Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-07

in the presence of this great mystery
and wonder what II all means.
It's only before death
And not i'll death
That death Is death.
This we all know, that in the great
economy of the Creator there is no
waste We look into nature and there
we see an infinite world throbbing with
life. \ meteor flashes across the sky
and men tremble. On and on it whirlS
through space, accumulatlng power
and form as il flies, until at last another
world is travelling with the speed of
lightning And then the Almighty
breathes into man his own image and
attributes; and behold, a world is born.
In the lily, too, we see how the Creator
brings life out of death. In the SUM-
mer, as We walk through the valley, at
the foot of the mountain the air Is full
of the perfume of the lily and the rose.
In the autumn the lily grows pale; the
cold winds of winter come on the wings
OF the tempest from the mountain top
of perpetual snow, bowling through the
canons, and the lily falls to the earth,
bllghted and dead. But it is not this
with the departed whose demise is
mourned today. The full-bloomed lily
had erected its head i'll its full prime
and beauty, and the cold blast of win
ter was far away; when 10, Death, from
whose deadly touch We all do shrink,
places his icy hand upon the lily and
il dies. And while those he leaves be-
hind may mourn, we believe II John
could speak to them through unfath-
omabe space, he would tell them there
is no death, but that from this into
another life the soul moves on.
Ii John Nj. Ruge had lived until
Monday, March 9Th, he would have
seen his 22d birthday. lie was born i'll
Plymouth, and attended our public
school in his boyhood days. At school
he gave evidence of desire to educate
himself for the events of life and re-
ceived good education, preparatory to
entering upon mercantile pursuits.
In 1890, at the age of IL, he entered
the dry goods store of Mr.. II. kloepfer
From the first he showed disposition
to lay hold of the work in a manner
that would not only give satisfac-
ton to his employer, but fit him for
positions of trust. Here is where he
showed his sterling qualities. lie was
always courteous and pleasant, seeing
with that instinct that denotes the self
gained the entire confidence of his EN-.
ployer, who today will say: John
Ruge was the best boy L ever had in
my store" A tribute, though few in
words, is a jewel worth striving for.
Last March the first indication Of
that dread disease, consumption, man
ifested itself. John Immediately went
to Washington, ID. c., where his sister
Mrs. w. &. BOtsch, resided, in hopes of
allaying the pronounced symptoms
The benefit he hoped TO receive was
not satisfactory and he returned t.
Plymouth last July.
Last October he was compelled to re
main in the house and since that time
he gradually became weaker, unit
about month ago, when he took to hi,
bed.
Thursday night Mr.. kleopfer, his oil,
employer, was told that John de
desired to see him. lie repaired i'm
mediately To the stricken home, an,
was soon at the bed side of the dying
young man. lie took Mr.. kleopfer b.
the hand and told him that he desire,
to bid him good bye as he was about t
leave this world He called the mem
bers of the family around his bed an,
affectlonately bid them each good bye
and at I 1: 30 the wearied spirit left tn
tenement Of clay and returned to Go
who gave it.
Mrs. AngeIine Staley.