The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-15
A THOUGHTFUL PAUSE.
Events Of the Past Week Give Food
for Reflection.

" .
The Sunday just past will long be re-.
membered for It's gloom, gloom cast by
the celebration of the last sad rites over
all that was mortal of three prominent and
beloved people of our citY-three who rep.
resented in peculiar way the relations
of mankind to man aud to the church
three who will each be missed in their
several walks IN life, the one no more
than the others. Such things cannot but
make the least thoughtful pause. Cues
tions, perplexing now as they have al.
ways been, and just as unreasonable, pres
emit themselves with renewed vigor be.
cause perhaps forgotten for awhile. Ar
gument which in cool debate the sceptic
puts to ruut is here upchalienged and we
are forced to settle without reasoning the
difficulties that rack the minds and tor
ture the soul while we stand idly by and
wait and watch. s'Two men shall be
working in the field, the one shall be
taken and the other Left" is prophecy
that finds fulfilment day by day, yet the
world goes on just the same. The one
that is left must perforce pause for an
instant to care for him that Is taken and
then return to his labor. The heart may
be heavy and the burden increased per-
haps, and heavy, but he cannot rest.
The following sign is now being dis
PAoJ OeA AZ ohC On we GILL
not sell cigars, tobacco or cigarettes to-
day; it is against the law" This is a
move in the right direction and one that
we hope will bear fruit. There is n law
about such things and it presents an illus
tration of how the good people of these
United States of onrs are often known to
act. They go to WORK with the utmost
care and pains, by means honest or other
wise, make enemies and in short go to al
most any length to select the men who
are in their estimation supposed to be, ut
least, the ones best fitted in every way
for the duties of the Office, to maze the
law and rules by which these same United
States of ours are to be governed in the
right way-the way most Just and eQui-
table to all. Yet when these same men
representing us gather themselves to-
gether and lay down these laws and rules
for the conduct of the commonwealth
that commonwealth is the first to kick at
their enforcement and does not hesitate
in the least to take advantage of any
scheme whereby it way be evaded if it so
suits its convenience. Boiled down, we
have laws prohibiting the sale OF cigars,
cigarettes tobacco here OH Sunday.
This law was made by us, or people rep
resenting us, yet as soon as any one can
be found to sell them we are willing
enough to buy. 1t is like the man who
hired some one to watch over his water.
melon patch and then sneaked in and
stole them himself He might have been
shot, but thai did not matter. He pun
ished his guard the next morning for not
preventing him from entering his own
patch. We say again that the move is in
the right direction. yet we cannot see
what good It will do unless followed by
everyone, except perhaps the relief of the
sense of responsibility on the part of
those who do keep to the letter of the
law.
There is Il mail route out of Roanoke
that for part of it's distance follows the
thoroughfarA known as Jefferson street.
Where it goes or whence it. cometh is not