The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-31
Funeral of DR.. william Lawrence Dana.

Funeral of DIR. William Lawrence Dana.
The funeral of DR.. William Lawrence
Dana took place from the residence of
his father on Statesstreet, yesterday after
noon, and the spacious residence was all
too small to accommodate his many
friends Not only was almost the entire
medical, profession present in a., body, but
numbers of gentlemen prominent in the
other professions and in mercantile life,
besides his many friends in State street
church, who had assembled to pay their
last tribute of respect to one whose many
virtues had endeared him to all who
knew him. There were many ladies pres
emit also.
The services began with singing of the
beautiful hymn: "Angels of Jesus,
Angels of Love-" by the State street choir
quartette, after which Rev. DR.. Jenkins
read the scriptural burial service. DIR.
jenkins then said:
There is nothing in English literature
more sure of enduring than the letter
written to noble lord by Mr.. Burke, IS
months after the death of his only son.
The letter cannot perish, for it is made
up of words that the world will not will
ingly let die. These deathless words are
sacred urns keeping safe paternaI love
and paternal sorrow. And SO long as
these remain SO long will remain the
words which the Great Statesman ex-
pressed the love and sorrow he felt as
father.
The letter must endure because the oc-
casion of it, is one that makes strong i'm
preston upon all men. Every death has
its own mystery, it's own pain, but uni
versally and constructively the death Of a
young man equipped for and entering
upon chosen work, takes to itself a deep
er cloud of mystery and cuts all hearts
with pain of keener edge.
1t was most natural that on hear
ing of the death of Dr. Dana, the inte1li-
gence was attended with a thought of
Mr.. Burke's letter which in my college
days l had been asked to read and COM
ment upon and which since then has
been read and re-read. Perhaps, too, with
me, as with so many others, a first
thought was of DIR. Dana s father, and
I knew at once that the pain he must
suffer was the same pain the Englishman
suffered an hundred years ago. Even in
particulars are these century separated
experiences the same. The Englishmans
son is thus described by his father: ''He
had in himself salient, loving spring Of
generous and manly action DIR. Dana's
professional associates bear this testimony
concerning him. "A true, clean, upright
young man whose virtues were virtues
which go to make up a manly man."
A Hebrew poet would have said that
with his clean hands and pure heart he
was worthy to ascend the Holy Hill and
dwell in the Holy Tabernacle I recollect
another sentence from Mr.. Burke's letter.
He writes: cat this exigent moment
the loss of finished man is not easily
supplied" Is not every moment an ext
gent moment when the loss of finished
man is not easily supplied? Yet some
moments may be more exigent than 9TH
ers. Some conditions may require fin
ished men more than others. Our time
is an exigent time. 1t is time of haste;
few who begin to build finish. All pro-
fessions, all colleges, are crowded with
men in haste to be rich, and SO anxious
to take up a lifework, before finished for
it. Fortune and choice enabled DIR. Dana
to qualify himself for his high calling.
He was professionally finished man, one
whose loss is not easily supplied. The
/ finished man is more than a specialist
He does not cultivate one gift, neglecting
all others, but cares suitably for ALL No
part of his garden runs to weeds and
waste.
Devoted to his profession DR.. Dana had
many varied interests and SO gave
promise of large usefulness. His profess
sional associates say his potential value
as citizen can scarcely be realized at
this time. The real life of man is the life
withdrawn from public gaze. The test
that reveals finish or defect is this con.
cealed life. He who is faithful as son and
brother, whose praise is from those of the
same household, he is the man that stands
unabashed before kings. And of the death
OF finished man, what more or other can
be said than Mr.. Burke said: ga Dis
penser whose powers we are little able
to resist and whose will it
behoves us not at all to
dispute has ordered it, The friends
gathered here would gladly do for those
suffering most, more than is possible.
They take what is possible of the sore op-
pressive burden and bear it, SO fulfilling
the law of Christ. They make supplica-
ton to the God of all comfort for the
comfort needed and which he only can
give. They recall the words of great
king sorrowing over sons death, 'I
shall go to him, but he will not return
to me. /" They bid our friends cherish
the hope that somewhere and sometime in
the Many Mansioned Home of the Father
hey shall see the face they loved SO
long and lost awhile.
The quartette then sang 80 Paradise y
after which DIR. Jenkins offered prayer,
followed by the recital of "The Lord Is
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