The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-08-15
Memory foF The Dead.
A bcrcft husbanti, strolled upor


There is ever q sweet, plaintivc, re.
sponse sent the growing heart fror,
the great "sad se;t,5 and the murrtmur
of the waves lullfFto rect, upon a
downy couch, in divine rerose, the
mcdtations of the tortured mind and
bruised heart. I'liis grief stricken
wandcrcr saw at lis feet broken
shell, and placing tito his ear, heard
within it yet the echo Of the ocean;
taking pencil hewlotc, upon the
shell: 1f
"Oh! memory in lffsss broken shelf, ="
Why not iii l"Sll" all, s,.L.
Lose tllccas wcIl;''a, h.,.
How many thousand, who mourn
to-day, the death of-a fond relative
or friend, would not, if they could,
lose the mur,nur Tint ling.rs in the
heart, and say with The s,,l poet, that
rs am broken and ruined, why not
let me lose all-eyen memory, and
yet they cling to AathRt memory, in
tears and prayers.H The shell was
broken, but the murmur had .crept up
into the tinted recess, there 10 repeat
It's native echo. ,,st..
And SO with the heart, when once
love is placed there, ,lwilh most sacred
Of all tics-marriage--it will !ipgcr
there though the icItdes,roycr brcaI,
the shell. The mhrpiur" will repeat
the song that was horn, the day This
love was placed within their wcdded
hearts. The blow MAY bend the life
Of the stricken mates and the pillows
Of grief dssl, their heart, ruthlcssly,
hut the Star of hope glcnms amid the
tempest, and the aneuishcd blossom
calms beneath the sacred promise,
81 am the resurrection, and the life,
Saith the Lord he that belicvclh in
me, though he were. dead, yet shall
lie live, and whosoeverliveLh and be-
lcvch in III, Shall never die" We're
it not for this promise the murmur
of love would be t.8o hopeless TO
dwell within. q humafss,liaart, lhe sun-
linitoashdepfstsitY hopelessnrss
would not, could nPt, { realize The
claim Of love, or the voice of deli
cate sentiment. Memory would d, own
in the slough Of despair, and love
perish with the object that created it
1t is that blessed hope and belief in
the communion Of saints" that gives
memory for the dead its life. SLOPE
less gref is passionless," and must
die when the sudden burst Of anguish
is over. The memory for the dead is
the most sacred ef 81! human assoGi-
atoms. The silver chain Of love kc-
gun on earth and woven to complete
ness, with golden links in Heaven,
hold us in perpetual and rapturous
letters. When we look over the
scenes of the past in which the de-
parted loved one was a joyous par
licipant, painfully tile heart blecds,
and The anguished bosom breathes i,
silent prayer. Our tears and siglls
are seen and heard, believe, by our
sainlcd ones, and rs they are the
highest testimonials we can render
OF our devotion, we arc blessed when
we offer them. Rich are those who
have treasure in Heaven! and while
It often costs the sacl iIicr OF every
earthly j2y TO possess this treasure,
1T is therefore more to be, TREASURED
"Despisc not the Christening Of the
Lord" but alas !! many do. Lord
Bacon says: "It is better to have no
opinion OF the CEcator than one WHICH
is unbecomingto Him." When Col
smtcs us, and aillicts us by taking
away those we most loved, we deem
it unmcrci!ul--but if we will think Of
the infinitely grander welfare Of those
whom Hc has called, we can no long
er entertain this! !unhccoining feeling !;
such feeling is scllishncss, purely.
The memory for tho dead is given
us for some wise purpose, and it is
our duty not only TO submit to the
Will OF Col, bat TO struggle to meet
the demands made upon us by This
Judgment or chastiscmcnt, DO moth
ing unworthy OF the memory of the
saintcd one and che: sIi their memo
ry with u devotion strengthened by a
claim upon the riches Of Heaven.
The heart must achc:.i is jonclv