The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-12-13
MRS. LAURA DICKSON.

" the silver cora was DTOkSn duO IAdC
strong, noble, true Christian soul passed
into the &c unseen holy" Like the
mountain-side whereon Moses saw the
bush burn, that was not consumed, that
death chamber was holy ground. God
spoke to that little group of four orphaned
girls, and the few dear friends, and as
long as we Enger here in " the land OF
the dying His message will be cher
ished. "Our people die WE'LL P" w1ote
John to Charles Wesley, in the early
days of Metkodism. Laura Dickson's
was a sweet, courageous Christian death.
On Sunday afternoon, November 25th,
at 8 80 o'clock, the Hawaiian colony
resident in Oakland and San Francisco,
gathered at the Grand Hotel to pay their
tribute of love and affection to one of
Hawaii's noblest women. The use OF
one of the largest suites of private parlors
was generously given by the pro9prletors,
and these were thronged, and great
| number stood patiently in the hallway.
At least two hundred persons were IN
attendance The floral tributes were
chaste and beautiful.
Rev. J. A. Cruzan; now pastor OF the
Third Congregational Church, San
! Francisco, and Mrs. DicksOn's pastor in
| Honolulu for six years, had charge OF the
| services, and was assisted by Rev. Walter
| Frear, of Oakland. also former pastor
| of the deceased. The service was very
| beautiful and touching; through it all
there ran an undertone of triumph, and
! of peace, and of victory. Mr.. Cruzan
read brief ritual, Mr.. Frear offered the
I 81 nd
| Miss Fox, from Suell's Female Semin-
| airy, sang very sweetly, Jesus, Lover OF
| My SOUP to the tune Refuge; MIR.
| Frear read the 103rd Psalm, John 14th
! chapter, and the first eight verses OF the
| 21st chapter of Revelation.
| Mr.. Cruzan's address was in substance
| as follows: Life for term of years in
| Hawaii tends to give many peculiarities,
| and one OF the pleasantest OF these Is the
| close knitting of hearts by the ties OF
| love. In our isolated life there we come
to know each other most intimately, and
| to love deeply, tenderly, truly. We
| Hawaiians do not transplant easily.
| The old ties remain eyer strong. A great
sorrow, like the death OF Laura Dickson.
| brings us together from our homes
around San Francisco Bay, and we are
| as one great family. This loss comes
home to each of US as a personal loss. L
| can therefore speak to you who knew
her so intimately and loved her so dear
| ly, as | could not and would not to mere
| acquaintance.
Laura Dickson was fortunate in
! many things, but in no one thing was
she more blessed than in her birth. She
| was well-born. 1t has taken science
nearly six thousand years to grasp that
| sturdy old Bible truth, the value of noble
| ancestry. AS Joseph Cook forcibly puts
| it, In order to stand fair chance to be
born again, man must be born right
| the first time.' To have had for her
father such a man as DR.. 6. 2. Judd,
| and for her mother such woman as
Laura Fish Judd, was signal blessing.
| 1t was from these strong characters, and
| the training which she received at their
hands, that Laura Dickson received her
marked personality.
| " Let me voice for you a few of the
| prominent traits of this noble woman's
| positive personality. We are accuS-
toned to think of strength as a mascu-
line trait. And yet / believe that the
| strength to stand for that which is right,
| at all hazards and costs, is oftener found
| in woman than in man. Certainly it
was in the character of Laura Dickson ,as
! we seldom find it in men. She had clear,
| strong convictions, and the courage of
| them. What is right?' was her first
question, and when the answer was
| clear, she went straight forward, making
| her way if need be.
Notwithstanding her positiveness and
/ strength, she had no enemies. During
the six years of my residence in Homo
lulu, l never heard hard, unkind word
] spoken against Laura Dickson. Why?
Because joined with her strength, was
sweetness and tenderness, such as is
rarely found. And here again, we mis-
take in our thinking; we associate
strength with a certain roughness and
hardness of character. No. The truly
! strong soul is always the truly tender
and loving soul. What broad, strong,
| Christ-like charity was hers-a charity
that sought not its own, was not easily
| provoked, and that thought no evil; re-
| joiced not in iniquity, but in the truth
| "Joined with strength and sweetness.
nay, the rich soil out of which these grew
was strong, childlike faith. Hers
was not an minimizing, unreasoning, in
| herited faith. It was a faith that she
wrought out for herself. She could say
with Paul, know in whom have be-
lieved.' Christ's word and will were
law to her.
''Of her work and influence in Hawaii I
do not need to speak. 1t is part of the
daily life of Honolulu, and the little
Island Kingdom, and Laura Dickson
will live in hundreds of lives long after
her body has gone back to earth. Her
/ great heart and strong faith took in all
who needed her. The Honolulu papers
| are filed with articles upon How to
reach young men?' Laura Dickson
knew how. L have had young men
again and again say to me, owe what
am TO Mrs. Dickson. Just at the right
time she laid restraining hand on my
arm, and turned my feet back into the
! right path The sick and discouraged
strangers, who came in such numbers to
Hawaii so late in their quest of health,
that they found instead ,grave-these
| she seemed to know of by instinct All