The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-03-08

n.ralv write o. the last named,
bou-evar suggestive the others may
ha Of worms and graves. l VIZ"
10 write Of 'Epitaphs," however lnuch
Of . reminder it MAJ be Of the others.
In reading the account Ieceh'lS
oiXen OF the death Of the great cree
ton Of God Almighty, known - 0hooe''
IS recorded in the Book OF DeuteronF
orny. was led into a quiet train u
thought upon the nature ana pei
Iiaritfes Of epitaphs. 1t impressed me
as markedly singular, that q person
50 distinguished and great as Moses
VAS should have been buried IN q
valley in the lane OF Moab, over
against Beth-poar,' and thai no nudn
knowcth of his sepnicnre u,eo ista lr
day Tina he who was q minister
to the glory Of God Almighty him
self: Of whom roc Himself bore VII
ness that he was faithful IN al COO
house: who was known 10 the !olu
free to face; who was selected as
the instrument Of God to perform
such signs and wonders; who was
admitted to frequent intercourse
with the Most High, and empowered
Of Him to work such signal miracles
j repeat. il appeared at first strange
that so great and favored a person
age should be buried through the
accommodating centuries IN a land
with no stone to mark his resting
place. Why was this the case. vas
nv first inquiry? Perhaps his true
epftanh was to be found in his re-
corded deeds and sayings. Or per-
haps his sepulchre was not permit
ted to be known lest he should be-
come an object Of superstition
and alteration. The Children OF Israel
loved Moses, and Wept for him Tor
thirty days, and Yet they reared to the
memory 10 stately cenotaph or i'm
49, hoon0 ho6 H1C-
obeyed the Lord, as we are told,
Most for this disobedience that be.
His our weli-beloved servant was not
permitted a monument or his own
followers were not permitted TO com
rnemorate his death, or to perpetu-
ate forever the place whore he was
laid by God Himself in last repose.
If the fate OF Moses was typical
Of that fate. which all the sons Of
Adam shall inherit, then no one
would be allowed q stone to those
W h follow, where he sleeps his last
sleep. For all. since Adam brought
death into and all our woe, have
disobeyed the Lord, their God. more
than once. | do not draw the con-
clusion, however, from the eAtraordi-
nary, most peculiar neglect Of Moses
that monuments are not useful and
a~ppropriate; but [ gather the useful
and cheering lesson rather. that he
whose life is yirtucus and pure and
submissive, leave when this life is
over, a monument in the precious
memories and virtues of hat life,
for more noble and commanding "a
the most elaborate and
needless i~estoon, whether engraved
or cankering brass or perishable mar
bic.
] do not object, by any means, to
the custom of placing monuments
or tombstones over the remains of
the dead. This should be done, and
fitting Inscriptions be carved upon
them. But / do protest against the
style III which many epitaphs are Sc
often written. Instead Of being sim
pie and soothing, they are frequently
but mere shams Of e~xtravagant
euIogy and frilsome adulation.
quote here from Lord Byron, a high
" gifted English poet now much un.
derrated by British and American
critics in the twentieth century, who
probably consider the output Of poet.
zeal composition now quite equal to
if not indeed superior to that Of tht
splendid group in the last century
composed of Wordsworth, Colridge
Shelley, Keats. Byron and Tennyson
Byron was much secured sometimes
n his heart may have been some.
what calcimed and his nature deeDl.
was firmly. richly poetical endowed
In one Of his satirical moods, he ut
tered a bitter truthful satire in tn
following singing lines:
When some proud son Of man re
turns to earth.
Unknown to glory, but upheld b.
birth,
The sculptor's art e~xirausts the pom
of woe.
And stored record who rest below
When all is done, upon the tomb j
seen,
NFnt u-ho+ ha wa Lnt u}oof Ia S1o,,I
nave been
How often in wandering amid tn
quiet scenes of the lonely graveyar,
the city of silence as it has bee
aptly, feliciously called-our feel
ings softened and soothed by tn
peace and calm that reigns arount
has our nature been moved. and OF
neditatiOns been disturbed by read
ing inscriptions over some departe
soul, either disfigured by a vain al
fpmnf ar aratitioJiCn4SS or merriam