Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-07-20
"POOR COMFORT,

There is in this city an infidel associa-
ton called 1.-THE Society of Ethical
Culture" A lady member of this
society recently died; and at her funeral.
in the presence of her husband, son and
brother, Prof. Adler, the teacher of this
society, is reported in the New York
Sun as uttering these words of COM
fort"
I'm What words of comfort shall speak IN
you! can not speak TO you concerning the
meeting in another world. That problem is
too much surrounded with difficulties. The
mystery that envelops human existence is too
dense and deep f~r mortal eye to penetrate
Let those speak confidently on this subject
whose reason warrants 1t or whose con-
sciences will permit. / can not say to you
that II is better that she is dead. l can not in
any sense maize IL appear that your loss is less
OF loss. Ahd yet can try and nerve you to
bear that loss. / can tell you that man Is
placed on earth not OILY to be happy, hut that
we are acre to perform the task of making the
world better and ourselves better. Though
MAN, aad in the performance of those tasks
you will find strength and solace that the
worldly and selfish little dream of.
SO the time has come when the last word
must be spoken, and in the name of all here
present l now speak it-farewell, long fare
well. When thou art carried away from here
thy body will not moldcr in any grave, nor be
1000 Tor worms. The pure element of fire
VIII quickly return thee to the elements
will be thy death. Ii thy body masses away
there is that which can not pass of good that
was in thee. Thy memory will remain en-
balmed in the hearts of those who knew thee
and cover thee for ever with the sweet flowers
OF undying love-"
This is truly sorrowful exhibition of
the impotence of infidelity, and the ut
ter failure of Prof. Adler's Ethical
Culture" to meet the wants of grief
stricken humanity. A husband Is be-
reaved of his wife, a son has lost his
mother, and brothers heart is broken
by the death of his sister. With what
''words of comfort by what "sad
solace," does this pretending philoso-
pher presume to mock the teachings OF
Jesus Christ and His apostles, and I'M
dertake to supersede the consultations
of our holy religion, which have for
ages illumed the evening of life with the
softest beams of setting sun, and
frightened the bow of promise on the
darkest cloud that shades the river of
death? He assures these disconsolate
mourners that their "happiness has
fed" and that they will never meet
their beloved friend any more. He tells
them that her 'body will not molder
in any grave, nor be food for worms, -"
as that is to be burned to ashes in the
crematory, and her memory will re-
main embalmed in the hearts of those
who knew herr" so long, of course, as
they live. But as to her soul, this sage
philosopher, who knows so much more
than all the Christian world, is silent as
death; he has not one syllable to utter
in relation to that intelligent spirit,
WI oh, according to the teachings OF
human reason and Divine revelation.
survives the wreck of matter, more
than as though he was speaking of the
carcass of dog. o! miserable com
forter, this infidel, God-forsaken jew,
o! ''sad solace," indeed, this ..ethical
culture" in life and death!-Baptisi
WecElH.