The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-05-17
GRAFTON that quit the earth! Tears fell

GRAFTON that quit the earth! Tears fell
at the time of their going, and dirges
were sounded, and signals Of mourn
ing were put on, but neither tears nor
dtrge nor Somber veil told the half we
felt. Their going left a vacancy in our
souls that has never filed up. We
never get used to their absence. There
are times when the sight Of something
with which they were associated-a
lplcture, or book, or 4 garment, or q
statf-breaRs us down with emotion,
but we bear 1T simply because we have
TO bear it. On, how snowy white their
hair got, and how the wrinkles multi.
pied, and the sight grew more dim,
ana the hearing less alert, and the
sCep more frail, and one day they were
gone out OF the chair by the lireside,
and from the plate at the meal. and
from the end Of the church pew, where
Chey WOrshipped with usl 0 my soul,
how we missed them! But let us con
sole each other with the thought that
we shall meet them again In the land
| OF salutatiOn and reunion.
And now L twist 4 garland tor that
departed generation. 1t need not be
costly, perhaps just handful of clover
blossoms from the field through which
they used to walk, or as many Violets
as you could hold between the thumb
and the forellnger, plucked out Of the
garden where they used to walk in the
the cool Of the day. Put these old fash.
Toned flowers right down over the heart
that never again will ache, and the feet
tnaC Will never again be weary, and
the arm that has forever ceased to toll.
Peace, fatherl Peace, motherl Everlast-
ing peace! All that for the generation
gone.
But what shall we do with the palm
branchp That We will put in the hand
OF the generation coming on. Yours is
TO be the generation for victories. The
last and the present generations have
been pertectlng the steam power, and
the electric light, and the electic forces
10 these will be added transportation.
1t Will be your mission to use all these
forces. Everything is ready now for
you to march right up and take this
world for God and heaven. Get your
heart right by repentance and the
pardoning grace OF the Lord Jesus,
and your mind right by elevattng book
and pictures, and your body right by
gymnasium and field exercise and
plenty of ozone, and by locking IS often
as you can upon the face of the NOUN
tain and of sea. Then start! In Coos |
name start! And hero is tho palm |
branch. From conquest to CONQUEST
move light on and right up. You will |
soon have the whole field for yourself.
Before another 25 years have gone, we
Will be out OF the pulpits, and the Of
llces, and the stores, and the factories.
and the benevolent institutions, and
you will be at the front. Forward in.
to the battle! If God be for you who
can bo against you? "IIe That
spared not his own Son, but deliv-
cred him up for us all, how shall he not
WITH him also freely give us all things?
And for lis who are now at the front,
having put the garland on the grave of
he last generation aud having put the
'alm branch in the hand of the coming
generation, we Will cheer each other in
Ihe remaining onsets and go into the
8hlnlng gate somewhere about the same
lime, and greeted by the generation
hat has preceded us we will have to
walt only little while to greet the
generation that will come after us.
and will not that be glorious? Three
in heaven together-thc
grandfather, the son and the grandson,
the grandmother, the daughter and the
granddaughter. And so with wider
range aud keener faculty we shall re-
allZe the full Significance of the text, |
"One generation passeth away, and
another generation comoth."