The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1884-02-02
SERIOUS REFLECTIONS.

vcy our surroundings, feel our foot
ing, cast our eyes heavenward, and
ope our ears to discover if there be
not ominous rumblings in the hori-
zon, else, ere we know it, we may
be thrown from our saddles and
lett to suffer and die upon the way
side meath tempest and storm.
These serious reflections were
generated in the mind of the writ
er on reading in the telegraphic dis
patches the other day Of P. 7.
Barnum. the millionaire Snowman,
who, feeling that death was tight
ening It's clamps upon him, dictat
ed his will, bequcathing ten mil
lions of dollars to twenty-scven
heirs, and, in order that his intents
should not be thwarted, sent for
three physicians to certify that he
was of sound mind.
Disguise it as we may, there are
none who are not afraid Of death.
The sight of an expiring soul-light,
of tunereal trappings, the sound OF
the clods as they fall upon the Gov
erlids of the coffin, all, or either.
arouses feelings in our natures
which fill the soul with terror, and
pierce the heart with horror. Here
we see man whose name has been
upon every tongue-who for many
years has catered to the amuse.
ment appetite of his fellows
whose mind has seemingly been
wholly engrossedin providing plea
sure and ecstatic enjoyment for the
world, IN which employment he
amassed a fortune, finally finds
himself confronted ty the grim
visaged monster, when he must
needs turn from his life-work and
face .he inevitable. He cannot
take with him II cent of his great,
his coll ssal accumulations-he
feels the mist which is gathering
around him-he hears the splash
ing of the waters which the Styx
ferryman is making, and he knows
that he is the passenger sought af-
ter. How sublime the idea-with
such surroundings the dying man
gathers his falling senses, and with
full, certain and assured conviction
that his sands Of lite are all but
run out, lie disposes of his earthly
possessions, without compensation
save love, and awaits the summons
which cannot be averted. Tho re
cital is enough to inspire even the
skeptic to involuntauly cry out in
his heart, "Gol help and receive
him"
Man may be rich, wise or strong
When the scythe-bearer appears,
the rich man lets loose his hold up
on his money-bags, the wise man
feels as did the wise man of old.
"ali is vanity" and the strong
man is helpless as babe, aye. rs
a Leaf in a gale, when death knocks
How foolish then, that, cognizant
as we all are of these facts, we
should employ our time and facul-
ties in the endeavor to trip our tel
lows in the race of life, rather than
in eXalting ourselves. The time
must necessarily be short when
the hand which pens this article
will be cold and silent-the eye
which reads it will be forever closed
and the tongue which gives voice
to it will be mute. Atlongest, the
allotted time of man on earth ia
briet-" three score years and ten, "
how few are permitted to live
so long.
We could follow this subject
much further, but in doing so, how
ever appropriate and profitable,
would be painful, and we conclude
with the words of Longtcllow:
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing leave behind us
Footprints on the sands Of time
Footprints that perhaps another,
Sailing DER life S solemn main,
A forlorn and ship-wrecked brother
Seeing Rhall take heart again"