Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-04-05
For the SPECTATOR.
The Three Existences Of Mortals,
TIME, DEATH, AND ETERNITY.


Fae9lnG t0fOugn nature 10 eternity"
: Time is that portion of ones first ez
: istence which Is allotted him to prepal
Q for its successon-Death and Eternity
}, The mysterious web of life' is sprea
B out before each-fts unwritten record
] to be compiled. its first unsoiled page il
the volume is ready for an impress, an
as the unwearied footsteps of Time hui
, US onward. we are either to fill it witt
charity. love, friendship, and true devo
} tion to the principles Of high, noble
and illustrious life, or to blot and blur
, with degrading, sectional, groveliD|
acts. which, when 1t is laid away in th,
} archives of the past and reviewed b.
others, when our bodies are cold anl
, still, will cause flush Of shame to suf
fuse their cheeks, and. with burning
tears of pity for our folly. let the clodl
! Of Time forever bury 1t from sight
When one reaches the period of lifi
when he can discern right from wrong
and views "the scrolls Of fate" which
like . creased and crumpled unde.
ciphefed parchment, conff0nts him, be
is sensible Of the vast Importance Of
his every act, for the world e similar to
. theater; we are ushered upon the
stage of action, surrounded by millions
Of envious, glaring eyes, and. as we go
forth each morning, we lay moulding
hand upon our destiny. Time is spaced
BY hours like scenes In comedies, each
having lite own peculiar form and re-
spOnsibflity.
Each recurring second adds line to
the chapters which will compose our
history, and which will be carefully
scrutinized by Death when its icy fin-
gers turn It's stained pages.
Almost every moment the aphorism
is authenticated that Goods finger
touched him and he slept"
Every passing breeze bears some in.
fictitious malaria, and catching upon the
fratl mechanism of the human struc-
ture, clings to it until crumbling within
liz iron grasp the mortal sinks into si
lence. and fame to the metropolis is seen
no more on earth. The cherished mem.
ory OF the loved one, frightened by fire.
quent visits to the sacred spot where
rests the-faded jewel; the tiny mound
bedewed with scalding tears, wreathes
of fragrant flowers are implanted there
on-gently stretUa, as If in awe of awak-
enfng harsh sounds to disturb the hushed
ones repose. Tokens left in remem-
brance Of sweet communion with the
dead. which points to an existence be-
yond the tomb, "for the grave is not its
goal" To one and all, with a slow
and noiseless footstep comes the mes
senger divine" !" and like mighty roll
Ing tide bears them away to "that un-
dicovered country from whose bourne no
traveller returns The visits of the pale
grim monster, Death, are In every form
and render ali circumstances sad there
is peculiar air akin to 1t which impress.
es all Ofits presence; but how much more
sad is it when it is known that the soul
Is "exiled from earth and yet not winged
for heaven"
"Dust thou art and to dust returnest
Was not spoken OF the soul;"
for
"Graves are but beds where flesh till morning
Or eSsss: ssss.,s where God awhile one garment
Death is essential to mutual relation
ship, for when the cl0ds are lowered
upon the coffin lid, the sepulchral sound
melts the heart to tears aud draws
friends and enemies together, and pen.
itently binds their hearts in one com.
mon unison.
Is there heart so hard that when
standing over the yawning tomb, in
which soon the precious remains of
some dear loved one Is to repose, that it
cannot be touched by the feeling of an
others sorrow and be moved to sympa.
thy? Truly there is none, for at the
grave all animosities, no matter how
bitter, are forgotten, and tears of grief
alike flow mingled down and moist the
clay of the cold ones earthly bed. o, a
new made grave can speak more than
columns of voiceless paperl There is no
sorrow, how e'er so light. that will not
be shared by others. The great center
of life, the heart, il moved to yearning
pity when another Is In distress, and
when sore afaiction and scathing mis-
fortune Is pressed heavily upon one, that
heart goes out in love and tenderness
to bind up thoee bleeding wounds in
fiicted by the qnerring hand Of Divin.
ity. :,
+
"Our very life is but q dream, and
while we look around eternity is at
hand"
Time, Death, and Eternity are so
closely allied that the one invariably fol-
lows the other Upon the winged hours
OF Time hangs 1.-The mantling pal! OF
DEATH" Had it not been for Death,
Eternity would never have been created,
and 1t Is secondary to Death oil know,
for upon the path of Time, Death, and
Eternity, hand In hand, come with
stealthy. sure, and silent tread. Just
behind the threshold of Time lies Death,
80 also, sheltered by its impenetrable
shroud. Eternity, like an ever convul-
sive volcano, stands ready to gulph
down Times Inhabitants, Deaths VIC
Tins, Eternity's subjects.
Eternity f0reshadows Time and
Death; for the thought of dying would
not appear half so aorrifying did we not
know that there is an existence beyond,
where all the weary voices of earth will
be forever hushed In 1.-THE deep eilence
of eternity"
Soon shove the starry plains the pe.
RODS of Time, the reign of Death. will
he but the moments of Eternity. Though
the hand Of Time holds every second
within its grasp, and as it seemingly
unwillingly let's 1t fill its designed meas.
ure in the area of space, it also scruti.
nizes 1t as ii afraid one little tiny mo-
ment would fly unguarded or escape un-
noticed, and thereby fail to be added to
the long register of innumerable col
umns Of them that have been recorded
In the countless cycles of the past,
yet. with each vacancy left by their
hight, Death comes closer and Eternity
gains one step nearer the era which
shall herald the appointed reign, and
by unvarying promptness in assuming
possession of its allotted place, left va
can't by the flight of golden moments,"
Time, with all its ostentatious short
lived glory. ceases to be. Death, grimly
smiling, enters the arena, but soon tir-
ing OF the struggle, with folded wings
sinks on the bosom of eternity" which
having banished all other foes sits as
conqueror supremely enthroned upon
the pyramid carved by the chisels of
elements, In the hand of years, sup
ported by the massive arm Of Omnipo-
tence. PREsToN.
March 10Th, 1881.
Many years since Sidney Smith, in q
note addressed to Parlisment, said:
| "Your conduct to Ireland is that of a
man who subscribes to hospitals, weeps
at charity sermons, carries out broth
and blankets to beggars, and then comes
home and beats his wife and children.
You have compassion for the
victims of all other oppression and in
justice except at home. The
V0rV moment tho mama If Tro1oud ia