Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-06-27
The Eloquence Of Death.

Cor. Chicago Advance.
The Eloquence Of Death.
Death has an eloquence all II.
In its presence human lips NAV we STa1
dumb. You look upon these aa,s
silent features with awe and a nec vTia.
sadness. Those lips will not onss
again to joy in our Joy. or to ccm{es
us in our sorrow. A broken, an emsa0
vessel is before US, for the spirit PPv.5
fled. What is flesh without the sn;r;ss
All that we hold dear is gone. Ana ny
VIC look again upon that face We wa ~
der that a glad smile of recoenitios
does not fit over the face, and tbosa
lips open to bid us welcome as Of yors
But reason comes to remind us thai. ~.
our friend, this is the last Of eartS
And memory is at hand recalling ths;
past. How it rises up before us, a lonn
swift panorama! Our tears fall thieSGi
and fast as we think of the kind words;
aud loving deeds of other days. Verp
tender and sweet are those memories ~
the dead.
You have stood there. Perchance n
was but the other day, or it may have
been long years ago. Be the time lone.
or short, it all comes back now-thss
eloquence of the dead. You were y
son. not always dutiful; and this i,
mothers face, marble-white, cold and,
still. A rush of feeling overwhelms
your soul. What has she not done and,
borne for you? How affectionately did
she lean on your arm. and look up into
your face! She will not do so any,
more. How %anxiously she watched
over you in sickness, how quick her
sympathy, and how loving her cares.
1t is all over now. Did you grieve hen
sometimes? 1t Is too late to make
amends. But what would you not give
for Just o word n0wP
Or you are a daughter, and it ia
father lying there 81 still. Your heart
is breaking, but he has no word ofcom.
fort for you. The eye is closed and IL
has no kindly glance Of recognition.
The mouth is shut forever; no cheerful
voice will again make your heart glad.
Nofather's loving hand will ever again
RESI- on your head in gentle benedictiop.
He has left you, though you did all YOU
possibly could to hold him back. How
YOUR bosom swells as you think of all
his care and love! His heart was bound
up in your well-being, and 1t is a pleas
ant thought now that YOU eve tried tU
do all that a loving daughter could do
for a loved father. -.
Or you are a husband, and the faith.
full, devoted wife lies before you in the,
speeches. eloquence Of death; you
never knew how dear she. "a till now.
A choking sensation is in your throat:
Oh, how dear she vas to you! Can it
be that all is over, that she will not
nestle im your arms againP You call TO-
her, but she answers not tB the endear-
ing c~pithets; nothing avails now. She
never treated you thus before. Or, per-
haps, ycu.are a wife, and he, to whom
you gave'your hand and heart, lies still
before YOU The staff is bnAen. You
have no Strong arm to lean N. And,
as your little children come and ask
why papa will not speak to,them, a ter
rible realizing sense of the utter loneli-
ness of xidOwhood breaks on you.
Yes. the husband and fatheris gone.
These are a few of the thoughts which
Death presses home upon U.S. And not
only does it speak of the past and awake
us to a of the present.. but it tells
us of the future. TO this end, we too,
must come. OF the busy, Joyous multi
tudes on tide street, not one but will
hear that dread voice and obey. The
gates of life are ever closing behind our
poor humanity. And the os2d face be-
fore US speaks of that coming day. Ii
warns us cf the frailty of lite, of the
weakness of the flesh, and OF the GER
tainty of death. 1t points; to the sea
and cries: -There is an ebh tide"
For us the tides are coming in and
rising constantly. We IRE strong and
trust that strength will last. But tho
pale face lying there warns us of an
ebb tide. And when it comes and the
life-forces, flow out, our battle will be
in vain. In conflict with the mortal,
Death conquers. But the silent face
points OF to Eternity. And it holds
forth a ray of hope. 1t speaks of Him
who conquered death, who led captiv-
ity captive. 1t pleads with us to lay
hold of Salvation, to follow Him who is
the Way, the Truth and the Life, that
we, too, may conquer death and gain a
blessed Immortality. -Gaden Rule.