Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-05-01


The dispensation which called us to-
gether this afternoon, is indeed awful
to contemplate. But, dear. friends. it
is after all the picture of human life in
general. of your lot and NINE 1t is
more or less the lot of US all, and though
II may net come upon us in a moment.
Ike mountain to crush us, yet IL flows
in separate sands, through the glass of
time. and will measure out TO us indi-
vidually the same discipline and deSti-
ny. When one of our friends dies, we
think Of him merely as single individ-
ual. and Ii does not seem as If hun
dred deaths were concentrated in his
death; but this is what we would most
likely feel, were he 10 perish with a
thousand others.
1t may emphatieally be said of every
man that he is alone when he comes to
die. He must die some time, and the
time is then for him. and not some one
else. Even had he escaped that danger
he might have fallen q Victim the next
week or month, 10 medical error, or
some violent death. We know that
multitudes do thus fall every year, and
those who thus die, are no more truly
alone-even though they should die far
from any human presence-than the
man who perishes in the multitude of
many; and both bear the same relation
70 the government of God. and present
the same features under the rule OF His
Providence. If may be permitted 70
address those Of our friends who are
here to-day, TO whom this affiictiOn has
come nearer than it is possible to come
TO any others, let me say to them, your
case Is not an exception to the general
rule and reign of Providence.
1t is as if your friends had died one by
one at home, by an accident, or had been
stricken down in the streets by apOp-
lexy or paralysis.
IL Is common, know, to regard sud-
den death as great misfortune. and
many pray TO be preserved from il: but
must say that it seems to me to be
great privilege, when life's work is done,
and the hour come, TO be permitted to
drop suddenly from the course How
often have we heard the survivor say,
after long weeks of agony and watching,
when at last the tie was broken, THANK
God, II is over at last" 1t is not sur
prising to me that the celebrated James
Otis should have prayed that he might
ole by lightning; nor do / wonder that
lis prayer was so signally answered.
And when in imagination / see the
bright messenger of release descending
from the retiring black cloud, bearing
his tidingS OF release from labor and
from life. | must confess il seems to me
that, that fash Of lightning was more
the bright angel of mercy than the bolt
Ofwrathl However, the lingering pains
that usually characterize the terminal
ton of mans life, / believe are more
for the sake of the good they may do for
others. than for his own sake: but, for
the same reason, death is sometimes
sudden. and apparently disastrous. The
very character of sudden disaster, tends
tn arouse the minds of the people, and
this employs them I'm devising means
or defense against future contingencies
and dangers.
Nav it not be that this dreadful event.
one Of the most destructive and over
whelming that has ever brought sorrow
into our souls, will yet be commissioned
in the overriding Providence of Jeho-
yah to save many more lives than were
lost by It'll And in saying this do not
want To be regarded as cold specula-
tive Observation-Disclosures is my witness
that ! am far FROM it to-day.
L know that i'm more than one family
here, that awful Hood of waters, was
the wrenChing of a Thousand quivering
ties of love and friendship; but. sorrow
ing sympathy can find no relief but in
the Providence of God, and It's this |
seek for myself and others.
This is not q random blow-a chance
accident-and hard as | know il is to
turn away from it as frightful catas-
trophe, and 10 look at it as u solemn
dispenSation of heaven this | would
pray each one To dO-to lean upon the
bosom of eternal love and mercy, and to
say. even as the worlds Saviour said,
Wien all The powers Of darkness were
leagued i'm fearful conflict against him:
Father thy will, cot mine, he done"
Can we afford 10 allow our faith in God
10 be shaken, or to give up our hope in
His mercy and protection? No! we
cannot, we will rot! Yesi il was indeed
sad thing. a horrible thingl That
thO.e several families, some of whom
were our own citizens. who have long
been known and respected among us
others rowing upon the common high
way, eHcdmpcd for the night only. in
that beautiful grove, and expecting II
resume their journey OF the morrow
that they should have retired TO sleep,
80 thoughtless Of what that very night
would bring 10 them, and then To have
been awakened amidst the binding
storm, To sink into watery grave, and
the survivors calling i'm vain for help
which none could render, does indeed
defy the power Of language To describe,
and exceeds the powers of imagination
to conceived do not say that it was
best that this trouble should have come
upon us; hut now that il has come, il
may and should be turned to wise &C
count.
We are accustomed to speak of our
misfOrtunes and losses. which from
time To time we are called to endure:
but To any who are disposed to murmur.
let me kindly say, You were not in the
wake of that midnight storm. Who of
us would not have cheerfully given
millions of dollars, had we possessed
them, rather than to have been there!
You were not there; your husband,
your wife. your child were not there.
Life is still yOurs-the cheerful fireside.
the happy home, are yours still; and
what amidst your abundant blessings
can you be but thankful Methinks
there are no murmurers here among
those who have escaped loss and death;
but If there be one. as he Shudders and
turns away from that awful scene, let
his thoughts retreat at once and forever
into the sanctuary of thankfulneSs.
One thought more. and / shall have
performed the sad duty which Thought
this hour required at my hands. When
we see life thesspOrt of wind and waves,
liable TO be extinguished in q moment
by causes the most trivial and insignili-
cant, cannot help asking myself, can
it be that such life is the thing upon
which God intended that man should
set his whole heart, as of supreme con-
Germ, though justly dear? Where and
where can the Interior end of being be
found. except in another life, and can
this life he anything but means, in the
divine economy to something more be-
You'd?
What shadows we are, and what
imagination and awe to-day, under the
dark veil of night and see so many fell
low-belngs pass away like a dream;
when behold so many precious lives
east away like an evening vapor upon