The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-04-29
Is it the Endf

II
brow of the dead evinces the
anguish of q mourning heart; the
sense of personal loss and keen
regret that fills the mind when the
death of oae Of the worlds mas
ters is announced, though modi-
fed, is akin TO the realization Of
the same feeling. When an
earthly monarch dies, the pomp
that gilds the grave, he p0eans
sung by priests, and the splendor
Of the kingly sepulture proclaim
the ostentatious grief Of his sub |
iects; no such ceremony shall
mark the burial Of that plain old
man who lies amid New Hamp'
shire's hills to-day, and yet a |
mightier monarch never breathed,
a greater sovereign never swayed
Il soepter, or dominated an empire
10 the realm Of mind he was su-
preme and Ike those ether mighty
spirits "who, though dead, yet rule
our spirits from their urns," his
words snail hold eternal sway, and
control the souls of men as kings
of less degree control their mortal
frames. His gentle confrere
Longieliow, whose touching num-
bers thrilled the hearts Of mourn
ing millions on both sides Of the
Atlantic was as prince Of the
royal house, and when his death
occurred ! lew weeks ago the
mind naturally reverted 10 'hat
grand old Muster Of nantai eth'2s
whose written and spoken A.'rd'
have extended suci: trpsn-..d ,..~
influence 90 the sons O! la.a.
The death Of Emerson II --.',a~
he, always bring; np 10 oa' 'n'ot
the question; "Is it, ihe eod:'
When to the gray. great n ~
goes, is the voice forever ha5!led
that never uttered au lgnDbie
throught, is the hand forever s'iiied
that wrote the phrases that guided
ali that is good IN mau? Ii thi:
is all that there is 10 life; il when 3
man dies he tslls as falls. The
mighty oak that wakes the echoe:
OF the resouuding hills and ther
crumbles into shapeless rain
how futile ali our eiTors ard how
ephemeral all our proadsst deeds
But a short forty eight hours ago
the greatest brain in Americ;
strong and active, conceiving tbs
lof,iest sentiment aud the keenes
thought: It cannot be that because
that brain no more has the re(
life fluid oircplstiag through it
ganglion that the spirit wbieI
prompted inspiration Is extinct
There is aomethiug il one that re
peis such supposition, and ye
what we'll authenticated case is OF
record where anyone came bacI
to tell OF what he saw or heard, 8
ever sent back word or sign c
token Of what lies on the othe
side? It Is the eternal prob
ie,n, thst we must all solvt
and without any intent to b
either iippant or iFreyeFent, 10
our part we would rather spen
the alleged eternity that we al
assured we must endure, III con
pauy with the brightest, wisest an
wittest Of mankind, than among
lot of dull, decoFous, individua
who never had sufficient brains
render wickedness possible in the
case.
1t was the gifted Goidsmit
who, a century ago, writing of tt
demise of the equally gifted Ga
rick, said that his death ECLIPSE
the gayety ofnatiops." The san
may be said of Emerson, aud if Il
millions who read with profit al
delight his admirable precep:
shall bus make tbem the rule q,
action Of thcir daily life, they t
can calmly await the summons
the sable. messenger who,
With equal step, Impartial fate,
Knocks at the palace and the Gotta
gate.
IT appears from the Official h