The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-09-03
NUMBER SO.
The Johnson Memorial Service.

A service in memory of the late r. =,
Johnson and family was held at Bethany
church on Sunday afternoon at three O'Clock.
large audience Of friends of the deceased
and the afflicted relatives listened with
sympathetic interest to the discourse of Rev.
G.. w. Gallagher and the other exercises.
The altar was surrounded by a beautiful
display Of flowers, arranged with excellent
taste by the ladies of the church. The pew
which the family had occupied was draped
in black, and lunches Of sweet pea BIOS
SONS, gathered from Mrs. Johnson's own
garden, were placed on small stand and
about the pew. The music was furnished
by Mrs. w. A. Briggs, soprano; Mrs F II.
Putfer, contralto f. W. Bancroft, first
tenor: G. II. Shipman, second tenor: II. ID.
Hopkins, Jr., first bass; II. c. Gleason,
second bass; w. A. Briggs, organst. The
programme comprised the following Sc
lections, rendered with great impressive
ness Organ prelude; hymn, sleep Thy
Last Sleep" Barnby; quartette, The
Home Land" Sullivan quartette, Heart,
Be Still" Warren; male quartette. " Gather
ing Home, One by One" A Scriptural Sc
lection was read by Mr.. Gallagher, and
another was read by Rev. j. Edward
Wright, who also offered prayer. Mr..
Wright prayed that the deep sorrow which
had befallen the community might be sane
titled to good. Mr.. Gallagher took as the
subject of his discourse " The joys and Sor-
rows Of DEATH" basing his remarks on part
of the seventeenth verse of the second chap
ter of Solomon, " Until the day break and
the shadows flee away" He said that he
would not attempt to add to what had been
said regarding the accident and the many
virtues of the dead We can honor the
dead, he said, better by initiating their
characters than in any other way, and a
true conception of life is the best memorial.
Mr.. Gallagher then reminded his hearers
that life is made up of light and shade. One
is ever following on the other. But nothing
exists by and for itself, and every event of
life has an idea which it teaches. We only
need the seeing eye to understand it. So
Gods providence uses the saddest things
to teach lessons. To some, no doubt, death
is happy release from burdens too heavy
to bear. But it is only the disappointed and
unfortunate who look on death as a joy.
Such have not lived the truest lives.
The Apostle Paul no doubt believed that
" to die is gain" and it is not strange that
he should take that view. He had been
tossed about continually, was always go-
ing from place to place, and had no dOmes-
tic joys. 1t is different with the average
man, however. Who does not fear to stand
before God at the last day? Men who are
| living the truest lives find in this world
much that holds them to it and enlists their
warmest sympathy. Christianity tells us
| that this life is a precious gift to be en-
| joyed and then passed on to others. But
the true view of death is that it is not a
complete change. All the good we have
here we hope to have hereafter, and more.
The measure of our enjoyment of the here
after is the condition of our souls, just as it
is the measure OF present enjoyment The
| chief difference between this world and the
next is that in the next love will be perfect,
because spiritual. The needful thing in
preparation for the world to come is to con-
secrate ourselves to Christ-ike life, to be
helpful to mankind. Then indeed to die
will be gain. The Business Mems Associa-
tion attended the service in body, as did
the employees of the firm of johnson &
Cotton, occupying reserved seats.