The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-01-19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Delivered by Col. Il. G. lngers0li
at the Fune raj of u Little Child.

Delivered by Col. H. G.. lngerson
at the Funeral of u Little Child.
WASHINGTON, d. c.. January g.
AT the funeral of the little son of Geo.
10. Miller, detective and an active
politician oftthis city, this afternoon,
Bob Ingersolls officiated. There was
no service at the house. The coffin
was taken to the Congressional Gene
terry, where Col. Ingersoll Joined the
funeral party. He made brief ad-
dress when the coffin had been lower
ed into the grave, reiterating his doc
trine that if there was a Supreme Gre
ator he had not made men to be damn
ed. The following is the full text of
his oratien. which is teuchingly beau
tiful:
"MY FRIENDS: know how vain
| it is to gild grief with words, and
| yet wish to take from every grave it's
fear. Here in this world where life and
cath are equal kings, all should be
brave enough to meet all hedead have
met. The future has been filled with fear
stained and pointed by the heartless
past. From the WOndrOus tree of life
the buds and blossoms fall with ripen-
ed fruit, and in the common he'd OF
earth patriarchs aud babes sleep side
by side.
Why should we fear that which will
come to all that is? We cannot tell
| we do not know, which is the greater
hlessing-life or death. We can not
say that death is not u good. We do
not know whether the grave is the end
of this life or the door of another; or
4 L.. I, II IL
where else a dawn. Neither eau we
tell which is the more fortunate-the
child dying in it's mothers arms be
fore its lips have learned to form a
word or he who journeys all the length
of iife's uneven road. painfully taking
the last slow steps with staff and
crutch. Every cradle asks us,
Whence" and every coffin, 'Whith-
er" The poor barbarian, weeping
above his dead, can answer the ques-
tion as intelligentiy and satisfactorily
rs the robed priest of the most authen-
tic creed. The fearful ignorance OF
the one is just as cOnsoling as the
learned and unmeaning words of the
other.
No man, standing where the horizon
of life has touched a grave, has any
right to prophesy a future filled with
| pain and tears. 1t may be that death
gives all there is of worth to life. II
those we press and strain against our
hearts could never die, perhaps that
love would wither from the earth.
| May be this common fate treads out
from the paths between our hearts the
weeds of selfishness and hate; and I
had rather live and love where death
is king, than have eternal life where
love is not. Another life is naught,
unless we know and love again the
ones who loved us here.
| They who stand with breaking
1 hearts around this little grave need
have no fear. The larger and nobler
faith in all that is, aud is to be, tells
US that death, even at its worst, is only
perfect rest. We know that, through
the common wants of life-the needs
ami duties of each hour-their griefs
Will lessen day by day, until at last
| the grave will be to them place of
rest and peace-almost of joy. There
is for them this consolation The dead
do not suffer. If they liYe again their
lives will surely be as good as ours.
We have no fear. We are all chill.
dren of the same mother, and the same
fate awaits us all. We, too, have our
religion-and it is this: Help for the
living-hope for the dead"
1