The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-15

of First Corinthians usually read in
funeral services, containing the words,
80 Death, where is thy sting? o Grave,
where is thy victory2" The choir then
sang without accompaniment, 20 Para
disc, O Paradise" Mrs. Coopers favorite
hymn.
DR.. GEORGE G. Adams led in prayer.
my words" he said. will be very brief.
| can speak only of what have myself
seen. One of the first to greet me by let
ter was the one who wrote tenderly of
Gods work in the church. One OF the
very first to greet me was this woman,
with her longing for peace in Christ.
"Then followed interviews in that home
so full OF Christian experience, interviews
that showed how completely her soul was
engrossed in the work of the Master. Yet
there seemed something mysterious in the
yearning way her heart reached to God, q
mystery that puzzled me till now.
This is a remarkable funeral. Two
lives have passed away and whole city is
in mourning. Flags all over town are at
halfmast. There must needs nave been a
strong and virtuous life behind this. Her
life must have been spent in the clarifying
of God. 1t has been said that he who
makes two blades OF grass grow where
only one grew before is benefactor of
humanity, but she did something more
than that. She brought Joy and the
knowledge of Christ into countless Chris
tian homes; she performed we'll her duty
both to God and man.
1--WE are naturally tempted to ask in a
case like this, who can fill this noble
woman's place? From my experience,
am warranted in saying that God can take
his own a. any time to work in higher
sphere and still leave plenty behind to
continue the labor on earth. God help
you, friends, in following up the work of
uplifting humanity which they have left
undone.o
The choir followed with "In the Blest
Evermore' without accompaniment. The
venerable DR.. J. K. Mclean then arose to
deliver the funeral Grafton and the audi
ence hung with strained attention on
every word. He began slowly and DELHI
erately, speaking with a deep, solemn
conviction, and continued in this manner
to the end. His words were in substance
as follows:
Our dead influence us all the more, simply
because they are dead. All the good that they
have done in life comes to us all the more
clearly now that they have gone away from
us. Their ideals have become reality, 1T
seems, simply because they are no more.
We can never es innate the character of our
friends at all until they have departed from
us through the gateway OF death, for one rea-
son, because there is no reason why we should
sit down and take account of all our friends
qualities and Characters tics while they are
with us. We come in contact with them, one
after another, and enjoy them or criticize
them Ss the case may be, but we never take
them into account in that connection so long
as our friends are with US, but as soon as the
will of Providence is manifested and they are
called away from us that character is set upon
q pedestal and new light is thrown upon It.
Oftentimes we see and admire traits that
had impressed US but slightly in their life
time shall not attempt to speak of all the
traits of character of Mrs. Cooper, in whom
principally our interest centers to-day,
although with most pathetic interest do we
regard that other life and character tn at was
so interviewer with hers. So l shall speak
chiefly of Mrs. Cooper.
have set down certain things that strike
me now and that had impressed me before
AS see these qualities combined they make
in my mind a character of exceeding rare
WORTH qualities rare in themselves and in the
Inclination which is almost extraordinary
Flrstof all was the delicate physical organiza-
ton of Mrs. Cooper. Unusually delicate was she
sically. And inhabiting that physical orga1li-
cation very strikingly did we see wonderful
gentIeness of spirit. She was a gentlewoman
in any and every sense OF that word. All, and
this gentleness of spirit was accompanied
by almost extraordinary affectionateness.
She loved deeply, strongly, permanently.
There was loyalty in her love which meant
much. Deeply, wonderfully aff.ctionate
And resulting from these qualities, in COM
bination comes another as rare. but quality
almost to be dreaded and shrunk from--a spir-
itual sensitiveness to pain and suffering-one
OF those physiques which always very Reenly
feel suffering OF every kind, physically, men
tally, emotionally.
Particularly when combined with the uuali-
ties have already named is strong conyic-
ton, and Mrs. Cooper was woman OF very
strong convictions upon almost every subject,