The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-06-05

patience Not in vain does the angel of sui
> tering come to men ana with face Of pity anC
: eyes OF love, place her burdens upon them
Ii is by suffering that the world IS saved
And not vainly did that gentle angel come
to our soldiers to call them to endure fatigue
f danger, sickness, wounds Imprisonment and
death II any one should so forget his bet
ter self as TO sneer and say that the living
multitudes Of those who endured this discip
line do not seem to show the benefcence OF
it. would reply, first, that no human being
can so pass Judgment on his fellow. He can
not look into the depths Of their Latures, nor
see what stcadfast foundations are laid, nor
what solid walls of real manhood may be
slowly rising thereirom. And then | would
say that the bitter criticism is not true, for
those multitudes do show thatthey have been
schoolcd by no ordinary discipline, and have
been influenced for good by strong ard pecu'
liar forces.
In speaking Of the living do not forget
the dead With regard to them the voice OF
carping crltici,m is silenced They gave
what men cling to most OF all. They made
the last sacrifice. We do not sit on Gods
Judgment The majestic voice Of Jesus pro-
claims a divine command TO startle and stop
those puny and purblnd insects who seek to
climb up to that high and awful throne and
pass judgment upon their fellows. Toour eyes,
whatever faults the dead might have had, are
| hid by the glory of their sacrifice. We honor
heartily the names of all of them. Many Of
them we know were as tue men as any whose
names bestar the pages of history. To all of
them life was sweet, and they laid it down
when il was sweetest.
Not one of them so failed to live worthily
that He who knows all the lives of men does
not remember him today. In our cemete-
ries, all through this Lord Day and through
many yesterdays, He has been identifying
the mounds beneath which our gallant dead
are sleeping. Each day and night casts
down upon them its tribute of adornment.
The sun pours over them floods of golden
fire. The moonlight in the quiet night seems
| like the touch of a gentle hand to soothe the
seepers to peaceful sleep. The snow and
the frost and the shining diamonds of dew,
each in their time make the low mounds
beautiful And now the green grass covers
them--a royal robe cast over the slumberers.
| Nor is il the graves in our cemeteries only
that God makes beautiful to-day. On this
memorial shaft of marble, near which we are
gathered are the names of many whose
graves are far distant from the friends who
would joyfuly strew them with flowers to-day
there are some whose graves no man knows.
But even those graves, unknown to man, are
known to Him. He takes care today that
equal honor shall be paid to all. Hehas cast
a scarf Of green upon the unknown graves.
The wild flowers swing their censers over
them, and offer up the incense of their fra
GRANGE The fullleaved trees shade them !;
near by the birds sing joyously. High above
them bends the arch of the sky-beneath
which the winds of heaven wander. Not
without dirge and requiem sounded over them
will those graves be today-for the breezes
will sigh for resigned and chastencd sorrow
and the stronger winds take up louder la
mentatlon. So you who know not where
your dead are sleeping, can leave them 10
these ministries and feel that their graves are
well honorcd. And having scattered our
blossoms on the graves at home, we will leave
all the honored dead in the care of Him who
is the God of Liberty-whose law is Love,
whose service is sacrifice, and who will safe
ly keep that which we have committed to
Him