Morning journal and courier., 1891-12-30
AN AnmInAnLE rRInurE

AN ADMIRABLE TRIBUTE
To the Memory of a Deceased Towns
man and Gallant Omcer, the Late
Colonel White-Delivered by Rev. =.
L. willard, D. d.
At the earnest desire of many people
the COURIER reprints below the beautiful
tributeto the memory of the late Colonel
George NJ. White, delivered by Rev. James
L. Willard, D. D., at the funeral services
of the deceased at College street church.
Its publication is all the more wished for.
as owing to the darkness in the church and
the length of the service, much of the ad.
/ dress had to be omitted.
| "They tell me that Colonel George M
| White is dead, that he lies there in his
| coffin and will speak with us on earth nc
/ more. It was my privilege, many years
ago, to make his acquaintance. He came
to me as tall, overgrown boy, fresh from
his country home.
| It was in his heart to acquire knowledge
To this end he procured Latin grammar,
took up the study of Virgil. This was
1 AAoAIASA ~ A0PASA PAOSAOo6J oAA ouuC1 I'LL
nations Of the scholarly aptitudes that
| were in the man. But time wore away and
he drifted out from under my tutorshir
| and elected for himself place in the com
mercial and collegiate institute, having at
| that time for head master the late Gen
eral William 81. Russell. But while look
| ing toward the college and preparing to
enter in, another door was opened and q
voice said, "This way, not that" Young
| White heard the call, and obeyed. But
for a moment let us ask what manner OF
| a man he was.
First. He was kindly.
In that heart "to beat and thrill
and throb and pulse no more;" quiet,
| 30 quiet, there was a fountain deep
| and rich, opened by the soft and loving
finger of God himself, and many there were
| to welcome the fragrance so sweet and
gracious, with kindly words and kindly
deeds. Wife, children, friends, all bear q
willing testimony that he was kindly
man, coaxing out the better impulses of
our nature, as spring sunshine coaxes
flowers from the earth.
Please note as second fact that he
was generous man. He carried his purse
in his heart, and when he opened the one
the other felt the swing and opened also.
Hence no poor burdened soul ever applied
to him in vain, unless there was an inabil-
| ity to meet the needed aid. Like the sun
flames he opened to the light, but he did
not absorb it; he threw it back to scatter
joy and gladness in the path of Others He
| did not save his life to lose it. The world
| was not all his world. Others than him
| self breathed its air and looked up at the
blue heavens; and the law of bIessedness OF
| and he recognized the right of each to
say, as did one in other days, 'I am 8
man" and whatever belongs to humanity
| "belongs to me"; OF better, perhaps, he
acknowledged his kinship with othe,
men and acted upon it and confessed that
he owed it to them, as of one blood with
| himself
Third. He was modest man. Some
one has said that ''modesty is to merit
what shades are to figures in a picture, il
| gives it strength and heightening." Ou1
friend was modest. He was 'tnot igner
ant of his powers" but he did not vaun
or assume upon them" He rang no bell
fred no cannon; beat no drum; blew ne
self. Nor did he plan industriously to b.
seen or heard. To have asserted his RICH
to place, or Office, or leadership of any
kind would have been foreign to his ma
ture. He left that to smaller men. Anl
while keeping his self-respect, he alst
gained that of genuine worth. In him wa
a quiet strength, not self-seeking, bu
when harnessed into service it moved
things in right directions, and it's resultan
power proved more precious than silver O.
gold.
Fourth. His was a sympathetic nature
He had "a tear for pity, and hand ope,
as day for meeting charity"
| The smallest child, with its little hear
1 SmartiDp under SOTna carelass word or act
and the largest man with great burden
on his soul, could both seek his presenc
and find in him comforter.
''He lived not in himself, but became
portion of that around him." ''Pity ant
need made all flesh kim"
It was enough for him that help wa
needed, that a wounded victim lay bleed
ing by the wayside. And then and Their
he was not the priest, he was not the LIE
vite; but he was the good Samaritan.
But we pass now to the GROWING glor,
of the man, and that is his patriotism
He loved his country. Hence when mel
rose up against us; when their wrath wa
kindled against US; when they said, Gle
us break their bands asunder" and cas-
away their cards from US. When the Ian,
was red with judgment and blood wa
seemingly about to touch blood, then b
Of whom we speak to-day was ready wit
many another to use that paradox o
words. What ought to be we know not
No man can know best that this state O
things ought not to be; we do know. An
here in Gods name it shall not stay. An
now with him the citizen had become
soldier. The college door was closed
the war door was open. And il
that door stood George M. White, read
for service or for sacrifice. He was just
| a VIC hrava nd
he erected a monument for himself NOR
enduring than brass.
He was just. He came to leadership
because leadership came to him. The
took each the other by the hand; and g.
their strength was doubled. The mel
! who called him captain or colonel kne,
his attitude towards any deviation fror
the right. He was not a loose and cas-
officer. He was kind, but it was within tn
limits of military law. He was sympathetic
but no man, whether high or low, coul,
take any liberties with him touching rule
and regulation, which, by all alike, wer
to be implicitly obeyed.
In his soldier life he was quick to re
form abuses and quick to redress wrongs
And never, by any partial policy or by an
favoritism did he fail to mete out equa
and exact justice to all
And if
| 1.-THE ashes of the just
Lie sweet and blossom in the DUST"
Sure 1 am, that none will be more brigh
and fragrant than those that take thei
strength from the resting place, where on
brother will sleep sweetly. Beloved soul
while the stars burn and the moons in
crease and the great ages onward roll.
But, our friend was more than just. A
surely as the sea is full of water; as surel,
as the sun is full of light; as surely as tn
rose is full of beauty; surely as som
clouds are full of rain, SO surely was hi
heart full of courage. To have frightened
him from his post; to have swerved hin
one inch from the place where duty sale
"stand FAST" would have been no NOR
possible than it is to uproot mountain O.
pull down star. Had he died in battl
it would have been with his face to tn
enemy, and in the unshrinking station
where he fought. But such was not to b,
his fate. He died to inspire others.
And when the night was dark and thu
day was dark, when the old flag was al
tattered and torn, when murmuring souli
were creating waves of discomfort, his faith
''like root grown in rifted rock" KEEP
firmly in its place. He did not s'bate
jot of heart or hope, but still bore up anc
steered right onward" constraining one
| and another to say
I SO hroro FaIio