Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-08-16
The following is the address read at
the grave of Mrs. Iona Vlebahn by
Mra I L Inchnnnd.


the grave of Mrs. Iona Vlebahn by
Mrs. f. L. Lachmund:
Of all religious rites. the one that has most
firmly held it's own in this age of SkepticiSm,
is the rite of burial. We try to explain our
desire to meet at the grave of q loved one, by
saying that we wish to pay the last hOnOrS 10
the dead. The friend whom we to-day lay in
her last resting place, has been SO hOnored by
her life that no eulOgy OF ours can add to its
luStre.
Hence it seems to me better that we should
dweh on the lesson her life teaches us. What
was the secret of her power over us What
had she TO offer that drew such hosts of
friends Why are, we interested in each
other simply from the fact that we also knew
her? The answer to all this is the divine love
that filled her being. 1t was a love so great
that 1T shut out all vanity, all pride, all con-
ceit. 1t kept her life grandly simple and
childlike-sO simple that we took her ways as
matter of course; we yielded to her charm
without thinking of the cause. Her goodness
was spontaneous; it was never the outcome
of conflict with lower, earthly motives, but
flowed freely and naturally like the river to
the sea. This. then, is one lesson she has
taught US: 1.-The kingdom of Heaven is with
in you" and, except ye become as little
children ye cannot enter into the kingdom of
Heaven"
that refined her perceptions; it gave her the
key to the understanding of our inmost ma
lures. lnstinctively, the sOrrow-laden heart
has turned to her and found rest and
strength. Help has come from her without
condescension, without Ostentation, gently
and noiselessy as the dew comes to the rose.
Christ-iike in this she has taught us the deep
er significance of His words. "COme unto me
all ye that labor and are heavy laden and [
will give you rest"
Hers was q lOve-bOrn intelligence, beside
which the mere learning of the schools seem
ed petty, almost contemplate. In her life
we realize that no education that neglects
the proper cultivation of the feelings is
worthy of the name. The comma nd, "Seek
ye first the kingdom of Heaven and all else
Will be added unto you. has the same force
to-day that it had eighteen hundred years
ago.
And we, who are fretted and anxious about
the success of our lives, do we ask, WAS her
life a success" Emerson gives us the answer
when he says, ''There is no success like sue
cess in the ethics of friendship We have
seen in her the friend
- that in an atmosphere
Warm with alIinspiratiOns dear
Wherein we draw the large free breath
OF life that has no taint of death"
In the presence of such q life it is idle to
question her religion; rather let us ask how
it has helped ours. In the light of her eye, in
the smile, Oh her face, in the tone Of her
voice, in the love of her heart we have seen
God in the highest form in which it is vOuch-
safed to mortal man to see Him.
THE dear Lords best Interpreters
Are humble human souls;
The Gospel of life like hers
Is more than book or scrolls.
From scheme and creed the light goes out,
The sanity fact survives;
The blessed Master none can doubt
Revealed in holy lives"
And again her love and her aspirations
many of them unfulfilled, the very reason
that they were unfulh1led are our argument
for immortality. What has been so great so
far removed from wOrldliness and earthli-
Although now that she is gone the sunlight
seems less bright, it's rays less warm. and
music seems hushed, we shall not settle down
to idle, selfish grief.
For having known her shall he a little
| less self1sh-a little more tender toward each
| other q little quicker in our sympathy. We
and warmth and joyousness which it has
| been our blessed privilege to share. So shall
! the world grow more lovely for the presence
! in it of one beautiful soul. We shall see that
| what unites man to man is the divinity in
each of us; there will be no human being be-
| yOnd the pale of our sympathy. we shall
mount to clearer, nobler conception OF God
| as Goodness; to deeper love for Him. We
| shall more readily recognize Him as the
| source of all, and hence that all is good. What
! we nave regarded as evil, as pain is but edu-
| catiOnal, is but the fire that purges the soul
| OF its drOSs; and we shall learn to say rever-
| emily and joyously, "Thy will be DONE" Then
| will come to us the serene peace that Whit
| tier felt when he wrote:
| II see the wrong that around me lies,
| feel the guilt within;
| | hear with givan and travail cries
| The world confess its sin.
Yet in the maddening maze of things
! And tossed by storm and flood,
| To one fixed stake my spirit clings;
| ~ know that God is good!
| I long for the household voices gone
| For vanished smiles | long,
| But God hath led my dear ores on
| And He can do no wrong.
I know not what the future hath
| Of marvel or surprise,
Assured alone that life and death
| His mercy underlies.
| And if my heart and flesh are weak
| To bear an untried pain,
| The bruised reed he can not break,
! But strengthen and sustain.
No Offering of my own have
Nor works my faith to prove;
can but give the gifts He gave
And plead His love for love.
And so beside the Silent Sea
| I wait the mutt1ed oar,
| No harm from Him can come to me
On ocean or on shore
know not where His islands lift
Their fronded palms in air;
I only know / cannot drift
Beyond His love and care.
/ SPECIAL HARVEST EXCURSIONS.
On August %, September 10 and Oc.
tober II, the Chicago, Milwaukee & ST.
Paul Railway company, will sell spe-