The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-04-29
TIMELY TOPICS.

The public has been sufficiently
nauseat ed by th: details Of the miser-
able Drayton- Borrowe affair, that has
occupied so many columns Of the daily
papers for weeks past. The final de-
nou ement Of this tragic comedy took
place few days ago in Belgium.
The story in brief is this:
Halett Borrowe, a young blood of
New York, became infatuated with
Mrs. ]. Coleman Drayton, daughter OF
William Astor of New York, and one
of the $500" He followed her to
Europe, and there continued his atten
tions until it resulted in Mr.. Drayton
leaving his wife, and challenging Bor-
rowe to fight duel. On some pre-
text which his seconds claimed came
within "the code,' Borrowe declined
the challenge, and Drayton posted him
in the London clubs and elsewhere,
as cur and coward Then Drayton
sailed for America on the steamer
Majestic, and Borrowe at the last
moment took passage on the same
ship, presumably to show that he was
not afraid of Drayton. During their
passage the whole affair was given to
the world and all the correspondence
on the matter was published.
Borrowe was generally snubbed,
and in order to regain his reputation
for bravery he got into a quarrel with
Fox, one of his seconds, charging him
with having published the letters with
out authority, and duel was arrang-
ed, which was fought in Belgium.
Two shots were fired but no one was
hurt. 1t is said now that the bullets
were made of plumbago, and that the
whole affair was farce gotten up to
reestablish Borrowe's reputation. L,
has had just the opposite effect and he
and Fox are now the laughing stock of
London. 1t was announced that Mrs
Drayton, whose reputation for chastity
has suffered greatly, would return to
New York and resume her position in
society, but the sudden death of her
father in Paris on Tuesday will post
pone this for another season. Mean
while Mr.. Drayton is following his
profession quietly in New York.
This is the story in brief that has
stirred New York society to the core.
Darrowe has attained notoriety that
he would not otherwise have had, and
now that he is in Europe, let US hope
that he will remain there, and that the
miserable story will be dropped, and
the public given a rest.
Many people are troubled with what
may be termed grave-horror. When
ever they contemplate death they are
filled with terror at the thought Of
being put in the grave. 1t is impos-
sible to fully realize all the con.
ditons Of death while in a state of
being. While all our sensibilities are
in operation, we cannot make our
selves believe that time will come
when the earthly tenement of the spir-
it will be merely lump of clay, inani-
mate, dead. We contemplate the
grave with the same feeling that We
contemplate an imprisonment in close
and narrow cell, where we must smoth-
er and die.
Occasional sensational stories about
people having been buried alive have
added to the horrors of death, and
everybody has the same dread about
such an occurrence. OF all such stor-
les, not one in ten thousand is true,
and investigation has generally proven
the report hoax gotten up by some
sensational reporter.
There was time in the existence
of every one of us, when, though we
lived and breathed, we were uncon-
scious of existing, What then is to
be feared, after the spirit has flown,
and the body is dead Modern sci
ence has made the signs of death SO
!, sure that it is almost impossible for
one to be buried alive. The art of the
undertaken has made it absolutely Ger
tain that after one has passed through
his hands he is dead beyond doubt,
We must look upon death as release
of the soul from its earthly tabernacle.
| The confinement of the body in the
grave is merely the return OF dust to
| dust from whence it came.