Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-01-05
CHURCH HILL, KY.
january LIST, 1886

January LIST, 1886.
Mn. EDITOR:
The dear old year has gone TO come
no more, passed out quietly, calmly,
as If satisfied that the work allotted
to that span of time had been well
done, and effectually.
All its joys and sorrows have alike
become "part and parcel" of that
which Longiellow calls the dreadful
past-the general receptacle Of both
good and i'll.
1t has been truly said that the year
of 1885 has chronicled some of the
most remarkable events, that have
been known to the world since time
began.
The sickle of death has reaped rich
harvest in noted:men, and the reapers
have left vacancies in the fields both
north and south.
The conquering hero of the north
west, Gen. Grant, and the unconquer-
able incorporating naughty south
erner, Gen. Robt. Toombs, of Georgia
have passed out with Hendricks and
Gratz Brown and Vanderbilt and
others, all of whom have left "foot-
prints behind them" AS Vanderbilt
has left on record a will such as has
never been known before, bequeath-
ing to his children fortune greater
than the richest king or potentate
has ere been enabled to amass, and
yet with it all he was perhaps no
happier for his vast possessions, with
their added cares, and it is an incon-
trovertible fact that he could take no
more with him,in his passage over the
the dark, deep river, than the poorest
mendicant and while he has gone to
render an account of his stewardship
the heritage has fallen to others and
so
1.-THE multitude goes like the flower Of the weed.
That withers away to let others succeed.
So the multitude comes even those we behold,
To repeat every tale that has often been told.
They died, aye! they died: We things that are
now,
i
That walk on the turf that lies on their brow
And make in their dwellings transient abode,
Like the things that they meet on their pill
grimage road.
lis the work Of an eye, it's the draught Of a
l. breath
From the blossom OF health to the paleness OF
| death;
From the gilded saloon t. the bier and the
| shroud;
oh why should the spirit Of mortal be proud"
1t has been said by one of the poets
those are best loved often to whom
"Fame speaks not with trumpet
tones" and while many of these
great men who have died in the past,
year have been good, many lesser
lights have been better. Your cor
respondent thinks lovingly, and sad
ly this morning as she writes of one
just passed over the river to whom II
there were no ties ofblood, there was
all affinity and an affection, that some
times is as strong and owns tie as
broad. The reference is to Capt.
William Hester, so well and so favor
ably known throughout the entire
country, who died in Lafayette al
his old home OH the morning of Dec
2Sth at 8 80 o'clock. He had lived
more than his four score years and
after an affection of mind and body
had made him an invalid for near
ly three Years, it seemed sweet thai
he should pass out so near the clost
of the old year. He did as he had
lived calmly and peacefully, so gen
tly did the touch of the destroyer
fall that there was scarcely the chilli.
ness of death upon his limbs, or the
death dew on his brow, and when
the spirit had flown, he was still
warm. Later when. placed in his
casket and the features had frozen
into marble, the expression upon his
face was one of calm, perfect
content. The motto in raised letter.
upon the silver plate upon his casket
"At Rest" seemed appropriate, and
looking down upon the face of this
dear old man, who had made glad
many hours of the life of your cor.
respondent, those beautiful words Of
Father Ryan came unbidden and he
seemed to have gone.
''out Of the shadow OF sadness
Into the sunshine Of gladness.
Into the light Of the blest;
| Out OF the land very dreary
-'Out Of the world Of the weary
Into the rapture Of rest"
| His funeral Was'beautifully and an