The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-06-13
Siste, Vlator.

Here rests...upon the lap of earth
-Grays Elegy.
graveyard theme is a rather grave and
gruesomc subject, to be sure. Yet would
pray the reader not to be startled OF repelled
The very toad,
ugly and venomous. wears yet a precious
Jewel In his head" according to the gentle
minder of one whose unpretentious grave,
now tenantless under the gnawing tooth oil
Time. Is still shown to visitors from all lands
at neutrality-suspicious.. Shakespeare. the
patron saint" as it were of all biologists.
found sermons in stones" And then that
graveyard scene of his in III anlet'! To the
clergyman, therefore, it may well be permitted
once i'll a while to whisper his mcmento mort
even in a newspaper "a, i'll imagination, he
wends his pcnstve way among the graves and
the tombstoncs. 'Tis his privilege to
monte anywhere on anything. j am sensi-
bile. indeed, that some triteness Is inevitable.
only let there not be too much of it; and
tediousness is to be abhorred, and overmuch
generality, for If the moraiist wander from his
text, his hearers miss the point. excusably,
since the preacher himself quite unpardon-
ably was the first to lose 1t.
Siste. yiatOr. Sweet are the uses" of our
theme. Let 1t be oar motto to live by, as it
will be the virtual form of our summons one
day to die. And we'll for every one who
takes 1t, the earlier in life the better. one
has gone too far forward on ones road
mindful. unaffri9hted and unchecked. Stay
traveller stay-abide awhile and think
what you are about. Harken ] have mes
sage for you: Il grim enough one in good
sooth, but wholesome. as you shall find it in
the end" Thus il addresses In our turn,
ono and all. upon the roadside. and straight
way 1t directs to one or some of the many
gravcsidcs marking the spots where not a few
of those who were late our felowsin the bat
tie of life now lic-soournerS henceforth with
the worm that also dies.
Such rude accostng gives us pause. 1t
makes US stop at times to think, and to good
purpose. 1t puts us In the hallowed presence
of the quiet dead, and all around is huShcd
and VIC are face to face for the moment with
this deep and stern reality that "all'' of earth
lis vanity" There beneath our very feet is
the melancholy, piercing proof. Vanity of
vantics and all is vanity as the wise man
has been DINING 1t into the ears of mankind
for ages: "all is vanity as it Is put again by
the author of The Following OF Christ. be-
sides loving God and serving Him alone" If
we have got 80 far AS this at any tin1e-to
have thought upon that warning even for Il
moment-well 1t Is for us, and very well, and
It's after-effects for good will be impressed
upon curl ife-career. We have been to Gods
Acre, where We have seen the dear departed
to rise" thence in Gods good time in incor-
ruption" and be reassembled unto immortal
ity.
1T is a simple wayside lesson for all, with
out exception. we rush ahead and are
borne along upon our several roads-hithcr.
thither and yon. the very longest OF them all
| leading to Eternity. Take heed i'll season
''sistite"-if you value the bliss reserved for
all" viatorcs'-but on condition. In that life
| eternal yet to come The devil, the world,
! the tiesh-"thc lust of the eyes the lust of the
| flesh. and the pride of life, If by these things
| YOU are possessed and whirled along. there is
| no time assuredly, for such you to pause
| and stop, or rather having eyes you see not
the things that are for your peace you
| will not mark the sign by the way and the
finger of death thereon. and ono grave or
many in passing. or a mere Eravestonc or
| other mortuary memorial. nay an uncovered
| sepuchre or one ncw-opcned for the next III
| tcrment has present meaning, no applica-
| ton. for you and such you. Shudder you
may for lightning instant. when your eye
| haply lights, as 1t is bound to do sometimes,
| in spite of you, upon such stark tokens of our
| common mortality. But you turn aside, you
| hurry from the uncongenal scene. And when,
| forsooth, you must needs visit of the
| places where the dead and gone reposc, il is
| in II perfunctory fashion. and all the while
| you are at heart uncomfortable. 1t was not
| of your own seeking that you went, but (let
us say it and be frank In order to assist per
| force at the performance of the last sad Of
fees of tribute" to your friend your neighbor,
| or your relative. who thus, so unfortunately
in your eyes, has passed away into 1.-THE great
| beyond
Thou art a signboard of caution, "Sste
! Viator," danger signal in our need set up
| here and there along our earthly course. that
bids us stop if for moment only, now and
| again, to count our
vanished years"
| pointing with rigid forefinKcr toward a near
by enclosure for the huddled dead underneath
| mayhap. the sod. at rest
upon the lap of GARTH
| leach In his narrow cell forever laid"
| Now il is some great wide. populous. mo u
| mentcd, silent, ceinctery-c1ty-lke in vaStncS:
| and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES; or again som,
rude little rustic graveyard lurking on our
| flank, as on we hasten; or yet again some
ivy-mantled angle of a field, or overgrowr
hillock. thorn-heset, In n clump of trees. rare
visited burial places on old ancestral estates
Aye, tarry, good sir. dear madam. ITO hest
tate" here is not to belost'-it may be YOU
| salvation.
Retire, then. for brief spell, and In way
at least. into one or other of these resting
places of the deceased. Read the cpitnphs
Give yourselves up to little contemplation
in such favorable surroundings away from
the din and distractions OF the world with
out. Both life and death come mellowed t,
you there; and may you go forth Drawer thus
for such soliloques, to fight a good fight il
earncstness till you ordered hence int,
His presence by the King of Kings and LorC
OF |. ords.
How prone is man-all TOO prone Coo
knows, to rush hcadlong through this life
hcedlcssly. recklcssly, sclfindulgently. snatch
ing at seeming substance only again an,
again to find it only show; which in the loni
run, for all its seductivencss and Temporal,
gratifca ton. eludes him aud mocks at him
and finally the phantom steps aside from be
fore hts face for good and all, weary anc