those who went
before it. The mountain decays; it's last
atom is born upon the seas troubled
breast; but out of the ocean depths
spring new mountains, higher and fairer.
and enriched with the spoil of the ocean
beds from which they Were elevated.
Death is no curse imposed upon an other
wise immortal being, in consequence of
the sin of the first pair. 1t existed for
ages before man or sin appeared upon
the planet; and it is evident that if the
purest spirit could return to earth, and be
clothed in flesh, death would claim his
body with no less certainty than that of
the vilest criminal. Death is interwOv-
en- with the very constitution of the plan
ct, and doubtless of the universe. 1t
swan with the primeval nomads in the
steam waters of the early seas; it lurked
in the groves of the carboniferous swamps;
it swept off the successive hosts that re-
production pushed upon the globe,
through the ages; and it came to the
uESt man, dS IL ilii previously NOiilC ~
all living-and thus it comes to us.
The earth is grand sepulchre; the sea
but a wide, deep grave. Our bodies are
but the walking ashes of the departed,
lent us for time, to be returned when
death gives US notice, by summons that
none can neglect or resist. Old wollds
reach the goal, new worlds start hourly on
the track. The matter composing our
planet has belonged TO other worlds, mil
lions of times, and shall doubtless belong
to worlds unnumbered, in the coming
time The water We drink has made the
glory of many a sunset, and SPAWNED the
sky in rainbow arches: the dust beneath
our feet has been trUdden, as it Is now
trodden upon. by uncounted generations
in the past; and every drop of the briny
sea has coursed down the cheeks of the
children of sorrow. There is not par
ticle of this planet that has not belonged
to worlds unnumbered, before this. And
this is true of humanity. There goes the
grand life-procession over the planet.
They march over the globe in constant
succession. The old man, the young
maiden, and the little children, lettering
ON they 20, and take no backward step.
They march cohtinuousIy-d their
bodies as they go; bodies that have served
the souls purpose for while and these
bodies are seized by the law of decay and
change, and bv the subtle alchemy of
death are transformed into grass and
flowers. to feed these who are 10 folI0E.
when ala those who are present have gone
Well done, old body, You have served
INV turn-go back to the earth 10 which
/ bequeath yOu-make corn. grapes, ap-
pies, pears, for thei Oncoming hosts. for
the new men and women, better and fair
cr than we, when we have gone Ia fulfil
our destiny In another condition Of being
SO goes the grand march. There never
was a time when Just that thing did not
take place. What is true of he world
to-day, is true Of all past time You will
see. then, that death Is no curse You
will see that the common notion, that
death was imposed as = curse, Is utterly
false
THE LIFE We DO NOT SEE
Now we say the cedar is dead and
gone-burned up, nothing left but its
ashes; but / don't think so. 7 believe
the cedar that is burned 10 ashes is not
gone. You say the pyramid that is de
cayed Is gone. Some Of them have been
gone so long that the tooth of Time has
left nothing. But I say there is nothing
Of the kind "Do you mean 70 say that
they exist" Yes; say that = pyramid
that has decayed, gone, blown away in
dust-is here still All the trees that
have lived on this planet are living some
where. There are persons endowed with
certain senses-the psyehometric sense
that can cognize them; that have eyes to
see things that existed in the primal
ages; that can listen to winds that blew
millions Of years ago.
4 CURIOUS FACT RELATED BY HERscHEIs.
Sir John Herschel, in his scientific lee
lures, says: T had been witnessing the
demolition Of 3 structure familiar To me
from childhood, and with which many
interesting associations were connected
a demolition not unattended with dan
ger to the workmen employed. about
whom / had felt very uncomfortable. Ii
happened to me, at the approach of even-
ing while, however, there was ve1 nretA
" good light-to pass near the place
where. the day before, II had stood. the
path had TO follow leaaing reside il.
GREAT was my smszement to - & stil