The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-02-15

narianism and the grave. Along the walks
OF PROSPEROUS life death goes a-mowing-and
such harvests as are reapcd! Materia medica
has been exhausted to find curatives for these
physiological devastations. Dropsies, can.
GERS, consumptions, gout and almost every
infirmity in all the realm of patho 'ogy have
been the penalties paid To counteract the
damage pharmacy has gone forth with medi.
cament, panacea, elixir, embrocation, salve
and cataplasm.
Tonight with swollen feet upon cushioned
ottoman, and groaning with aches innumer
able, will be the votary Of luxurious living,
not half so happy as his groom or coal HEAVIER.
| Wrong fashion is the worlds undertaken. and
drives thousands of hearses to Greenwood
and Laurel Hill and Mount Auburn.
But, worse than that. this folly is an intel
lectual depletion This endless study Of
proprieties and etiquette, patterns and styles,
is he-dwarfing to the intellect. never knew
a woman or a man of extreme fashion that
knew much. How belittling the study of
the cut of coat, or the tie Of cravat, or
the wrinkle in sleeve, or the color Of rib
bon! How they are worried if something
gets united, or hung awry. or is not nicely
adjustedl With mind capable of measuring
the height and depth of great subjects: also
| to unravel mysteries. to walk through the
universe, to soar up into the infinity of Gods
notwithstanding perpetually over new
! style Of cloak' I have known men reckless
as to their character and regardless of inter
ests momentou5 and eternal, exasoerated by
the shape Of a vest button What is the
matter with that woman wrought up into
the agony of despair? Oh, her muff is out of
| fashion!
Worse than all-this folly is not satisfied
until it has extirpated every moral sentiment
and blasted the soul. A wardrobeis is the rock
upon which many soul has been riven. The
excitement of luxurious life has been the
| vprtaY fha at bac cyvo110pyad n n m Son9 than
the Maelstrom off Norway ever destroyed
ships. What room for elevating themes in
heart filled with the trivial and unreal!
Who can wonder that in this haste for sum
gilded baubles and winged thistle down men
and women should tumble into ruin? The
| travellers to destruction are not all clothed in
rags On that road chariot jostles against
chariot; and behind steeds in harness golden
plated and glttering, they 60 down, coach and
| four, herald and position, racketlng on the
hct pavements of hell. Clear the track! Ba.
zaars hang out their colors over the road and
trees of tropical fruitfulness overbranch the
way. No sound OF woe disturbs the air, but
all is light, and song, and wine and gorgeous
ness. The world comes out to meet the daz
Zling procession with: "HurrahI hurrah!"
But suddenly there is halt ard an outcry Of
diSlnay, and an overthrow worse than the
Red Sea tunbling upon the Egyptians.
Shadow of grayestones upon finest silk!
w OTNuWOOu SQueCLeu lIUO RODleGS.
Death with one cold breath whitening the
leaves and freezing the fountains.
In the wild tumult Of the last day-the
mountains falling, the heavens flying, the
thrones uprising, the universe assembling:
amid the boom of the last great thunder peal
and under the cracking of q burning world
what will become Of the disciple Of unholy
fashion!
But watch the career Of one thoroughly
artificial Through inheritance, or perhaps
his own skill, having obtained enough for
purposes of display, he feels himself thor
oughly established He sits aloof from the
common herd, and looks out of his window
upon the poor man and says: "Put that
dirty wretch off my steps Immediately" On
Sabbath dly he finds the church. but mourns
the fact that he must worship with so many
of the inelegant, and says: "They are per-
fectly awful" "That man that you put in
my pew had coat on his back that did not
cost S." He struts through life unsympa.
thetic with trouble and says: II cannot be
bothered" Is delighted with some doubtful
story Of Partisan life, but think that there
Walks arm in arm with the successful man
of the world, but does not know his own
brother. Loves to be praised for his splendid
house, and when told that he looks younger
than ten years ago, says: Well, really; do
you think so 2"
But the brief strut OF his life is about over.
Upstairs he dies. No angel wings lowering
about him; no Gospel promises, kindling up
the darkness; but exquisite embroidery, ele-
CANT pictures, and bust Of Shakespeare on
the mantel The pulses stop; the minister
comes in to read Of the resurrection, that day
when the dead shall come up-both he that
died on the floor and lie that expired under
princely upholstery. He is carried out to
burial. Only few mourners, but great
~ N0fN, onn ot
the funeral. No befriended orphan to weep
a tear on his grave. No child OF want press
ing through the ranks OF the weeping, saying:
"He is the last friend have, and must see
him"
What nowl He was great man Shall
not chariots Of salvation come down to the
other side of the Jordan and escort him up
Turn out! A Prince is comingH Will the
bells chimel Will there be harpers with
their harpf and trumpeters with their truna-
pets.
Mol no! mol There will be a shudder as
though calamity had happened. Standing
something shoot past with fiery downfall,
and shrek: 'Wandering star, for whom IS
reserved the blacknesS Of darkness forever"
But sadder yet is the closing Of Woman's
life that has been worshipful Of worldliness, all
the wealth Of lifetime's opportunity wasted.
What tragedy! A woman on her dying
pillow, thinking Of what she might havedone
nothing! Compare her demise with that of
a Harriet Newell going down to peacefully
die in the Isle of France, reviewing her life
time sacrifices for the redemption of India;
or at the last hours of Elizabeth Hervey,
having exchanged her bright New Eng.
land home for a life at Bombay amid
stolld heathenism, that she might ilum!ne 1t,
~, loo IIf thic 10 tho
dark valley it has not dark spot on it; all
is light, light" or the exit Of Mrs. Lennox,
falling under sudden disease at Smyrna,
breathing out her soul with the last words:
"Oh, how happyl" or the departure Of Mrs.
Sarah y. Comstock, spending her life for
the salvation of Burmah, giving up her chill
dren that they might come home to America
to be edcated, and saying, rs she kissed
them good dby, never to see them again: "Oh,
Jesus, I do this for Thee!" Or the going Of
10000 good women, who, in less resounding
spheres, have lived not for themselves but
for God and the alleviation OF human suffer-
ing. That was a brilliant scene when, in
Ronda, Queen Elizabeth Of CASTLE, on
horseback, side by side with King Ferdinand,
rode out to review the troops. AS she IN
bright armor rode along the lines OF the
Spanish host, and waved her jewed hand
to the warriors, and ever and anon uttered
words Of cheer to the worn veterans who, far
away from their homes, were risking their
lives for the kingdom, it was spectacle that
illumines history. Butmore glorious will be
the scene when that consecrated Christian
woman crowned in heaven shall review the
souls that on earth she clothed, and fed, and
msdicined, and evangelical, and then intro
duced into the ranks celestial. AS on the
white horse Of victory, side by side with the
king, this queen unto God forever shall ride
past the lines of those in whose salvation