The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-10-04

wrapped OF limbs will aftswhile be found |
20 have been written DOWN Gods eterna!
records as suicides-as NH suicides as II
they had taken their life lth pistol or
knife or strychnine.
How many people have lppei from the
ballroom into the graveyard Consumptions
and swift neuralgias are Gle on their track.
Amid many OF the glltterirscenes OF social
life diseases stand right aneft and balance
and chain. The breath dtho sepulcher
doatsu through the perfuk, and the froth
Of Deaths lips bubbles up fhe champagne.
am told that In some oftbcities there are
parents who have aciuallyven up house
keeping and gone to boardg that they may
give their time illimitably social dlssipa-
tions. / have known succas l havo
known family after familylasted In that
way In one OF the otheicities where
preached. Father and mocr turning their
backs upon all quiet culre aud oil tho
amenities OF home. iading forth
their entire family in III wrong direc-
ton. Annihilated-worse tn annihilated,
for there nre some things orse than ami
hilation. i give you tho lstory OF more
than one family when I sayiey went on In
the dissipations OF social lifuntll the father
dropped into n lowe tylpf dissipation.
and after awhile the n wTossed out into
society nonenti' and dor awhile the
daughter eloped WIN n FrcEh dancing mas
ter, and after awhile tho moer. getting on
further and further in yea. tries TO hide
the wrinkles, but fails in thattempt, trying
all the arts OF the belle--an a firt. poor,
miserable butterfly without ny wings.
II there IL anything on eth beautiful to
me, II is an aged woman, or white locks
flowing back over the wrinlel brow-locks
not white with frost, as thpoets say, but
white with tho blossoms o6he tree o! life.
In her voice the tendernss OF gracious
memories, her face n benedldon. A grand.
mother passes through the pom tho grand
children pull nj her dress, md she almost
falls In her weakness, but he has nothing
but candy or cake or kid word for tho
little darllngs. When she gets out OF tho
wagon In front OF the hose, the whole
family rush out and or, "Grandma's
GOMEZ And when she goeiaway from US,
oever 70 return. there Is n shadow on the
table, aud shadow on thu hearth. and
shadow on the heart
There Is no more stouchinglcene on earth
than when grandmother sleet tho last slum-
Der and the little child is He'd up to the
casket to give the last kiss, bud she says,
"Goo1by, grandma oh, tsre IL beauty
In old age. God says so. "the hoary head
is crown OF glory" Why should people
decline to get old2 The b3: things, tho
greatest things, know Of are aged-old
mountains, old seas. old stan and old oterni-
ty. But II there Is anything histressfnl It IL
to see an old woman ashamdl OF the fact
that she Is old. What with al the artificial
appliances she Is too mu3h br my gravity.
l laugh even In church whenII sec her COM
ing. The worst looking bir, on earth Is q
peacock when II has lost It's feathers. i
would not give one lock OF m! old mothers s
gray hair for so, 900 such carEaures OF hui
manity. And II the life OF a vorldling, II
rho life OF disciple given to th, world, IL
~. II. L. ,,.f
Let me tell you that thet sipauons ofsocial
life are despolling the useiuln'ss OF vast
multitude OF people. What do those people
care about the fact that there arc whole ma
tions In sorrow and suffering and agony
when they have for considerat on the moro
important question about the sire OF glove
or the tie OF u cravate? Which one OF them
ever bound up tho wounds OF the hospNalt
Which one OF them ever went out TO caro- for
the poor2 Which of them do you find In the
baunts OF sin distributing tracts9 They live
on themselves, aad 81 n. yerv sasI pasfac. =
Sybaris was great city, and Il once sent
out 800 horsemen In battle. They had q
minstrel who had taught the horses OF the
army great trick, and when the old min
strel played certain tune the horses would
rear and with their front feet seemed 10 beat
time to the music. Well, the old minstrel
was offended with his country, and he went
over TO the enemy, and he said to the enemy
'''You give me the mastership OF the army
and will destroy their troops when thosI
horsemen come from Sybaris."
So they gave the old minstrel the manage
ment, aud he taught all the other rninstreli
a certain tune. Then when the cavalr,
troop came up the old minstrel and all th'
other minstrels played certain tune, an,
at tho most critical moment in the battle
when the horsemen wanted 10 rush to tn
conflict, the horses reared and beat time 1
the music with their fore feet. and In dis
gracS and rout the enemy fei. All, m
friends, have seen IL again and again2Ss
minstrels OF pleasure, the minstrels of diss
patton. the minstrels CT goddess associatio
have defeated people In the hard
lost the battle for 10000 foil
oh, what belittling process TO the'huma
mind this everlasting question about dres
this discussion OF fashionable intinitesimal:
this group, looking askance at the glas
wondering with an infnity of carnestnes
how that last geraniun leaf does look, thi
shriveling OF mans moral dignity until II
not observable to tho naked eye, this Spar
ish inquisition of tight shoe, this bindin
! up OF an immortal soul in II rutfle, this pitcl
ing of OF an immortal nature over the rocb
/ when God created II for great and everlas
| ing uplifting
With many life Is masquerade ball, an
| rs at such entertainments gentlemen an
ladies put on the garb OF kings and queer
or mountebanks or clowns, and at the clos
put of tho disguise, so a great many pa:
their whole lite in a mask, taking OF Ii
mask Mt death. While tho masquerade ba
of life goes on they trip merrily over ii
floor, gemmed hand Is stretched TO tt
gemmed hand, and cleaning brow bonds
cleaning brow. On with the dance! Flus
and rustic and laughter OF immeasurabl
merrymaking
But after awhile the lancuor o, deaf
comes on the limbs and blurs the eyesigh
Lights lower Floor hollow with sepulchr
echo. Music saddened into wall Ligh
lower. Now the maskers are only seen
the dim light. Now the fragrance OF Il
flowers Ia like the sickening otor that com,
from garlands that have lain long in Il
vaults OF cemeteries. Lights lower. Mis-
gather in tho room. Glasses shake as thou.
quaked by sullen thunder. Sigh caught
the curtain. Scarf drops from tho should,
of beauty--a shroud Lights lower. Oy
the slippery boards In dance OF death glid,
jealousies, envles. revengos, lust, despa
and death. Stencil the lamp wicks almo
extinguished. Torn garments will not hs
cover the liberated feet. Choking damp
Chilliness. Feet still. Hands closed. yoic
hushed. Eyes shut. Lights out.