The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-12
VIEWS OF DEATH.
DEATH ThEES NO BRIDE.
Genes - All Alike.
Ncr York H~rnld.


nlshes us with very serious topic tor
consideration this morning.
For our present purpose we may ~
more the fact that he was the loved and
honored Chief Of the French Republic.
and that he WAS the worthy representa-
tive of AZ ancient family whose record
Of probty aud courage is unbroken
These serve to lend an added emphasis
to the incident, but the impressive
truth is that Death steals upon Us I'M
awares, with slipplered feet, and that
neither wealth nor ancestry Will stay
his hand for q single instant.
He comes to all alike, and it makes
no difference to him whether the person
for whom he holds a summons lives III
a palace, amid the elegant surroundings
which sometimes make life the more
desirable. or in the hovel, where the
only guests are want and hunger.
Death never vet took bride. He
always achieves his purpose without
hesitation 1t matters nothing to him
whether the body from which he has
wrenched a soul lies in state, in the
midst Of a mourning populace, or Is
chcaplv cofincd and carried to al OBJ
scure corner of some country church.
ward. He is an memorable creature,
and when he saws Come " YOU instant
" lay aside your WORK. however impor-
tant it may seem to be, whisper 4 few
hasty farcwells, and then your fearful
friends remark, with batcd breath, "He
has gone
The strange part of it all is that you
cannot reckon on q year, or a month
or even day, with anything like GER
talnty. You must be ready for this
invisible messenger at all tlmeS. IT..
therefore. there is anything in philoso-
ply or religion which will give YOU
quietude and serenity Of mind you
must possess Yourself Of it at once and
hold it for an emergency 1t is worth
more to you than riches for riches have
a way of deserving YOU in the pinch Of
fate. The fact that YOU are worth
millions docs not give YOU comfort
when YOU are in ertreaais. neither do
Won find consolation in the hOnOrs YOU
have won OF in the high position which
YOU must vacatc.
The Stole OF oden time ground his
teeth when Death knocked at the door.
He met the cOnQueror with grim de-
fiancc, and surrendered with a Shrug of
the shoulders He summoned what
ever Indifference he could command.
and died with a scowl on his face. 1t
was better so than to crincc in cOwardlv
fashion, and VIC cannot refrain from a
certain degree Oh admiration for the
man VINO believed in nothing and yet
took whatever came without a groan
That brutal BRAVERY is worthy OF imita-
ton, if we can get no n0b!er view of
the subject
The agnostics of to-day are the lineal
descendants OF these ancient Stoics.
They must needs cling to life, for it is
all they will ever have. To give it up
is the gravest misfortune. but still a
misfortune which must be met in a
manly way. The future is eternal
darkness, for body and soul disintecrate
and resolve themselves into natural
forces. as Il tree does when it is riyen by
lightning. or as Il house does when it is
consumed by fire. There is nothing to
look forward to- and when Death comes
he simply takes the record of your
years and throws it into the waste
basket OF the universe.
The a"nostic does right to live with
all his might and if ne lives recklesslv
we can scarcely blame him, for in the
last analysis we must admit that if this
life is all it is foolish TO examine toe
closely into the character of our pleas
ures. Tie fact that they are pleasures
ought to satisfy us. and a short life that
Is merry is better than long life that
Is embittered. A few wears more O,
less count for nothing, and if we can
enjoy ourselves who cares what it NAV
cost others? It's logical and consistent
TO get what we want without regarding