The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-07

Or. Lockwood preached speclai
sern,on TO the old people Of his congfe-
ration Yesterday morning. The music
nndar the direction of Madame sven
son was beautiful and appropriate -
the occasion. 49,,
mr. lockwood took for his text Aech-
~: But it shall come to pass that al
evening time it shall be light" de sald
in part: ...,,a
The inspired writer tells US that tne
hoary head is a crown OF glory Il - i,
he found in the way of righteousness,
and If is because we believe TINS NJ
sal,u tI,st We are assembled here this
morning 10 honor the gray hairs OF our
fathers and our mothers I'D many re-
s,,eats the Chinese are worthy OF o1f
high esteem and admiration, anu II
none more so than in their reverence
for the aged. With them when q
-,sar,s,, il voune and beautiful she IS
dnomed TO toll and neglect, but Whea
She is CID she is assigned the hlShest
Mace of influence and honor IN the
household. The emperor is held IN very
high reverence, but the emperor >
mother is accorded still higher hoilors.
The chief room IN a mouse OF Z >,
man is called the hall of ancestors
The pictures and tablets of their fore
fathers being placed here and wof-
christianity is not one whit behind
the most enlightened religious falth IN
its injunctions to the young anu VIZ.
otls 10 revere and protect the aged; but
IL is TO be feared that in America we
do not honor and respect our aged rel
atiVeS and friends as we shoulc. {
are too prone to bow at the SHRINE OF
youth, and to enthrone beauty raenei
than wisdom and discretion. But What-
ever may have been the faults OF others
or whafeyer our own delinquencies in
the past. it is our purpose this morn
ing to crown wisdom, and TO honor olG
age with flowers and speech ana song
And after ell old age is glorious
estatei Today has sprung from yester-
dav: whatever of strength or 'oeauty
the present holds we owe TO the past,
But for the labor and sacrifice and
heroism of YOU who sit in the evening
twilight with folded hands and some
times with lowly heart, awaiting the
summons from on high, we who eXuit
in our freshness, our vigor and our
proves would never have been able 10
stand upon the vantage ground which
we occupy and look off over the fair
field of conquest that stretches before
US. All honor 10 your gray locks. As
we gaze upon the bowed head and the
bent form of age we are reminded or
z
ing acts of tenderness performed Tor US
and for the veal of our good nation.
Every furrow upon that beniSnant
brow is the record of some sorrow en-
dured for the good of others, and every
silver hair upon that honored head
marks some grief nobly and silently
borne through all the sad years we
who have prOfited by your pain, and
who. in our thoughtless days, 100 often
added needless sorrow TO your heavy
lead, would be HEorse- than athankless
and unworthy did we not endeavor now
TO smooth your path, and light the
darkening way.
The twilight hour of life is not all
gloon and darkness, as SO many seem
to think,
For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another
dress.
and as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars invisible by
day
Honorable old age has its own pecu-
liar comforts and rare enjoyments- /
sometimes question il any period OF life
is so bright and joyous as radiant old
age.
The light of memory comes to you
at sunset TO gid your evening sky with
the bright colors of youth, that you
thought had faded away forever. We
stand in the heat and tunuit OF life's
battle; the midday sun pours its hot
rays Ditilessly down upon US; the din
Of conflict assails US upon every hand;
we are hot, thirsty, dust-stained, and
trayel-worn, and we sometimes long
for the evening shadows But after
life we'll spent you sit in the cleaning
and call up the scenes of other DAYS.
Across the deep gOrges and the bar
ren deserts Of life memories come flock
ing like doves TO their windows, from
che fair fields and the unclouded skies
OF Childhood. II IS one OF the most
benign and blessed laws of our soul
life that memory, while it only family
reproduces the Steiner and more bitter
aspects Of human experience, revives
all the softer and more tender scenes of
bysone years, and invests them with
the freshness and beauty that they
were wont TO have OF yore. Just as the
traveller at the close of the day, look
ing back from the door of his tent in
the green oasis over the burnt desert
and the rugged mountains. which, foot
sore and weary, he has traversed dur
ing the day, behOlds now only the pur-
pie haze, the green-robed slopes, and
the snow-clad mountain heights. so
memory fingers most upon scenes OF
happiness and conquest, erasing from
the picture all that marreG, distorted
and embittered the past You VINO
stand almost upon the Threshold Of
ceiVe you into eternity, as you look
back over LIES stormy scenes reject
whatever has been harsh and nainful.
but you welcome and entertain IN the
warm halls of memory all that was
pure, sweet and wholesome. in the
years that have fed. Once more YOU
are a child at your mothers knee. Once
more the fire cracl1les on the hearth
while the storm RACES without. once
more you spend the long winter even
ing with song, and game and story.
once more. before the good night kiss
you kneel reverenUy while father in
VoSes the divine blessing: renders
thanks for the benefits of another day:
and commends You and ali your loved
ones TO the watchful care of Him who
never sleeps or forgets. You recall and
live over again the halcynn DAYS OF
dreams, the towering aspirations, the
brilliant and unsuilied ideals that You
cherished in those far-oil-years. ara
you almost forget How. 50 blended are
the Diists Of age with the rosy hues OF
youth, that you failed TO accomplish all
of the mighty deeds of wlich yea
thought and dreamed. Surely gloom
and darkness cannot overtake the aged
pilgrim 50 loES as gracious memory
walks beside him and Yields her magic
wand.
The declining pathway of life is also
illuminated BY the activities of the in-
te.lscy. Il Is enc &c the prophecies of
Immortality tHal the mind never grows
Old The body may bend. the eyes may
Idil, and the voice may trem5ls. but
the spirit looks bravely eut from its
weather beaze1 home without fear or