Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-08-31
MEMORIAL SERVICES.

francis rainier, commander or the Ii.
A. II. post, read the order of Gen. Rhea
Grand Commander Of the National En-
campment announcing the death of
Gen. Sheridan, TO the c. \. X. post OF
Alma, who, 10 the number OF about
twenty were present 10 pay their last
sad tribute to their beloved general. A
quartette composed of G.. D. Porter Mrs.
Almon Yerington, Mrs. Arthur Meyer
and Fred Ely with Miss Jennie Smith as
pianist rendered an appropriate selec-
tion in very creditable manner. y
prayer and reading of Scriptures by
Rev. DIR. Hunting was followed 10y an
other selection 10y the choir after which
DR.. Hunting announced his text from
End Kings 9th verse, II have an errand
to the, O captain"
The Providences, agencies or in1u-
ences by which men are pushed or led
into the several walks of life may be
considered as messengers of God. COM
missioned of him, as errand bearers to
his chosen ones. Men are set apart for
certain work, because of adaptation to
that work, and he who selects the in
strumentS never makes mistakes. The
men chosen to carry out the designs of
the Almighty are not always conscious
of any experimenting, guiding power
which influences their lives, and doing
the will of God, in and through any
course of action may be a matter which
never occurs, to them. Good and bad
men are alike chosen to serve the pur-
pose of God, and they are selected be-
cause of some peculiar fitness for the
work to which they are called.
Cyrus was selected long before his
birth, to carry ont plans which lay hid
den in the mind of Omniscence.
The PharaOhs were raised up of God
to do His will and yet how utterly un.
conscious were they of their divine Sc
lection. They not only had at heart no
spirit of loyalty to Jehovah. but they
had no knowledge of Him save in the
most indefinite way, and yet they did,
everyone, carry out TO the letter. the
plan of that Jehovah whom they ignored
and despised SO too the Caesars, the
ROurbOns, the Bonapartes and the Stu
arts, each in turn. consciously or uncOn-
sciously. served Him in whose hand are
the deStinies of nations, and who places
and displaceS, moves and removes kings
and kingdoms, sceptres and thrones, as
the chess-player manlpulates his passive
bits of ivory.
SO Washington and Lincoln, Garfield
and Grant served and ruled our land by
Gods ordering. and at His appointed
time. and SO also, and at such appointed
time came to the front the great soldier
whom our country mournS. and TO honor
whose memory we are assembled here
this afternoon.
Our lamented chief was born in SOM
erSet. Perry Co., Ohio, March 9Th. 1881,
and was therefore at the time of his
death, a few months more than 81 years
of age. He came of Irish parentage
and was born and spent his bOyhood III
the atmosphere of poverty.
Here find Gods first errand to him,
our great captain at the hand of and
through the discipline of poverty.
There was work for him to do, in the
after DAYS, and he was To be fitted for
it. 1t was a stern school through which
he was called to pass. The lessons
were hard and the discipline severe,
and sometimes no doubt the life of toll
and privation was irksome To the lad,
but he seems to have had good stuff in
him, for in lSiS he attracted the atten
tion of influential friends, who secured
for him cadetship at Vest Point, and
this was Gods second errand to the
boy at the hand of human friendship.
Then came four years Of training.
concerning the severity of which | once
heard an old officer say. IF were COM
PEELED to choose between a four years
course at West Point, and the same
length of time in the states prison,
would certainly take the prison.
But this was Just what young Sheri-
dan needed. There were many things
he had not yet learned, which it was
necessary for him to know. There
were faults i'm his makeup which must
be corrected, and the iron rules of the
academy brought these faults conspicu-
ously to the surface. and then taught
him that he must overcome them. He
was of a fiery, irritable disposition, and
that disposition had never been con-
trolled. As a natural consequence he
fell into difficulty and disgrace. and
was suspended from the academy for a
year. This disappointment and re-
proof. and the special favor which re-
stored him To his place, | count as yet
another errand of God to him, bearing
with it a lesson not to be forgotten.
At length i'm 1853 he graduated, not
with high hOnOrs, but respectfully Dur
ingthat five years. Sheridan had learned
some lessons which were worth more to
him than his military training. One of
these was how to govern self, another
that the way to secure success in any
direction. is by doing every duty Wel,
and yet third. and very important one
was this Every leader owes duty to
his subordinates which he cannot afford
To ignore. In his OWL words to the
graduating class at West Point, year
ago. we find the story of the lessons he
had early learned. and which gave him
his success.
Gentlemen. said he. I'll tell you
how il all came about. 1t was all due
10 two things. When | went out from
under the shadow of these trees as you
are doing to-day, | resolved / would
make myself the best second lieutenant
i'm the army. Whatever took up. even
if il were the simplest of duties. tried
to do it better than 1t had been done
before by others. No matter if You are
hidden in an obscure post, never con-
tent Yourself with doing your second
a 4 r.s...