St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-04-17

the great bereavement that has come
to you," says the Rev. E. c. Cum
mings. I'm church matters he was
so reliable, shall l ay?-so wise so
jealous, so sympathizing," says the
Rev H. w. Jones. What length of
service, how unobtruSive and how
useful This was his spiritual home,
here his soul went out in love to the
Great Father and to His children;
here he was nourished from the table
of the Lord here he gave himself free
ly; here he has made others feel at
home,-the church is the home for
the children, home,-a good name.
| have asked many men and wom-
en- who knew him,-what does this
life, this name mean to you? and
the quick answer has commonly been
the three-fold one,-''it means to me,
fidelity, courage, sympathy" These
three threads were woven together,
each one thread of gold. Fidelity
first. All felt this and in the clear
light of memory now honor it. He
was man of faith. With reverence,
distinctness and at great cost he de
clared,-I believe in truth and l be-
lieve III God. BY his life he defined
faith to be faithfulness When he ex-
amined truth he did not suffer the
clouds of selfshness, though the
world might give them fair names,
to obscure his vision. And when he
thought he saw it he uttered his
faith by standing on what he saw to
be true. Heseemed to say, God gave
the rock for men to build on, not to
praise as they passed by. He builded
his house of character and life on the
rock, 80 the floods came and the winds
blew and beat upon that house" and
there it now stands in the sight of
all thing of strength and beauty,
the illustration and the proclama-
ton of the power of faith. Courage,
not second but next. Those who
came near the fountain of his life saw
the truth of the Psalm, Il will fear
no evil for Thou art With me-" This
is the true aud Christian courage; 1t
is not first fearlessness i'll the sight OF
men but the fear of God. Courage III
its beginning and power is at first
timid and modest, it is trust before
it is daring, humility and obedience
beforeit is a battle. Men who stood
far away from the springs of his life
said, fearlessness; those who stood
near said, childlikeness. He had
much within to overcome, before he
overcame the world without. This
gave a gentle and at the same time
deeper meaning to his conduct that
| find many men calling, heroic. His
courage was sincere before it was
active. His memory now breaches
against the prevailing evil of the
time, cOwardice, insincerlty. 1t pro-
claims a helpful truth when 1T says,
there is no courage like the courage
of love, the spirit of a child who be
cause he is q child must obey the
voice of duty when it seems to be to
him the voice of the great Father.
Sympathy, not third but next.
His heart was tender and had eyes
looking out for human needs. He
could not intrude but he yearned to
aid and strengthen the sad or weak.
Said one who shared his work for
many years, his many klndnesses
are uppermost in my mind Many
q weakness today mourns him as its
champion; poverty and sorrow have
felt through their whole being the
strength of his helping hand. His
physical organization often seemed
to stand between him and the object
of his interest, but he made many
know the genuineness of an assisting
affection. He had sympathy with
the realities of thought and life and
the real needs of men. 1t was this
subtle sympathy of his, undemonstra
tive but always trustworthy, that
gave q meaning to the truths OF
friendship. | have taken up a score
of personal letters called forth by his
death and find this shining i'll them,
''he was my friend st. Johnsbury
bows, now men of action in other
states, write back, eve have lost a
been poured into his heart because
men trusted him. There he preserved
them in the sacred silence of his trust
worthy affection. He was a friend
to Young men and felt the meaning
of their hOnesties, ambitions, their
sufferings and temptations. Says
one, "he was friend to young men
and | have known and felt his inf1u-
ence all my st. JOhnsbury days.
Says another, he was the tried and
true friend of my youth" Says an
other, my friendship has progressed
till my reliance on him was as a son
on a father" How many boys have
entered his Office and gone forth with
a good knowledge of their work,
and something better, the memory
of a pure soul who gave them what
they needed most, guidance and
love. Says Rev. DR.. l. E. Dwinell, 'he
was gentlemanly, (gentle), attractive
and sympathetic to all who knew
him" 1t was often by some chance
or indirection that we learned his
habit of helpfulness and fellowship
of heart.
We live together years and years
And leave unsounded still
Each others springs of hopes and tears
Each others depths of Will
We live together day by day,
And some chance look tone
Lights up with instantaneous ray
An inner world unknown.
This sympathy made him easily in
where no convictions OF duty
forbad the change of habit or work.
He would go with those whom he
loved in total, loyal way.
"He has left behind him the rich in
heritance of a good name" We are
all heirs. He has left himself to us.
Those whom he has taught and
served are richer because of what he
has been and done. His name is Il
sacred treasure in the hearts of those
who now bear his name. God gave |
him to his home and there he will re-
main a sacred presence in all their
nights and days, no less alive because
they, with q faith in the truth that |
him Of he