The Saint Paul globe., 1897-12-05
THE DREAD OF DEATH.

The London Spectator finds in the
dread of death a parallel to the law of
gravity, holding men to living as that
holds them to the earth The inept-
ness of the comparison lies in the fact
that the law. of, gravity is universal,
while the dread of death is not. The
Moslem, with his vision of an enchant-
ing paradise, goes to his death fearless
ly. The stoicism of our Indians is well
known. The Buddhist, sustained by
his faith in reincarnation, looks on
death as matter of little more i'm
portance than retiring to slumber. A
few years ago we had the narrative
Of a japanese war ship caught in ty-
phoon and laundering, going down with
her regiment of soldiers formed in line
on the deck and calmly awaiting the
final plunge, not man displaying fear
or seeking vain escape from death.
The conclusion is irresistible that this
dread of death to which civilized peo-
pie are subject is merely a matter of
education, or miseducation. The mys-
ISly VI lIlc USyOIlu Has D6Gn uClIlZGd
to lash mortals into acceptance of dog
mas, to compel to lives of rectitude, as
foolish mothers keep children orderly
by threats of bogiemen. Death, instead
of being taught as one Of the ordinary
and necessary processes of nature, is
held up as something terrible, horrible
and shocking. How much of horror has
been added to the lives of men and
women by this erroneous teaching is
impossible of computation.
But. as civilization advances, with
it's closer acquaintance with nature
and the shuff1ing off of mediaevaI ie-
norance and superstitions, the dread
of death lessons. Some DOCTOR in the
interest of truth, sent inquiries among
several hundred physicians asking
them in how many deathbed scenes
which they had attended the dying dis
played a shrinking, a horror of ap-
preaching dissolution. But two cases
were reported; one a girl torn with re-
grets for misspent life, another re-
SlCllll6 SOIilC uIpSIlOIIu0u duty. Inc
general answer was that death came
quietly, peacefully, as slumber comes
to a wearied child, alike to saint and
sinner. Voltaire's death, so long utiliz
ed as a horrifying example. painted
with all the terrors lively imaginations
could depict, is known to have been no
exception to the rule Of placid ending.
With the saner thought that has come
since Tyndall and Huxley, Darwin and
Spencer broke the shackles supersti-
tion had forged for the minds of men.
there has come partial and increasing
relief from bondage to the horror of
death, and men are taking a healthier
view of life, it's duties and responsible
tiles, their obligation to do right sim
ply because it is right and not for fear
of post-mortem rewards or punish
ments
And there comes to such that calm
which enabled Lowell to write
For life is sweet, though all that makes 1t
sweet
Lessons like sound of friends departing feet:
And death is beautiful as feet of friend
Coming with welcome at our journeys end
and that trust that Franklin felt in
the power that had brought him here
without his own volition, and kept him
here. to take care of him when he pass
ed into the beyond as entirely without
voiition as was his coming. He who
learns Alright these later day lessons
of life does not share the apprehension
Of the writer in the Spectator that in
difference to life will come with the
cessation Of the departure of dread of
death, and that check to suicide will
be removed with it, for he learns the
duty of living and working until the
course of nature is run and he has to