St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-04-15

| left for us to follow" His memory is
redOlent with the blessings he bestow-
ed, and will long be held dear, and by
it many will be encouraged to better
living. "For he was a good man, full
of the Holy Ghost and of faith.n
THE FUNERAL SERVICE.
The announcement of the death of
Sir Thaddeus created a profound i'm
preston in this community. In the
evening an informal meeting of citi-
zens was held in the academy and a
committee was chosen to call upen the
family and request that the funeral SER
vices be held in the South church, on
Wednesday. Prof. Fairbanks would
willingly have acceded to the request
for public funeral, knowing the gen
eral desire that would be felt to attend,
but in Difference to the expressed wish
of Sir Thaddeus the request could not
be complied with.
|
afternoon, at the home of the deceased
The day was one of the pleasantest OF
the season. The scale factory was
closed throughout the day, and the
academy and all the stores were closed
during the afternoon. The village
was as quiet as on Sabbath morning.
All the offices of the company through
out the country were also closed. There
was no effort at display; it was his
wish, often expressed, that there
should be none. The front of the
South church, the entrance to the acad-
envy and his portrait in the academy
hall were all tastefully draped. Sim
pie though they were it is doubtful il
all these outward symbols ever repre-
sented more genuine feelings on the
part of people.
In his old home and in the library,
his favOrite room, lay the earthly re-
mains of Thaddeus Fairbanks. On
the casket was cluster of lilies, pure
white, fastened with a white ribbon
A few palm leaves, sheaf of ripened
wheat, and pillow of choice flowers
constituted the remaining decorations
The house was filed with those who
desired to look upon his face once
more. The academy faculty, the Sc
Nor class in a body and representa-
tives of the middle and junior classes
were present and nearly all the en-
plOyes of the scale works. Among
those present from abroad were G. H
Morse of Chicago representing the Chi
cagO branch of the Fairbanks compa-
ny's business, Samuel n. Brown of the
Boston house, Mr.. Patten of the Mon
treal house, Albert Hagar of Planta-
ganet, Canada, Rev. George n. Weber
of Middlebury college, Rev. S. l.. Bates
of Newbury and many citizens of st
Johnsbury and Caledonia county
From Mr.. Fairbanks own Bible wa.
read favOrite chapter, the first Psalm
by his nephew, Rev. E. T. Fairbanks
After prayers and further scripture
readings quartette consisting of w
H. Herrick, j. H. Humphrey, Harry
May and Ray Finel, very effectively
chanted the Odd Psalm and then cam,
brief sermon by Rev. G. l.. Hubert
a long time friend of Mr.. Fairbanks
After the sermon, which will be fount
in full below, the quartette sang "Rocl
of Ages" and the service was closed.
THE SERMON.
There are occasions that speak fol-
themselves. Simply to exist is to pro
claim their missions and teach theil
lessons. Such is this occasion. 1t
needs no human lips to express its sig
nificance or to lift it up toward the
sublime. 1t evOkes from all who stand
in it's presence, appropriate reflections
Its lessons are so simple and so easy
that child may learn them and they
are so high and sweet as to elevate the
work devout and reverend. Well
might we sit here together in silence
and let these thoughts and emotions
instruct-and stir us. If we are to keep
silence in His holy temple because God
is there, for the same reason we should
be SO awed and subdued by a sense of
the divine as we gather to-day within
the precincts of this sacred home as to
make our words few, even if we speak
at all. In the presence of it's sleepin g
occupant, we feel that this home has
taken to it a peculiar sanctity. So con-
fident are we that God from the first
was in and with his servant, subduing
his will to His own, enriching him
with noble gifts of mind and heart and
directing him in all the details of his
long and useful life, that the cOnvic-
ton is upon us that God is here with
him still; SO shat we almost hear the
the command, "take off thy shoes from
off thy feet for the place whereon thou
standest is holy ground" But God is
not present to Overawe us and make
us painfully afraid; but in Christ Jesus
he is here as our Heavenly Father and
the God of all comfort, to ask this of
us-that we so connect our bereave-
ment with thoughts of God, that we so
think of that excellent and beautiful
life whose career has so charmed and
inspired us, that we shall call God it's
author and praise him for it.
God is the giver of good gifts and
next after the unspeakable gift is his
gift of good men. How great the Of
fence to exult in and commend these
good men, and forget the giver of them.
In our religion, God is the leading idea
religion is what tits because God is what
he is. This was the profound conviction
of our revered brother; hence his pie
ty was full of the doctrine of God.
Humility, reverence, gratitude-the
fundamental virtues in
him in a remarkable degree and
gave him a character of sinpuIar svm-