The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1882-10-07
Corre,poHdsHee baltimore County Usia
DEATH BED PROMISES.

CAToSsviLLE, October "a, ISs2.
M.ssrs. Edifers Among both good aud bad
learned and unlearned, death bed promises involve
ing every variety Of subject are frequently made !;
they are known only occasionally when some sor
rowfui lamentation connected with the keeping Of
them exposes itself Without taking into calcu.
iaton the instances wherein some marked ami
mostly of the dying may be plainly shown rs
wishing to Perpetuate itself In another, We will
consider here merely the highest phase Of death.
bed promises. and a. made by a daughter TO .
mother.
A mother, far from having any unworthy mo.
tive At heart, may have one OF more cherished
ideals In life for the daughter. which may be well
enough In themselves, or In the mothers estima.
tiOn ofthem. but may boinappiieablc othe daugh-
ter a. ideals, aud perhaps subversive toher health
and happiness IL she follow them. No mother
can fOrsee her dying bed the future events that
may surround her daughter and call for course
Of action adapted I. them.
The best Of rs with eyes wide awake have no
certain knowledge ef our fate for day ahead,
and the tinge Of sacredness and accuracy with
which love sometimes invests the dying words Of
the beloved are illusions which have In them no
power 20 control future course Of events whose
germ formations are even then chaotic. We have
too often heard Of instances wherein the best class
Of dea,h.bed promises have wrecked happiness, to
admit of terming them ~ any thing but Illusions.
For . daughter to promise in general terms the
doing Of the best that she in every situation,
and acting ~ u her mothers living eye we're
ever upon her may be possibly passablc, but fur
ther than this Il 10 folly TO 60. Even with these
restrictions she cannot
"Aet, act In the living present.
Hope beneath and God DER head"
but she IL bound somewhat 10 the memory of the
deceased. Everything about life 10 too ksleido-
seopie snd uncertain TO promise for = day what
can be done Or not done on the morrow-to-day's
joys are to-mouow's sorrows-and 20 mske prom.
isss, especially those atiunei 10 the sacredness Of
the dying chamber, involve . food Of sorrow if
eircumstanees compel their being broken. or, ~ IL
oftsn the case, an equal food Of misery ifthey are
not. There u would be best 90 let the eonsolation
derived 10 . dying mother from allowing daughter,
be that which 10 found exterior 10 one or more
death.bed promises.
A mother who In life has cultivated In her
derstanding Of herself and due sense Of her oh.
legations 20 others, can leave her at death with
better assurance for her future welfare In every
VOWS and promises under most sacred protesta-
tons. 10 the hrst instance she would merely act
out easily what was inherent 20 her nature and
receive the natural reward In the last instance she
might mentally desire and strain for what herown
nature and circumstances prevented her attaining.
ill ultimately exhausted and forced 20 break her
vow. The world is full Of these and kindred
heart-breakings At all times, and ~ they are
nothing but needless Affections 20 humanity u
would be well " We accepted more Of the praeti-
cal while Ne live and less Of the mythical When We
die. OBSERVER.