The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-01
PULPIT EDITORIALS.
Deh,.,ed by Or. Frank Crane at Trinity
Church, Chicago, Preceding the Usual
Sermon sunday, May, 80, 1898.
MEMORIAL DAY.
rCopyrighted. 1S9S.l


second beat mournful time: Man diet
and wasteth away; yea, man giveth a.
the ghost and where is he? As the wa
tiers fail from TIE sea and the flood de
cayeth and drieth up, so man lietl
down and riseth not till the heavens b.
no more"
What is this world?
What but a spacious burial ground un
walled,
strewn with deaths spoils. the spoili
of animals
Savage and tame, and full of dead men.
bones.
The very turf on which we tread once
lived,
And we that live must lend our car
cases
To cover our own offspring. In their
turn
They, too must cover theirs!"
How insignificant am l, are you, in
this ponderous universe! With hurried
steps we rush from the cradle TO the
grave. Like fitting phantom we APP
appear from out the darkness, make a
few wild gestures, and dart behind the
curtains of death. We are forgotten.
The whirl Of life goes on and our de-
parture has been but as a bubble on the
tide. The flying bird leaves no path in
the air, the speeding ship no furrow in
the waves. Drop pebble into the plac-
Id pool; the yielding fluid meets above
II as 1t disappears; a few wavelets play
and widen and die away, and the sur
face is smooth once more. When / die
a few tears will start, a few signs dis
turb the air, a little patch Of clay be
stirred for my 10 no IA
ant pangs Of pain sweep over some dot
ing heart, and soon it is all forgotten.
Here and there in the worlds history
a man more mighty than his fellows
strives TO build some monument that
Will defy oblivion and stand like q
rock amid the surf of time. A pyramid
is built for the name Of Cheops, an OBJ
elisk for Cleopatra, Napoleon raises an
empire, Shakespeare creates a drama.
The flood of years sweep on, and to sue
ceeding generations Cheops is but
strange and barbarous name. Cleo
patra faded memory, Napoleon a rest
less dream, Shakespeare the subject of
antiquarian dispute
II is depressing thought. Ny heart
rebels against il. All humanity pro-
tests. To think that all this bounding
blood, this bursting ambition. this rest
less hope this stormful passion, that is
wrapped up in this package of flesh
shall dissolve like a puff Of smoke! No
wonder that the heather king builds a
Tai Mahal, adorned with gems rich
enough TO buy a kingdom. that he may
thus denounce the obliterauon Of time
and stamp upon the earth the IMPRESS
OF MS personality. No wonder that men
cling TO their religion with fevered anx-
iety' when II whispers 10 them the rap
turous promise Of life-eternal life No
wonder, either, that we gather the
sweetest flowers that blow and cast
their tender beauty on the graves of
our departed friends.
1t is 20 do this that we have instituted
Memorial Day. Time wraps all rho
faults Of the dead i'm the cerements of
charity and buries them i'm secret
graves, saving US only the recollection
Of their virtues. Natures constant Of.
Tort is to clothe the unsightly with the |
beautiful Give the old earth time
enough, and she will spin a web of |
green over every muddy quagmire she |
VIII emboss the oak with turfted lich- |
Ems, mantle the ruined wall with ivy. |
over every wreck with a veil of vines |
ma Knit and spin and weave away tiI |
he last repulsive object is transformed |
o vision Of grace. And so with Time |
md the human heart. The blood. the |
'lckehlng FEAR, the smoke and roar Of |
ne rebellion are gone, and today only |
,entle memories spring from the cruel |
leeds OF the past like lilies from the
citing mold. The warriors took all the |
burden Of sickness, wounds, and death |
WITH them-they left US a legacy of only |
ivic peace and patriotism.
How fitting, then, that one day in ev-
ry year should be solemnly set apart tn
heir honor. II is as little as we can |
10. II is the greatest thing we can do |
no monument Of stone could suffice
I It's base were as broad as a state |
nd its tapering spire reached till il |
ierced heaven, its sides would not he |
apacious enough to hold the list of
IGNORED names and gallant deeds of the
reat conflict. Better than mausoleum
marble or image of brass, better than
stored urn or animated bust" is to |
* IN the customs of the people a holy |
ay that shall nourish their memory |
III the end OF time. From remote an
lquity the glorious deeds of departed |
eroes or the great events in the history |
nations have been handed down most |
urely by national holidays. The Jews
ommemorated their rescue from Egypt
y The feast Of the passover. Every 9TH
nation has had its annual DAYS. All |
yer Christendom one day in seven the
ellis ring out loud reminder Of a risen
'hrist. On Christmas, the day that
olemnizes the childhood Of divinity. we
eep alive the thought of the divinity
childhood. on the 4th day of July
ie commemorate our independence. / |
lead for Memorial Day as one of the
lost important Of our national institu-
ons.
1t is important for its moral influence
on Christmas we laugh with the
HID, should We not now weep for the
cad? 1T is better to go to the house Of
lourning than TO the house a feastine."
is better to shed a tear for the dead
han to laugh with the living. IL is bet
Pr in the smiling ssrirg to turn 2ne
ngering look TO the fearful past 70
cave some chaplets for the silent dead
, pause one day in serious reflection
han to listen always to the delusive
opes OF the untried future, forgetful
the adnnufficrq ~