The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-04-28
THE MYSTERY OF DEATH

An address over the remains of
the late John G. Mills was recently |
delivered in Washington by Colonel !
Robert Ingersoll, who spoke as foil
lows:
Again we are face to face with
the great mystery, that shrouds this |
world. We question, but there is
no reply. Out on the wide waste
seas there drifts no spar. Over the
desert of death the sphinx gazes for
ever, but.never speaks. In the very
May of life another heart has ceased
to beat. Night has fallen upon noon,
but he lived, he loved, he was loved. !
Wife and children pressed their |
kisses on his lips. This is enough.
The longest life contains no more, |
This fills the vase Of joy.
He who lies here clothed with tue
perfect peace of death, was kind |
and loving husband and good father
"a generous neighbor, an honest !
man and these words build a mon !
ument Of glory above the humblest
grave.
He was always a child sincere
| and frank-as full Of hope as spring.
He divided ell times into to-day
and tomorrow, Tomorrow was
without a cloud, and of tomorrow
he borrowed sunshine for to-day.
He was & friend. He will remain
so. The living oft become estranged
the dead are true.
He was not a Christian. In the
Eden Of his hope there did not crawl
and coil the serpent of eternal pam.
In many languages he sought the
thoughts of men, and for himself he
solved the problems of the world.
He accepted the philosophy of Au-
guste Comte. Humanity was his
God-the human race the Supreme
Being. In that Supreme Being he
rested. He believed that we are in.
debted for what we enjoy to the
labor the self denial, the heroism
| of the human race, and that as we
have plucked the fruit of what
others planted, we, in thankfulness,
should plant for others yet to be
With him Immortality was the
eternal consequence of his OWL
good acts. He believed that every
good thought, every disinter
ested deed, haStens harvest of uni
Versal good. This is a religion thai
enriches poverty, that enables US K
bear the sorrows Of the SaddeSt
life, that peoples even solitude witt
the happy millions yet to be-a re
hgion born not of selEshnesS an(
. fear, but of love and hope--the re
ligion that digs wells to slak The
thirst of others-that gladly bears
the burdens of the unborn.
In the presence Of death, how be
liefs and dogmas Wither and decay
how loving words and deeds burs
into blossom. Pluck from the tret
Of any life these flowers, and ther'
remains but the barren thorns O
bigotry and creed.
All wish for happiness beyont
this life. All hope to meet again
the loved and lost. In every hear
there crews this sacred flower O.
eternal hope. Immortality is ;
word that hope through all eyes ha
been whispering to love. The mir
acle of thought we cannot under
stand. The mystery of death ant
hope we cannot understand. Thi
chaos called the world has neVe
been explained. The golden bridg
Of life from gloom and on SHADOW
rests. Beyond this we do not know
Fate is speechless-deStiny is dunn
and the secret of the futur
has never been told. We love
we wait, we hope. The NOR
we love the more we fear. Upol
the tenderest heart the deep
est shadows fall. All paths, whethe
Z Glled with thorns or flowers, emf
= here. Here success and failure ar
the same. The rag of wretchednes
and the purple robe of power lost
difference aud distinction in this
democracy of death. Character
alone survives. Goodness alone lives
: Love alone is immortal.
But to all there comes time WheI
the fevered lips of life long for the
cool, DELICIOUS kiss of death. Tired
Of the dust and glare of the
day, they hear with joy the rustline
garments Of the night.
What can he say Of death? Whert
they have gone, reason cannot go
and from thence revelation la,
not come. But let US believe thai
over the cradle nature bends anC
smiles, and lovingly above the deat
in benedicti0n holds for outstretche,
bo7do