The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-05-11

NO avail. we might say; 1--WE have
deed for that property" the
plea would be of no avail. We might
saw: 1--WE have lien on that store
house;" that would do us no good
Death Is blind. and he cannot see seal,
and cannot read an indenture. So that,
first and last, ! want to tell you that
when you propose that give up my soul
for the world, you cannot give me the
first item OF title.
Having examined the title OF prop
ertv. your next question Is about m
surance. You would not be silly enough
10 buy n large ware house that could not
possibly be insured. You would not nave
anything to do with such property.
Now, ask you what assurance can you
give me that this world is not going to
be burned up9 Absolutely none, Geolo-
gists tell us that it is already on fire; that
the heart of the world is one great
living coal; that it is just like a
shin on fire at sea, the flames
not bursting out because the matches
are kept down. And yet you propose to
palm off on me, in return for my soui'
a world for which, in the first place. you
give no title, and in the second place, for
which you can give no insurance. "Oh,..
YOU saw. 1.-THE water of the oceans will
wash over all the land and put out the
fire." Oh no. There are inf1ammable
elements in the water, hydrogen and
oxygen. Call off the hydrogen, and
then the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans
would blaze like heaps Of shavings. You
want me to take this world, for which
YOU can give no possible insurance.
Astromers have swept their telescopes
through the sky, and have found out
that there have been thirteen worlds, in
the last two centuries, that have disap-
peared. At first they looked just like
other worlds. Then they got deeply red;
then they were on fire. Then they got
ashen, showing they were burned down.
Then they disappeared, showing that even
the ashes were scattered. And if the
geologist be right in his prophecy, then
our world is to 60 in the same way. And
vet you want me to exchange my soul
for it. All, no; it is a world that is
burning now. Suppose you brought an
insurance agent to look at your property
for the purpose of giving you policy
upon it, and while he stood in front OF
the house he should say: "That house is
on fire now in the basement" you could
not get any insurance upon it. Yet you
talk about this world as though it were a
safe investment, as though you could get
some insurance upon it, when down in
the basement it is on fire.
l remark, also, that this world is a
property. with which everybody who has
taken it as possession has had trouble.
Now know large reach of land that
is not built on. ask what is the mat
ter. and they reply that everybody who
has had anything to do with that property
got into trouble about it. 1t is just so
with this world; everybody that has had
anything to do with it, as a possession,
has been in perplexity. How was it
with Lord Byron? Did he not sell his
immortal soul for the purpose of getting
the world9 Was he satisfied with the
possession? Alasl alas the poem graph
ically describes his case when it says:
Drank avery cup of Joy.
Heard every trump of fame;
Drank early. deeply drank.
Drank draughts which common millions might
have quenched.
Then died Of thirst because there was no more to
drink.
Oh, yes, he had trouble with it; and so
did Napolean. After conquering nations
by the force of the sword. he lies down
to die, his entire possession the military
boots that he insisted on having upon his
feet while he was dying So it has been
with men who had better ambition.
Thackeray, one of the most genial and
lovable souls. after he had won the ap-
plause of all intelligent lands through his
wonderful genius, sits down in restau-
rant in Paris. looks to the other end OF
the room, wonders whose that for
lorn and wrc;c;: led face is; rising up after
a while, he fine. that it is Thackeray in
the mirror. On, yes, this world is a
cheat. Talk about man gaining the
worldl Who ever owned a hemisphere
Who ever gained continent7 Who
ever owned Asia2 Who ever gained a
city7 Who ever owned Brooklyn2 Talk
about gaining the world No man ever
gained it, or the hundred-thousandth part
of it. You are demanding that sell my
soul, not for the world. but for frag-
ment of it. Here is man who has had
a large estate for forty or fifty years. He
lies down to die. You say: THAT man
is worth millions and millions of dollars. "
Is he9 You call up a surveyor, with his
compass and chains, and you say: ''There
is property extending three miles in one
direction, and three miles in another
direction. Is that the way to measure
that mans property9 No! You do not
want any surveyor, with his COM
pass and chains That is not the
way you want to measure that mans
property now. 1t is an undertaken that
you need, who will come and put his
finger in his vest pocket and take out a
tape line, and he will measure five feet
nine inches one way and two feet and a
half the other way. That is the mans
property. Oh, no, forgot; not SO much
as that. for he does not own even the
place in which he lies in the cemetery.
The deed to that belongs to the executors
and the heirs. Oh, what property you
propose to give me for my soull If you
sell bill of goods, you go into the
counting room and say to your partner