The record-union., 1897-06-18
EMMA FRANCIS WILDER.
An Earnest, SeIf-Sacrificing Woman
Gone to Rest.
Communicated

Communicated
The Woman's Home Missionary So
ciety of the First NJ. E. Church of Syr-
acuse, n. Y, unite in expressing sorrow
for the loss of one of its most faithful
and valued members, and offer loving
tribute of respect to her memory.
1t has been said that a true life is
its own best eulogy. and the multiple
cation of words of praise, be they ever
so sincere, can add but little to the
halo that surrounds the memory of
those who, beloved of God, have fin
ished their course and gone from. toll
| TO reward.
On the morning of April Il, 1897, a
true life closed on earth, and Emma
F. Wilder entered into rest. Longingly
we trace her flight from the dim shad-
ows of earth to the brightness of that
eternal glory beyond.
! But
! We only know that calm and still
| She sleeps beyond life's woe and toll.
Beyond the fleet of sailing clouds,
! Beyond the shadow of the vale
| We only feel that tired and worn,
! We halt upon the highway bare,
| And gaze with yearning eyes beyond
| To fields that bloom supremacy fair.
In the early days of our acquaintance
we recall her rich gifts of song. and
who that has known her can fail to
associate with her memory that grand
| hymn of invocation, Holy Spirit,
Heavenly Guide" or Guide Me, Oh!
Thou Great jehovah? Then, when low
and sweet she sang of loving kind
ness. oh, how great
| He safely leads my soul along,
| His loving kindness, Oh, how strong,
/ So strong to lead her on the way
| TO that eternal better day,
| Nv here safe at last in that bleSt home,
All care and WEAKNESS are gone;
| She sings with rapture and surprise
| His loving kindness in the skies"
Added to this rare gift of song was
an appreciation and intense love of the
| beautiful, especially of flowers. During
a residence in California of several
years this ardent love found abundant
| fulfillment in the luxuriant growth of
that climate, and every letter conveyed
something suggestive of their rare
! beauty She said once: "Oh, that I
could I'LL the pulpit and altar of the
dear old First Church with roses this
| Sabbath morning, for they are so
rlenteous and grow in great hedge
/ rows, almost uncared for"
! After her return to this city a Flower
| Mission was established, and often and
again she climbed dingy stairs and
penetrated dark alleyways to brighten
| the tenements of the poor with their
fragrant silent ministry.
Who can estimate the joy she now
shares?
Where angels walk and seraphs are the
.Wardens;
Where every flower brought safe through
deaths dark portal
| Becomes immortal"
| But the browning beauty of her char
acter was the unseldshness of a life
| devoted to the poor and needy in re-
| leving their necessities, encoura ging
and stimulating their efforts in we'll
doing, and not sparing reproof and
admonition when needful. While in
Sacramento she found ample oppor-
tunity for the exercise of this absorb
! ing desire to benefit others by becom-
| ing a teacher among the Chinese. Her
| success was manifest in their regrets
at her departure from them, for they
| possessed in her not only teacher,
| but a true friend. How much of palms.
taking and patience were required in
this work we cannot know any more
than results can be estimated until all
| things are made plain. But to her the
work was a delight and no WEAKNESS
of body or allurement of pleasure could
! turn her from it.
| 1t is written that in olden days there
were angels who came and took men
by the hand and led them away from
the city of destruction We see no
White-winged angels now, but yet men
are led away from destruction A hand
Is put in theirs which leads them forth
gently toward calm and bright land
so they look no more backward and the
| hand may be the toll, worm loving one
that guided their childhood-a mothers
hand.
We may wonder at times why God
often chooses gifted souls to walk the
| loWly paths of earth. May it not ap-
pear in the final reckoning, when He
shall say to these: II was a-hungered.
and We gave me meat; L was thirsty,
and We gave me drink; / was naked.
and we clothed me: | was sick, and We
visited me; l was in prison, and We
| came unto me. Inasmuch as We have
| done it TO the least of these, We have
| done it unto me-"
| G. Y. WILLARD.
|