The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-30
THE SKY WEEPS.
CONTINUED from First Page.1


or a hope in the soul, they each were
fashioned to subserVe some sovereign
viii 1T is the design in creation that
marks the hand that made all Things
as divinely Omuiscient. The placing
of hope within the reach and touch
OF every man and son Of man has its
purpose. Tt may not be the direct
and categorical answer to this constant
question of mankind. 1t is better
than an answer. It is the same re-
Spouse that is given TO any other ques-
ton in nature How does the tree
GROVE How does it green its leaves.
Where listeth the winds2 Are the stars
peopIed2 What IS electricity w hat
EusLains the sung Mo taught the ant
to provide i'm summer her food for win
ter2 and endless others With nope
the hereafter becomes an In
teIIigent and luminous mystery.
IF to this lamp of hope we
seek the one great Book Of books and
believe in its truths. that there IS an
Immortality of the soul, to the ns at
that already iliumes the cabin wherein
are the dragons of doubt and the mon
STEERS of fear, we add the steady cheer
of the lamp of faith
There is poteniality beyond this
life. ft Us felt i'm every buOyant step
we take; in every kindly act We do IN
every good word we utter There could
be within our mortal horizon
OF vision no reason for life
here If it shall end here; if
the highest. greatest grandest mechan-
ism of creation has no lOfuer end than
to terminate in q broken column or
be at last wrecked into a blasted rum
That opens the page with eternal hope
and closes iii in eternal oblivion; that
nigh endeavOr. worthy the guerdOn of
immortal pleasure, shall meet with
summary humiliation That brave
deeds are on the low level of the body
that dies. decays and becomes food Tor
the worms, its residuum to at last
mingle with imponderable undistin-
guished dust of the worlds ages, to be
blown by the winds and even settle
upon the parlOr chairs busted by the
h0usemafd in her daily round of duty.
That there is a life hereafter is the
only reward for dying i'm a battle for
a good cause. There is no necessity
for the existence of a hell in the life
or death OF a Christian AZ IS nor
factor in his salvation IF the plan Of
salvation is true. it is not the fear OF
torment that peoples heaven and II
there were, orthodox and literal, q
place where eternal punishments are
melted out. SO long as the thief on the
cross obtains pardon i'm the last mo
ment of his dire extremity after life
of crime, I cannot but believe as do
in my own existence. that beside i'm
mortality the dead soldier, for the ions
years of bis devotion to duty. finally
ending it with a sacrifice of life itself
In the boundIess mercy of the Almighty.
shall hrd entrance beneath the sunit
gates of heaven may roam down It's
alleys lined with nard and cassiat
battle In its cool streams, pluck IT'S ltl-
mortal flowers and assemble ON its
green slopes and beneath its umbra-
geous shades to listen to comrades
here extol their worth and sing the
beggarly strains of earthly melodies
around their husks which we reVerent-
deuOminate as graves The soldiers
justification for taking his life in his
hands. i'm defending a. government Of
the people against the assault OF
thrones for all time, is that death is
the birth of life hereafter; to suffer
here is to enjoy there. and that, by the
process and alchemy or universal
good. the bitter here shall be the sweet
over yOnder. There is no other solution
that has reason in it, The springs
of human action TO urge man on to
accomplish brave deeds would be Who'll
~ wanting if some grim icOnOcIast
could upset the pedestal on which rests
quench their light forever. The Koran
fnculcates death i'm battle as the easy
entrance and shortest way to he<2 Tens
and MOslem though he be, in the last
ditch of a bad cause. his valor as
soldier is best known by the foe that
fr0nted him in battle.
The telephone. photograph and the
cathode photograph were, but a brief
period ago. as profound mysteries a.
is now the problem of the human soul
We may we'll believe, and act on
that belief, that nature is a great res
ervoir of undiscovered truth. nigh all
of which eludes us, and is beyond our
comprehension to be proven by actual
demonstration. All nature is myster-
which supplies may be drawn by all
the endless generations of men, and
stiI not trench upon its stores 1t is
the known that has no significance
a solved mystery becomes common
place. lit is the grandeur of our eX-
istence that we may grope our way,
penetrating one mystery solving an
other, ON our ceaseless course, conf
dent that as they are explored and
fathOmed they range themselves along
with the whole encyclopedia of we'll
ordered and reasonable things, created
for an object, subservient to law. and
in origin. extent and purpose high as
heaven and mighty as their Creator.
Decoration day is q fit time to discuss
this. The day was intended to be di-
vorCed from business and all the kind
Tier elements in the man We're intended
10 have free play The flag is a symbol;
these graves a sentiment The cross is
m5ghtier than a throne.A crusade to sat
isfy a sentiment has been greater than
fatigue, or wounds, or death. This ma
ton dies when its sentiment dies. This
day should teach higher citizenship;
that IL is a high grade of honor In the
man who spurns his own interests to
espOuse the cause of his country And
to the young the lesson should be told
with all the emphasis and elOQuence
which dare burden a human lip. that
the dead soldier lives lin our memories.
his Valor is in the sunshine of our nag.
and his victories are envelOped in the
smoke of our ascending incense Islam
does no more than the Greek or Roman
NA-++ ------ -- eA-A- A-llAllAlL --lee were
laid by human hands on the dead war
riors' tomhs. Beyond was Elysium
tempting them on with lures of an its
unspeakahle treasures to those who
dare seek and find death fn opposing
the enemy of his tribe. clan or country
The great federal union. the great peo-
pie who compose this union. these pha-
lanXes, this armament of states. have
poured upon these soldiers. living or
dead, flood of gratitude. And today.
wherever our banner is lifted this
FnfGHfW nannIa invoices 30 -T.,|
Arm that in some celestial pantheon
their names, like AbOu Ben Adams
name may there be writ and there be
coubly blest. The men whose graves
- Il. - II