Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-06-15
A Beautiful Tribute,

A Beautiful Tribute.
The following just, and beautiful tri-
butte to the memory Of the late wife of
G. w. Hitchcock, Of this city, who recent
ly died at Ponca, Nebraska, appearing
in the Northen Journal, will be appre-
ciated by our local readers, many of
whom having made her acquaintance
while visiting in this place:
"On Decoration day, just before the
veterans Of the Grand Army has assem-
bled to do honor to the nations dead,
WAS laid to rest in our cemetery one who
had long dwell among US, one whose
christian life had endeared her to
large circle of friends and acquaintances.
whose death left ali irreparable loss to
our community, and whose mortal re-
mains were most appropriately consign-
ed to earth on the solemn funeral day
Of the nation, the day conscreated 10 the
memory Of the heroic dead The two
grandest traits Of American citizenship,
religion and patriotism predominated in
the mind of Mrs Hitchcock. No veter-
of brave men who died for the cause
was animated 10y more intense or more
enduring love of country. Mrs. Hitch
cock was intensely patriotic. In the
fullest, most complete aud American
sense, was she worthy member of thai
other G.and army, the grand army Of
American women, the mothers, wives
and sisters of our country, and so most
appropriately was she laid TO rest on the
day she loved SO well, the day associat-
ed with the nations's glory with patriot
ic consecretion, with strewing our ceme-
teries with flowers, with contemplation
Of the nations present condition, it's
past dangers and its future prospects
and perils.
"Mrs. Hitchcock possessed urusuAl
force Of character. Hers was deep
nature that calmly pursued the even te-
nor Of its way. With her there were
two paths--the right and the wrong.
There was no midway road. She utter
ly ignored any compromise with wrong.
There was but one path her feet follow
ed-the narrow way that leads to life
immortal. taking the bible as her guide
from childhood to youth, from youth to
mature age. She followed where it led,
so that at the end she could say, "Thy
word has been lamp to my feet and q
guide to my path.
Mrs. Hitchcock had keen appre-
citation Of the value of life. She was
ambitious III the highest sense Of the
word. She was anxious to do the great
est possible amount Of good. Undoubt-
edly she would have desired long life.
so that as far as this mortal span of life
permits she might realize the great pos
sible attainments of the future age.
"she was endowed by nature with a
keen sense Of the beautiful in literature,
art and all that pertains to intellectual
life. But while realizing the great things
of existence endowed with unusual
mental capacity TO appreciate and enjoy
them, she was ready to obey the Divine
summons at any time. At 8 o'clock
Tuesday morning. May %, she was one
Of The servants watching and ready for
her masters GALL. She heard the Divine
voice she obeyed and followed and the
morning ushered in sickness and pain
on earth was followed by an everlasting
day Of transcendent bliss in Heaven.
"A beautiful life is ended. In attempt
to describe it, We realize the inadequacy
of words. Some thoughts are too holy
for expression. Some memories lingeI
in the innermost recesses Of the cham
bers Of the soul. We rejoice in them
We exult in their power. They are SC
real that they lift US above the things
of time and sense, but they are so subtle
as to elude the grasp Of words. Gu,
nearest friends could not comprehend
them. We are powerless to make them
comprehensive in words of human
speech. So sacred, 80 bright, so beauti-
full are the memories inspired by de.
parted ones that while inexpressibly
consoling and elevating, speech has lost
Its power. "Who can gild refined gold
or paint the lily or add perfume to
violet" So with the exalted beauty o
the christian character just passed from
our midst. We leave it to its violet per
fume. its lilly purity and the refined gold
OF its own excellence.