The times., 1899-07-23
4 serinus Disappointment.

Without wishing to exhibit satiricaI
spirit or show any desire to treat a sad
event with undue lighness, we are unable
to refrain from sympathizing with large
class of people who have in the last few
days been subjected TO the disappointment
OF their lives. Fer years they have been
waiting with what patience they could
muster for the death OF Robert C. Inger-
sell They have anticipated the scenes
which would occur at that deathbed-the
frantic recantation, the horrible visions
the abject terror They have dwelt with
what must be called ghoulish glee on the
feelings of the great apostle of agnosticsm
when he should feel his approaching end
And their disappointment has been abso-
lutte and unquestionable.
The fpurely fictitious) scenes of horror
at the deathbeds of Paine and voltaire
were for many years the stock in trade of
sensational preachers. Their trump card,
so to speak. was the feelings of the guilty
man when he came to die They pictured
with all the rhetoric at their command the
dying sinner struck with terror unspeak-
able as the shadows of eternity closed
around him. and all the deeds of all his
wicked life came thronging up to him. and
a shadowy but awfully real parsonage with
clCyen h0ofs, horns. and tail stood waiting
with pitchfork at the foot OF the bed,
while the smell Of sulphur filled the air.
They borrowed the language of delirium
tremens and the imagery of "Fause' to
describe what would happen to that sinner
when he crossed the line between this
world and the next. Ii may be that their
discourses scared some trembling souls
into the church, but it is doubtful II these
conversions were generally productive of
much good, either to the converts or their
friends. The choicest torments OF such
prophecies were reserved. of course.
for the open skeptic-not for the
conscious hypoerite, nor for the
baeksliding believer-but for the
man who honestly declared that he did
not believe in any God, or any devil. or
any hereafter; that, though these things
might exist he could see no proof that
they did. OF this class OF men Ingersou
was the archetype. and. naturally. it was
assumed that II in the providence CT God
there were deathbed horrors in reserve for
anyone. he would be striking example of
the workings OF the system.
Colonel Ingersoll knew all this. and he
had given strict instructions to his secre-
tary to be present during his last illness.
should it be lingering. and take down all
that he said, that. if a rumor of his re-
cantation should arise, it might be refuted
by the sworn truth. But happily, this
was not necessary. The death Of the man I.
was as Enthusiastically simple as his life.
He died with smile on his lips and peace
in his heart. and his last words were to
his wife. begging her to take no trouble
on his account Anything more different
from the deathbed scene which the sensa-
tion-hunters have been waiting for through
some thirty or fcrty years could hardly be
conceived. His last thought was for others;
his last act smile; his last day one of
calm happiness in the presence of his dear
ones. Iu cannot even be alleged that his
death was unexpected by himself He had
known for the past three years that the
pains which he occasionally felt about the
heart meant the possibility OF sudden
death. and this possibility he faced so
calmly. so brayely. that others did not
even suspect lis existence. There may be
some of those who were his lifelong op-
ponents who will have the bad taste 10
preach about him. now that his voice has
been forever sileneed. 1t was u matter OF
satisfaction that his last hours afforded alb