Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-07-29
atisttllanepus 3eaaina.
FROM CRADLE To GRAVE.
One of Robert G. IugersolPs Famous Mas
terpieces.

terpieces.
One of the most remarkable products
of Ingersoll's pen was his essay on
"Life," a piece of prose-poetry, in
which he follows human life from the
cradle to the grave. 1t is as follows:
"Born of love and hope, of ecstacy
and pain, of agony and fear, of tears
and Joys lowered with the wealth of
two united hearts-held in happy
arms, with lips upon life's drifted font,
blue-veined and fair, where perfect
peace finds perfect form-rocked by
willing feet and wooed to shadowy
shores of sleep by siren mother sing
ing soft and low-looking with Won
der's wide and startled eyes at COM
mon things of life and day-taug ht by
want and wish and contact with the
things that touch the dimpled flesh of
babes-lured by light and flame and
charmed by color's wondrous robes
learning the use of hands and feet,
and by the love of mimicry beguiled
to utter speech-releasing prisoned
thoughts from Grabbed and curious
marks on soiled and tattered leaves
puzzling the brain with crooked num-
bers and their changing, tangled
worth-and so through years of alter
mating day and night, until the captive
grows familiar with the chains and
wills and limitations of life.
"And time runs on in sun and shade,
until the one of all the world is wooed
and won, and all the lore of love is
taught and learned again. Again a
home is built with the fair chamber
wherein faint dreams, like cool and
shadowy wales, divide the billowed
hours of love. Again the miracle of
birth-the pain and joy, the kiss Of
welcome and the cradle song drowning
the drowsy prattle of babe.
"And then the sense of obligation
and of wrong-pity for those who toll
and weep-tears for the imprisoned
and despised-love for the generous
dead, and in the heart the capture OF
high resolve.
"And then ambition, with its lust OF
pelf and place and power, longing to
put upon it's breast distinctions worth
less badge. The keener thoughts of
man, and eyes that set behind the
smiling mask of craft-fattered no
more by the obsequious cringe of gain
and creed-knowing the uselessness Of
boarded gold-of honor bought from
those who change the usury of self
respect-of power that only bends a
towards knees and forces from the
lips of fear the lies of praise. Know.
ing at least the unstudied gesture of
esteem, the reverent eyes made rich
with honest thought, and holding high
above all other things-high as hopes
great throbbing star above the dark
ness of the dead-the love of wife,
child and friend.
"Then locks of gray and growing
love of other days and half-remember.
ed things-then holding withered
hands of those who first held his,
while over dim and loving eyes death
passed softly down the lids of rest.
"And so, locking in marriage vows
his children's hands and crossing 9TH
ers on the breasts of peace, with
daughters babes upon his knees, the
white hair mingling with the gold, he
Journeys on from day to day to that
horizon where the dusk is waiting for
the night. At last, sitting by the holy
hearth of home as evenings embers
change from red to gray, he falls
asleep within the arms of her he
worshipped and adored, feeling upon
his pallid lips loves last and holiest
kiss"