Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1896-07-17

toll aud made generous. Kind and Iende
Of heart by peril aud watchiul care o
Others; who share the fruits oftheir tot
with these whom they MEET in short sue
ocssive iurloughs, ever interrupted 10y
sudden departures and who. like their
engines, (which seem 20 them Co Iclivina
leings aud lur which the driver las q
ioud ailccIiuni, strong IS they are. wear
out by ih'ir lively fractional employ,
ment. Many like their machines go sud.
denly, aud while yet cxtcrnaleyidenccs ui
failure have scarcely been discovered. Oh
such was our friend. who belonged to q
class concerning which much that would
be interesting might he said, but il is of
the dead one We are now moved to
speak.
II is true that what Is said Of the
dead is matter ofentire indifference to
them. They are beyond censure or praise.
To be pleasantly remembered and spoken
of after ones death seems to the pros
pectiye subject OF such memories, in the
minds al some, important to the object
on which such sentiments are bestowed
This is mere fancy, imagination. So far
as It is a pleasing anticipation to the in
dividual while living it is well to enjoyit.
But when speaking of the dead. to con-
slider that we are speaking in their be-
half in any sense seems idle. Let imagi-
nation make these things seem as it may
an apostrophe to the dead is in fact but
addressing the living by indirection. But
the memory of the good that men do in
their lives should I've sacredly preserved
by the living and for the living. All the
pleasing associations, kind and charita-
BILE deeds, Just aud faithful actions Of
those gone should continue to warm,
cheer and correc' their survivors. Other
wise the teachings, the merits, the
worth excellence and even the glory of
the past would be lost. Among the tests
of how much and how favorable Consid-
Grafton shall be bestowed on man as he
goes out of the world is the inquiry how
much good did his life bring into the
world as compared with what he got
from it in return: This is not a cold
commercial calculation, but a warm ger
erous and just measurement of a good
mans lite. The good is only valuable
and that only ought to be taken account
of, for memories good and bad each breed
their kind in their influence on the living
These reflections are the natural in
duCements which lead TO thoughts sug-
gested by the recent death of our friend,
and which by reason of his usefulness to
the community, faithful care of his family,
sound, healthy and strong society and
industrial relations has occasioned an
universal sadness. As some OF the incest
and most excellent things in nature are
found in humility, so are some OF the
most commendable actions OF men found
in humble life. To say that man has
been industrious all his life, that he has
been frugal and thrifty, that he has re-
garded and practiced consistently and
with respect all the family and society
relations with which he came in contact,
that the restraining influence of the law
has never been invoked through any ir-
regularity of his life, that he has neither
by himself nor any of his dependents
rested in any way as a burden on any
spot on which he made a local habita-
ton. thus adding to the aggregate wealth
aud comfort of his town, that he has
met all his Obligations in his individual
transactions, and that without hope OF
glory in the darkest hour OF his country S
peril he left the harmonious and genial
conditions OF peaceful life to face the
storms and perils of war, is much to say
of any man. But all this can truthfully
| be said concerning our friend who has
lust left us. All his life he labored, and
his efforts were productive. He went
away before he was n burden to any hu.
man being. True to wife, children and
friends, they sadly grieve at their un,
expected separation from him. But let
them reflect that they cannot wish their
grief was less without wishing that he
was less worthy of their sad affection
No mans lie can be more successful than
that of him the plain statement OF whose
qualities or the simple story of whose litt
is his highest eulOgy. D.