The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-06-08
1ALLEY VIRGINIAN.
STANTON, VA.
The Contrasts OF Life.

it dies. A few days ago the papers of New
York were mourning the death Of Moses
Taylor, who lived in luxury, and while very
good man, as the world takes it, d led, leav-
ing nothing so prominent to remember
him as the twenty millions dollars he had
accumulated to be divided among his four
children. His imposing buildings, his vast
business enterprises, and the at1luence OF all
his surroundings told how the talents which
had been given him had been improved
and to what uses the fortune which had
smiled upon him had been dedicated. A
few days later we read in the local columns
of New York daily another story which
illustrates the old saying with which we
commenced tn is paragraph. 1t relates that
-four small, neatly furn ished rooms on the
top floor of the house at No. 342 East Thir-
teenth street, have been occupied for sew
eral years by Mary Everett, an unmarried
seamstress and her invalid mother. The
daughter was fifty-four years old, while her
mother was nearly eighty. Both women
have had the reputation of being extremely
pious and patient in misfortune. Mrs.
Everett became bed ridden from spinal
trouble fourteen years ago, and from that
time her daughter acted as her nurse and
supported both herself and her mother
with her needle. 1t was a hard task for
the woman, who also was growing old and
infirm. She was obliged to put away her
sewing few days ago and watch her
mother day and night, the attending ply
stefan having expressed his belief that Mrs.
Everett was dying. The last dollar of
small sum in the savings bank was soon
spent to procure Mrs. Everett medical aid.
The daughters reason was destroyed, and
while watching her mother on Thursday
night last she swallowed a quantity of
poison, which had been purchased previ-
ously to keep vermin from the room. Her
act was not known until yesterday morn
ing, when sympathetic neighbOr entered
the rooms to enquire about Mrs. Everett
Mother and daughter were found lying to-
gether helpless. TIE daughter died before
noon. Later in the day it was said that the
mother was near her death, and that it
was doubtful if she could live through the
night
We have here an illustration of the two
extremes of living and dying, and that
wide gulf of fortune which separates the
conditions of our common humanity. A
few hundred dollars of the princely for
tune of the one, who could take none of it
with him, would have relieved the suffering
of the other and at least appeasad the
pangs of hunger and want, and somewhat
smoothed the way to the tomb. 1t is a
strange ordering of Providence, that almost
under adjoining roofs. so to speak, the
massive wealth of the one should be gath
cred, to supply every luxury that gold could
buy, while the other suffered and watched,
and starved. until through pure physical eX-
haustien reason gave way, and death came
as a relief through the poisoness drug,
prepared for yermin. The one is laid away
in costly mosoleHm, The funeral cortege as
imposing as the piles of filthy lucre could
provide, with long trains of affected mourn
ers. signing and sobbing to suit the de-
mands of the occasion and of the style OF
the dav, while the other is laid in her hum
BILE grave, enclosed in pine box, with no
one to heave a sigh or drop a tear. This
all relates to the body-to the corruptible
part of the wonderful organism of man.
But what of the incorruptible-the immor-
tai spirit! All, there's the rub That
frail, christian, self-sacriticing watcher unto
obil5'c of faction for tho hp1p1acS
mother, stronger than any other considera-
ton of this life, presents picture of the
highest type of the christian, and of the
teachings of Him who taught as never man
taught, Illustrating the strength of the faith
that looked beyond the privations and suff-
erings of life and the gloom of the tomb,
to that other life where the treasures of the
pure in heart are laid up. We would
rather anchor our hope with this child of
sorrow and suffering, than him whose vast
aecumulations told of stinted offerings to
the poor, and of opportunities neglected to
clothe the naked and give bread to the
hungry, according to his means.
IJis false charity thatexpends its thous-
ands to endow institutions of learning and
erect monuments in stately gifts, that pos
terity may not forget the giver, while there
is so much suffering and want right at our
doors. whose calamity is Knocked by these
pretentious donations. 1.-The poor ye have
always with you," means more than the
utterance of hypocriUical sigh. 1t is a
command that of our abundance we should
rn1iavn than md Sand nlrrant n low
through the forlorn places, where, if the
comforts of this life have not been vouch-
safed, the well-spring of the life hereafter
has its seat. These contrasts are but the
old story of Lazarus and Dives repeated,
and illustrate how much easier it is for a
camel to 60 through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom
of Heaven. Your John Jacob Astors, A.
L. Stewards, Corne Illus Vanderbilts, and
Moses Taylors, however much they may have
appropriated their earnings to the relief of
the poor, did only an infntessimal part of
what it was their duty to do. They were en-
dowed with marvellous mental powers, that
they might accumulate, not to horde and
pile up for the gaze and wonder of the .vul-
gar and vicious, and for sensuous uses, but
that they might be instrumental in succor-
ing the needy of their fellowmen. The
parable of the talents was for the instruc-
ton and guidance of just such men, and to
the degree that they neglected the duty
implied, were their lives failures and will be
so accounted when they come to face the
Mary Everetts of their day at the bar of
judgment, where each will be measured
and adjudged by the deeds done in the
body. How many desolate homes and
stricken families, where poverty and dis
ease preside, might be made happy and COM
Portable with the million that VIM. H. Van
derbilt is placing in his prineely structure,
and the thousands he is appropriating for
French cook to serve up dainties for the
body that must soon become food for
worms. But few years will roll away be-
fore the narrow limits of the tomb will hide
from him his fabulous wealth and all the
splendor that wealth can purchase Bonds
and stocks,will not then be counted of value,
but ''inasmuch as ye did it unto one of
these ye did it unto me, fed the hungry,
clothed the naked, and gave water to the
fhirStv-w i'll he the Investments that will