Expiring Embers 335 



nature, and is gradual, gentle, and painless. If 

 there be any acute disease of local parts, the phy- 

 sician stills its clamor of pain. "Do not let me 

 suffer," said General Grant to his physicians, as he 

 found his strength for communicating with them 

 fading out. There was but little danger of his 

 suffering. 



If a man's self-culture have been in the divine 

 directions, his faith, hope, and charity ripen and 

 sweeten. He is kindlier in his convictions, more 

 tolerant in his differences. Most old people be- 

 come liberal in their theological views, unless they 

 have sedulously cultivated bigotry — in which case 

 they are liable to lose all semblance to Christ. 

 Your hotspur theologian is always a boy. I have 

 seen some amusing examples of a sweet-spirited old 

 Christian trying to keep up his youthful religious 

 rancor. He uses the old phrases, but the vitriol 

 has been all washed out of them, and he puts some 

 softening qualification into his uncertain certainties. 

 His love is not so consuming, but it is tenderer and 

 has a wider range. But on the other hand, if he 

 have cultivated evil passions, so do they ripen and 

 concentrate in malignity. It is an ominous fact 

 that the unrestrained worse side of human nature 

 intensifies with the fading away of physical vitality. 

 The most venomous souls I have ever known in- 

 habited bodies which were worn out and falling to 

 pieces. 



I step out from my cabin door upon a path where 



