Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-07-13
Il. w. Emerson.

"The sun set but not his hope;
Stars rose his faith was earlier up;
Fixed on the enormous galaxy,
Deeper and older seemed his eye;
And matched his suferance sublime.
The tacturnity oftme
lie spoke, and words rapt than rain
Brought back the Age of God again;
His action won such reverence sweet,
As hid all measure Of the feat"
The triumph of character over preju-
dice, ridcule, indifference and misrep-
reSentation has seldom been more truly
exemplitied than in the case of Mr..
Emerson, whose peaceful death was a
fitting end to the blameless life which
has been passing SO quietly among us
for nearly eight years. AS if ray of
divine light streamed upon the past as
Heavens gates opened wide to let the
gentle pilgrim in, all classes seem to
suddenly arrive at a clearer knowledge
of this good, great man, and hasten to
lay their tributes of love and honor on
his grave.
The young, who found in his brave,
true books the help no other teacher
gave them the old, who SAW in him the
lovely spectacle of one who took life SO
wisely that age had no terrors for him !;
the doubling, who found hope and
courage as they watched his unmoving
loyalty to the highest faith of his own
| soul the bigoted who, while denying
his belief in God, could not deny his
love to man, his serene forgiveness of
unjust judgments and harsh criticism,
or the beauty and the worth of long
years devoted to high thinking and holy
| living.
'nitnn vi oil loto
brings the deserved victory or defeat.
Happy are those who live to see once
averted faces aglow with reverence and
love, to feel the cordial grasp of hands,
and hear grateful voices bless them for
their lives and work. This well-earned
joy came to Emerson and made his later
years bright with its satisfactions and
compensations. Many pilgrims wore
away the threshold of his door, for the
seed planted fifty years ago, when the
young poet wrote Mature in the old
house, fell on good ground, and after
seasons of frost and rain, blossomed
beautifully, taking deep root in America
and sending its fragrance across the
sea.
"The perception that virtue is enough
that is genius" and simply living
what he wrote made him what he was,
a representative man, great in genius,
greater in virtue, greatest in the divine
power of making the highest aspirations
of human hearts, and teaching by pre-.
cept and example that nothing can
bring peace but the triumph of princi.
ples."
His doctrine was seltrelance. "Nev.
er strike sail to a fear. Come into port
grandly or sail the seas with God. Trust
yourself and God, and all things are
possible. Faith and veracity will save
any soul" These truths he taught in
his poetry and prose, and the mingling
of both which was his life.
"Am | right in calling you Christian
theist ?" asked friend, when different
sects were contending for the philoso
pher, who belonged to broader church
than any of them.
"Yes, and do not leave out the Chris.
tian,' he answered.
lfany doubted his belief in immor
tality, his dying whisper of "reunion
with the boy" (the beloved little son
lost long agol would set such doubts at
rest ; for in those solemn moments the
soul stands face to face with God and
speaks the truth that is in it,
Under the pines which he loved so
well our poet lies among his kindred,
and children cover his grave with flow.
ers but for him there is no death, and
all our memories are happy, hopeful
ones, we imagine him enjoying the larger
life Of which his own was a beautiful
foreshadowing. l.. NJ. ALcoTT.
From DemoreSfs Monthly for July.