The Portland daily press., 1896-07-03
ENGINEER ALLEN.
His Funeral Services Solemnized at the
First Parish.

FIrSG FaF1Sns
A Large Attendance of Railroad Men,
Masons and Well known Citizens
Beautiful Floral Tributes-Remariks by
Rev. j. c. Perkins.
The funeral services of tho late William
| A. Allen, chief engineer of the Maine
Central Railroad, took place at the First
Parish church yesterday afternoon. There
| was very large attendance, which en-
braced great many of the employees Of
the Maine Central both in and out of
town, and included President Wilson.
| Vice President Tucker. the heads of de-
partments and other employees. There
was also aslarge representation from the
! Masonic order, and other societies with
which Mr.. Allen was connected. There
was also large number of ladies present.
The family and relatives of the deceased
occupied the parish house, and the doors
| into he church were thrown open, SO
| that the service could be heard by them
| perfectly.
The services were brief and simple.
Rev. John Carroll Perkins read portions
of the scriptures and Rev.C. W. Parsons,
D. D., of the Chestnut Street church,
offered prayer. Rev. Mr.. Perkins then
delivered the following eloquent address
upon the deceased:
There is nothing hard or fearful in
death itself. We die Just as naturally as
we live Probably If we could under
stand it fully we might behold death as
simply one of the steps in life. Certainly
bring larger responsibility than does
life itself.
The Fathers house is mansioned fair
Beyond my vision dim;
All souls are His, and here or there
Are living unto Him.
There is nothing more satisfying to the
| imagination, more peacegiving, more
elevating to life than death is when the
| ripeness of old age has been fulfilled.
The days of our years are three score
and ten.o We are satisfied with that
word of old. And, then, though we are
called to walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, we know that the
Father is with us, and that 10 evil Gun
touch our soul. Nay. rather is the sum-
mons that comes in the fullness OF time,
harbfnger of joy. Our hearts go out In
sympathy with the ancient Hebrew,
wose hideal found expression in the
words, with long life will satisfy him
and show him my salvation" Such is
the purpose of God.
. But it is not easy, our Imagination is
shocked our hearts are made sad. when
| the vision of a sudden death il seen in
the midst of the strength of young man
hood. long before the season for loosening
the silver cord and breaking the golden
bowl.
Such was the sad shock that overlook
the life of our CITY, our community, our
state en- the twenty first day of the
month Of March. The early spring
brought an untimely harvest of startling
sorrow and pain into our midst. Time
and again the hand Of death snatched
away with seeming ruthless eagerness
the lives of our dearest and most re-
spected citizens We came to wonder,
whom would God require yet? On that
day, when our friend, in whose memory
we are here at this present hour, went
| from US, he himself had said, just before
he took that fatal train, how many SUD
den deaths there are;; we cannot tell who
| will go next. Hescould not know that
God would take his life from him. Yet
not from him, except to make the world
| ly. life of larger scope; it is we who re-
manned, that missed that life and felt
loss no words could then, nor can they
now express. And in these days OF wait
ing, from that hourstill this, 1t is as if
he had not died; ana yet again, it is as
If each day he died and we. were called
upOnsto know the loss. And we have
suffered together; family, city, state-a
| host of friends, united in their sorrow by
the power Of the spirit of man, who
consecrated the bonds of friendship; who
had found the paths to many hearts; who
| had ezemplifed in his own life and slim
ulated in the lives of others those condi-
tions that are the glory of the world.
This was no ordinary spirit.
:. 1t is DO easy thing to estimate the
lives of men. This is the part of God and
not task for US. For often we are led
away as the writer of the Book of
! Samuel said men were: ''For the Lord
seeth not as man seath; for man looketh
upon the outward appearance, but the
Lord looketh upon the heart" There are
men among US, however, who teach us
not to look other than upon their heart,
| and in that look are revealed visions of
| the truest manhood.
| Suchsa heart was this that beat with
pure and noble strength. and was ready
to makeseach pulse throb serve g. worthy
part in living. Beneath an unassuming
bearing, at tho source Of simple modest
demeanor, behind quiet, but genuine
manner, was strength of character, q
holiness Of purpose, q sense of the true,
| the highest value of life, respect for
duty, keen appreciation of the finer
determinations of business integrity and
honesty such as mon are rarely able to
attain.
These are tho qualities that leave their
imprint clear in the midst OF the busy
| life of men. Such characteristics are at
the source of these living springs Of
| human conduct. which flow out of the
| bosom of Gods mercy and give refresh
ment to the world. The greatest reyela-
ton Of God to men is through the lives
of men. No civilization is secure, no
state can stand unless the men who hold
the places of trust in our common social
and businessSlife, have sense OF the
seriousness Of what is true and good are