Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-05-27
Lucy Plum Mitchell.

Inc story OF lie Is not told by names
and places and dates. A succession of
events such as usually makes up the
record, does not tell what the life was to
| those who knew it best. 1t is easy to
say that Lucy NJ. Plum was the daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. j. Ii. Plum and was
born in Bay City on the 2lst day of
| January, 1871. We cannot so easily
say that she passed out of this visible
life on the morning Of the goth day of
| May, 1895. And however we may say it,
| there is more unspoken than even the
most interested tongues of loving friends
viii be apt 60 tell. For between the
two lines we must put all the loving
delight Of a bright sunny childhood,
when it seemed as If GOd'S sunlight came
with its own sWeeter radiance into the
| parental home and heart, because
| she had come into it. We must
put into the passing days all the bright
OutSpringing 10 the future which be-
| lOnged 60 the early school days when
she was preparing for the larger course
of instruction which she afterward
pursued And then we must somehow
! ill in those four years Of earnest work
and careful toll and patient study at
Alma College, until she stood upon the
| commencement stage and told somewhat
of her own aspirations for life and the
high ideal she would herself attain as
! she discussed the failure of some OF the
world 5 great minds to attain that for
which they had hoped. We wonder if in
all our life path there can be days freer
| from cOrrodlng care, fuller at times of
| thoughtlcss JOY, brighter and gayer, and
purer IN Its dreams, than are those of a
| four years constant association with
those Of ones own age, rank, trials, joys
and aims, in college class. Bright,
! happy, golden days, Is it any wonder
the friendship of those years last through
| life and sometimes result in the building
of new home whose master and mis-
tress, whose king and queen, are the
once boy and girl of the same class.
Was il any wonder that James
Mitchell and Lucy Plum learned some
thing more of what would make life a
success than was written in a college
| Algebra. or that the fine words of an
| old philosophy, or the moralities of an
Ethics, as interpreted by their Professor,
were turned 20 a practical account for
their own future life: And then, we
can say that after the college days Miss
! Plum became a successful teacher for
three years and brought TO that work
the same hopeful earnestness which she
had given to her college life.
And in this record we can say that she
became the wife of Professor James
Mitchell on the 3lst day of Decem Der,
1897, in indianapolis, Indiana, and that
they came to Alma to enter upon their
united life at the beginning Of the
winter term in this year, hardly yet
half gone. We can say that she gave
II. 81. II. 1 -
had given il 10 the home of her parents,
that she was interested IN the work of
the college, in the church and the
Woman's Club of which she was an
efficient member and was look ing for
ward as the days passed, to the greater
usefulness which seemed to be opening
| so pleasantly just before. But all this,
no matter how delicately drawn does
not fill the record 1t does not measure
the once gladnesS of the home now so
sadly broken. Ii will not compass the
sorrow Of the hearts now so rudely torn
Ii does not declare what II is, when the
home light goes clear out ,and the ha nd s
touch which was the nearest divine of
any earthly thing one knew. has ceased
and the voice which, if now but for one
short word and in one short moment he
could hear repeat his name again upon
these earthly shores, it would be a boon
more than which he would not care to
ask, he now knows he shall never hear
again till II is spoken on the shore which
is as we say III our common speech
beyond the grave" But in the hour
of supremost sorrow there is one word
we can speak, and in il we can put all
our deepest longings and our fullest
desires. 1t is the Father Into His
knowledge, His wisdom, His power. we
can cast ourselves and find our everlast-
ing rest.
out OF the darkness of midnight
out OF the weakness Of sin,
out of the cropping o ignorance,
Out OF the rebelllOns within,
one form ! seek
one word speak,
Father.
Heavy the air about me.
Who can quite measure the grave,
Fearing the clouds which surround me
Seeking cry. will Ho savcy
But Nv % Dee well
II Gao tell,
Father.
Not with my words can measure
/ That which Delallcth my SOUL
Too deep aud rye for my grasping,
Everything wanting roll
On 10 His love,
Guiding above,
Not knowing nicctics of diction
Thoughts much too largo for my mind,
Child am j. weak 10 my asking.
one word r. al can hnd.
List 90 his cali
Tel tt uII
Father