St. Paul daily globe., 1888-04-01
THE LAST SAD RITES.
Funeral Services of Mrs. John D.
Rodman at the Cathedral.

The funeral of Mrs. John ID. ROdman,,
daughter of Hon. II. NJ. Rice, who died
recently at Albany, n. Y, took place
from the cathedral yesterday afternoon.
The church was filled with the friends
of the deceased, attesting the warm place
she had in their affections. The serY-
ices were conducted by Bishop Ireland,
assisted by Fathers Gibbons and Fitz-
patrick. The bishop took his text from
the Epistle according to St Paul, BE
hold, tell you a mystery" and spoke
as follows:
son sad occasions, as the present one,
our consolation as individuals, is in
our faith. The vanitieS, the nothing
ness of this life, become apparent.
Death presents himself before the
strong, and he is laid low; before the
most powerful and his power avails him
nothing, and all the promises the earth
give, however bright, are brought to
naught. Death comes not only after
many years spent on the earth, it comes
at all years. 1t takes away the youth
full, and those who seemed to have
much before them. Is there nothing
for man but this life? If not, to what
serves our superior intellect; of what
benefits are those grand aspirations our
beings are possessed of that makes us
so much nObler than all else around us?
If not, what hope have we? There is
something else, and this something else
is the true foundation of our hopes.
1--WE are to-day on the eve of grand
church anniversary, Un the eve of that
anniversary years ago when the victim
of Calvary, who had announced that He
was the life indeed, that He had come
to give life to the world, arose from the
grave, and, with His mighty hand
rolled back the stone of his sepulchre
and arose from the dead. His reSurrec-
ton was then the token of the life lie
had in store for sand the sun of Easter
morn shining over the world brought
hope and consolation where otherwise
there would have been nothing but
darkness and despair. There is through
Christ and His resurrection another life,
and each soul made to His image and
likeness is immortal, and when death
comes and we are plunged in sadness and
dependency, Christian hope steps in
and tells us that death is but the break
ing away from prison, the passage to
another and better life. And this is
our business on earth, to fit ourselves
for the life to come. No other business
is worthy our attention, as death plainly
proves. This the dear departed one
problem of life; she paused to
know the conditions of eternaI
happiness. During her life the duty
she owed to God was uppermOst in her
mind. To be faithful to Him she was
ready to sacrifice all. Her life gave
evidence of her faith, and when death
was approaching she forgot not to pre-
pare herself for the final passage, and
hence it is that those who have so many
reasons to regret her taking off and who
might indeed be incOnSOiable, feel at
the present time happiness in the very
thought, feel hope and joy, and be-
cause OF Christ's promises and her
fidelity to her Saviour, they can say with
st, Paul: 'Oh, Death, where is thy
sting; oh, Grave, where is thy victOry?"
This is the proper disposition for Chris
tians in the presence of death to look
up to a better life, and this is the lesson
the spirit of the departed one repeats
to you and me.
At the conclusion of the services the
remains were carried to the hearse and
thence conveyed to Oakland cemetery,
where interment took place.
The pall-bearerS were John 5. Prince,
Capt. Russell Blakeley, Hon. S. j. Il.
Mcmillan, DR.. David Day, Maj. Charles
j. Allen and Capt. Clinton b. Sears.
Among the large number of friends
of deceased who were present at the
services were Mrs. j. j. Hill, Mr.. and
Mrs. Beaumont, Mrs. and Miss Prince,
Miss Sturgis, Mrs. Otis, Mrs. Newell,
Mrs. Pope, Mrs. Oppenheim, Mrs. and
Miss Bend. Mrs. and Miss Mary Dean,
Mrs. and Miss Hatch, Mrs. Thompson
and Mrs. WheelOck.