Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-03-17

No Dear Pupils - You are young-but all
Of you are more or less familiar with death ;
some OF you know full well its bitterness
You have been bereft OF cherished brother
a loving sister-and there are among your
number Orphans-those who at this early
age have lost father and mother, and "who
hath not lost a friend.p
But the presence OF death in our College, of
one member, is 4 new and sad experience
During period OF fifteen years, comprising
the entire history OF the College, although
our attendance has always been large, not a
single death has occurred among teachers or
pupils: and none have been proStrafed by
disease and carried to the house Of friends 10
die; and Of our Alumne, running back thlr-
teen years, TO the graduation of the first class,
and numbering over two hundred, only four
have been taken Truly you have been a
charmed circie-but the charm has been
broken; We can no longer say what was true
of YESTERDAY at this hour, Death Is a stran-
ger within these College walls" The lesson
appropriate for the hour, 1t seems to me, may
be taken from the Gospel OF John, le:4l-
"Now in the place where he was erucified
there was garden, and in the garden q new
sepulchre wherein was never man yet laid. I"
We have had trials and crosses, but most
" we have walked amid garden OF Delights
music and Joy have been mostly our COM
panions from early dawn until the shadows
of night; our shady bowers In summer time
were the familiar baunts of happy hearts
but all is changed-we are to-day a company
Of mourners, teachers and pupils, all. We
nave IOunQ u new SCDuAClEt IN OlI
and what does ii say 10 US, but the sad truth,
which all must learn sooner or later, that In
every garden there Is n sepulchre- Along
side the city OF the living there rises the city
of the dead. There Is no community, no
family, no heart forever EXEMPT. Within
each heart before me there is n place where
many n fond hope, many fond and cherish
ed expectation will be buried We may have
wealth, unsullied reputation and friends.-
The sky may beam brightly over our heads
and the earth echo merrily beneath our steps
we may have all OF life that Is possible so
that we seem TO have nothing more to ask,
and vet in every garden there Is a Sepulchre
so pleasure is alloyed with sorrow-the
daylight Is followed with shadow. hope alter
mates with disappointment. health with
disease, death always follows life. The
Providence before us is illustrative OF what
you may expect to see-often repeated. 1t is
a mysterious Providence, not wholly expli-
cable that one so young, so full OF promise,
so well fitted to live the loving and much
loved sister, the idol OF a fathers heart,
snatched suddenly away. But II IS lesson
taught US by the woid Of God. We have
freGuent examples of vicarious suffering, one
for another; what other is the lesson read on
this occasion but Christ suffering. dying for
others. There Is no moral merit In any erea-
ture act or suffering, as there was IN Him
who died for us: "the just for the unjust. =
But then does not the anguish of a parent s
heart often bring the wayward child back TO
home and love and duty! Does not IN IKE
manner the Death Of those that we love
bring us to think more Of Eternity and
Heaven. The voice that comes from those
lips cold in death are more eloquent, more
effectual than mine. have often said be ye
also ready; you needed It not-noW one
speaks TO you, to friends who are present.
and who are absent from this solemn scene,
"be We also ready, for in such an hour as ye
think not, the Son of Man cometh."
There is n consolation to be drawn even
from death, terrible as IL is-from that OF
Christ, cruel and unjust as IL was, without
trial, and by the soldiers spear. The new
tomb was the place OF resurrection; II
brought life and Immortality 70 light. Out
of our sorrow there may grow up a calmer
Joy, a more watchful life. May this event
bring rs all to trust in that same savior IN
whom MOLLIE CHRISTY believed.
a little less than one year ago. MOLLIE
CHRISTY came among u.s. Some OF you came
since, and for your Information let me say
what you viii be glad to learn; she was
always cheerful, Obedient and studiOus-
never reproved, she needed only to know
what was required and she readily complied.
A member OF yonr Atheneum, by whom she
was loved. and who are now in mourning for
her loss. She had been Christian for about
two years, and gave in her testimony as
such in our Religious Class. She was accus-
toned to read her Bible before retiring to
rest On the day before her death she called
for her Bfble-it was brought-she opened 1t
and read one verse-clasped IL upon her
breast-uttered the Lords prayer alouc-
Her disease haStened rapidly on, and yester-
day at two O'Clock and forty minutes she fell
asleep. In conclusion, let Us all utter the
prayer, "Let me die the death Of the right
eous, and let my last end be like His"