The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-10
DEATH LOSING ITS TERRORs.
The Great Change Which Has Taken
Place in the View of Death.

Fortnightly Review.
the most distinctive note of the modern
ST irit is the practical disappearance of the
thought of death as an influence directly
lives, 1t is true, but having done so. think no
more of the matter, except in the spirit of
William Micawber when he signed q prom
issory note. There are no skeletons at our
living ones. Death has lost its terrors, and
it is often regarded as the last and best
friend.
One of the main causes Of this remarka-
ble change in sentiment Is the Improvement
in modern sanitation and hygiene, and the
middle ages. nothing was so uncertain as
death. Duels and private wars. feuds and
bandits plaques and av psstt I a made men
When mems position in life depended upon
the strength Of their right arm. they
stale "a as O athletes. Thus old age began
for men early in the forties. The average
age was younger, yet death came more fire.
Quently. SO that his visits were the more and
ones last, it was natural to be always
thinking what came after death. Nowadays
death comes later, with more warnings or
his approach. and takes us less by surprise.
We are more willing to go, less eager to
stay.
That increase in the average age Of men
has wider results than would appear at first
sight. The forties in a mans life are the
decade of disillusion, and a society in which
and upward is sure to be practical and
pessimistic. Now the tendency Of modern
life is to put power into mems hands mainly
after they have reached the age Of forty.
Mr.. Cation has noticed I'm his Hereditary
Genius. that men do not get into the bio
graphical dictionaries till after the age. of
forty. 1t is only in the present generation
that the cumulative effect of the increased
age of the men of influence has had time
is Known as the '' fin de steele tone. Part Of
this tone is characterized by the dying OF
death. More and more death tends TO re-
move the Oldest and the gaps it causes seem
more natural and normal. Often. too. medi-
cal science protracts life at the cost Of extra
suffering, and that death comes at last more
as a release, and frequently causes more re-
lief than grief to those who remain.
Thus on all sides death is losing its ter
rors. We are dying more frequently when
our life's work is done, and 1t seems moro
natural to die We live so hurriedly that
the final ceasing to be is getting to be re-
garded as the summum ponum. The IA
giveth His beloved sleep The sentiment
expressed on Professor Huxley's tombstone.
at Is well even II the sleep be endless" ex-
so complicated that any one man seems less
important and significant in this life, so 1t
is harder to imagine him having any more
when the joys and fears of future life be-
come dim, death as motive disappears.
,.aI is no, as II any marx tsn sev1t gu 10 OK
future existed; that remains the great Per-
haps II always was. What people think
about 1t. when they do think about 1t. de-
ponds on their temperament But the point
i am making Is, that they do not think
about ii at all; and the whole subject is
ceasing to have practical effect on the life
of man.
There are signs of this everywhere. The
increasing popularity of cremation, Is one
of them. Still more significant is the. dis
appearance of hell from popular theology.
That is all very WELL" said the Scotch Cal
whist when he heard Dean Stanley. but
gle me my HE'LL But few will be found TO
re-echo his cry. And with the disappear
ance Of hell the divergences OF the various
creeds lose much of their significance; and
so we have liberation. which so often wears
the garb of Indifference
The most significant Of all, however. Is the
attitude of the church in all its branches.
The old idea of the clergyman was Of the
man who prepared us for another life- This
is being gradually changed to a conception
Of him social regeneration Acts of cor
poreal charity are taking precedence Of the
sacraments. Other worldliness is giving way
to woridliness Of another sort At the root
of half the socialism OF the day ID the
thought that this lie = the only one with