The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-05-13
THE BEST TIME TO DIE.
A, Tboughtfnl Article from the Pen
OF Mrs. w. III. Telton.

i ~.
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Whom the gods love die young" was said Of
And many deaths do they escape by this,
he death of friends, and that which Stays still
The death Of friends!ip. love, youth, all
except more breaths, and since the silent
Awaits at last even those who longest ,uiss
The old archers shafts, perlmps the early
Which men weep over, may be. meant to
Perhaps 1 am not correct: but
have long felt that Death Is often
times the best friends that poor NOR
tai man may have, when life is hope
lessly filled with WEAKNESS Of spirit
and the burden Of sorrow. II Death
means a release from suffering, men,
tai or physical, who will dare say that
Death is not friend?
1t is the philosophy Of life to bear
the inevitable with resignation and
patience, but the abstract proposition
here considered is whether it is the
best time to 60 before there Is moth
ing left but endurance and mere
breath"
1 know and understand the Chris
tian belief Of "Thy will be done" and
| would fan make it clear that 1t Is
only Gods gracious promise which
can sanctify grief and hopeless sorrow
(the promise to be with us in "hery
trials" and deep waters'0, but still
l contend that the best time to go Is
when your good influence has reached
it's zenith aud those who love you best
will mourn you most, whether In In
fancy or in four score years.
Have you never seen person out.
live health, wealth, friends and hap
piness?
What is there SO pitiful under
Heaven as creature that is bank
rupt in all except mere BREATH" a
poor mortal who Is a burden to the
world?
You have seen boys of iue promise,
fine family, fine fortune make abso-
lutte shipwreck Of all except the ca
pacity to breathe, to exist. God
aimed to have them do we'll, but they
would not.
Who will say they had not outllved
their best time to die?
When l was 4 girl Just entering my
teens, a clean hearted, upright, moth
erly neighbor made an afternoon visit
to my house and told the painful story
, of the downfall of her daughter to my
mothers sympathizing ears. The
, tragedy, the mothers grief, the awful
blight that fell on that home, on her
Young sisters, on the parents, on her
, poor self, was my first view OF the
awful suffering such conduct might
o such youth, love and friendship die a
= cruel and unnatural death.
, Now was 1t sin when that poor
mother walled aloud, "Oh! why didn't
o she die when she was dear, sweet
o little baby"
= After the grief. stricken mother left
r. and my own dear mother clasped me
4 in her arms and warned me of the
evils and temptations to which that
n poor young woman had succumbed, Is
- it marvel that l have always fel,
that such misery was the deepest sor.
. row and the blacklist gloom that could
ever fall on any pure hearted mothers
T. life?
- If the poor creature had died in in.
u fancy how the tears would have fall
q en-, and her memory would have beer
y cherished. But she outliyed, out
"a =, Wore, outraged the paJIence, tine III
:" fection and the comfort Of those Wht
~ have died gladly to have made he
:. the clean once more.
~ Perhaps the early grave that mel
~ weep over may be meant to save.
,e Who knows?
y Long years ago l read story Of
10 trip 10y sea from New York to Charles
- ton. a gay party on deck were talk
"a -, ing of the dangers of the sea, and
y. ~ young mother said If my little bo
~ should be taken from me, know
~. should die, l never could give hin
> up"
70 70 A passenger, woman in mourning
iu said: Lady, you speak raShly:
~ knew woman as young as you ar
ie who loved her boy as devotedly a
al a., you do, and l heard her make tin
w m same remark time and again. Ono
o. her child was sick and she cried
anguish: Save him, Lord, to me;
must have him. | cannot live will
~. 49, out him"
=, That woman lived long enough
-. see her boy convicted and condemn
~ ed felon, murderer, and he died G
y, the gallowS tree. She must hay
uS ~ him, she said, and she Gid have hin
-. but she wished ten thousand tim,
M ,MN ten thousand, that he had died whe
y she thus clamored for his life"
ou Rising from her seat the blaC
&c robed woman said: 81 am that dea
~ boys mother, and your clamor Il
&, your boy has wrung this story fro
ou an anguished heart. BE careful whf
~ you demand"
VI The world is full of suffering. III
~ outside weeks OF griefS are only It'll
az Of the sorrow the world furniShe
le The secret trouble, the hidden al
ou guish, the untold woe are the drea'
w ful things which riot in poor mort
~, lives. Ii the roofs could be LITE
io how these Carkng cares would re
iiu pride OF It's glitter and vanity Of i
.e gilded display.
'ee 1t is only righteousness which e
- o' alteth a nation and a contentcd mir
10. is the only true heaven Of mortal G
az istence. We should daily pray for
'iU proper understanding Of the best ar
~ trucSt things for our own souls!
il. Died from Chloroform.
ed At Clinton, Landrum Hunter, a b'
a OF - years Of age, and son of Mr..