The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-03-02

T. - -.
| the sound III itself, beautiful. the combi-
nation DESTROYS the beauties of both. It
lis like beautiful woman bedecked With
dozen rings, bracelets, pins and car
rings. She and her jewelry are each
beautiful in themselves, but the true ar
fist prefers the woman without the jewell
~ and the jewelry without the woman.
asfixed drinks produce headache. 8
think that the field for poetry has in
the last century been limited to very mar
row bounds and that it will in the future
be more circumscribed In former times
an advocate might grow eloquent and
even shed tears over dead hog ;now such
pretended emotion would surely lose
his clients cause. Juries now -adays will
not, without Impotence, allow an appeal
to their emotional natures unless hesnb-
ject he fit therefor. And so the would
be-poet or orator must select subject fit
naturally for emotional feelings, else he
will surely fail. Do not understand me as
contending that the day for oratory has
passed or ever will pass away, Far from
it. The heart, the feeling, of the man of
to-day is far more intense than thatof his
barbaric ancestor. His love, his hatred,
his pity, grief, remorse, anguish, Joy and
misery, are far greater, more keenly felt,
and more durable; and as long as this is
so, his feelings are not so easily aroused
as formerly; but when aroused, the results
are greater and more permanent. Did
YOU ever go to funeral in the connlryy
If you did, you doubtless saw half the
congregation In tears and were almost
distracted by their agonizing lamenta-
tions. Old women and young, boys and
girls, who perhaps had never seen or heard
of the deceased, crying as if their hearts
would break. Follow them from
the ceremony, observe them after
they have left the burial. In few hours
their tears have ceased and their heart
rendfng means and groans have given
place to merry laughter.
Observe, on the other hand, the deco
rum at funeral of one Of the elite in q
city. There are many strangers present.
Are they affected by the ceremony? They
do not appear to be and, indeed, they are
not. Perhaps not sound or sob is
heard in oil the vast assembly. Has this
man, who lies in Yonder casket, no friends,
no relatives, none who love him, none to
mourn his death? Is lie thought less Of
than his negro servant who was buried
yesterday? Look again. Who is that lit
tie woman standing by the grave. her face
hidden by her veil of crapc2 Who the
old lady with the gray hair standing by
her side? Who the old man with bending
form and lettering step, who looks upon
the scene as if his time were coming next!
The one is the widow, the other the moth
err, and the last the father. Do these feel
no emotion? Perhaps there is not tear;
certainly no wild, loud lamentions forvul-
gar ears. But follow them home. All!
what bitter day. When will smiles and
laughter come to these faces? when will
JOY fill the hearts of these again? Per-
haps in months, perhaps in years, nay be
never.
In short, our feelings have increased in
intension and decreased in expansion; and
this same increase and decrease will con-
tinue so long as nan advances. Aud so
likewise will the number of opportunities
for the orator and poet decrease, but
those few that do come will be greater
and greater as time rolls on.
IF. BULLIrT, Jr.
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