The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-08-04
THE DEAD ORATOR
Simple But Impressive
Burial Services.
"a Friends Gather About His Grave
What Was Sad ana Done
BY Them

NEW YORK. July 25.-The funeral
of the late Robert G.. Ingersoll took
place this afternoon from Walston,
Dobbs Ferry, where he died on Friday
last
No clergyman was present To conduct
the services; there was no music and
there were no pallbearers. The body
hay on a cot in the room where he died.
It was enshrouded in white and just
one red rose placed on the breast,
About the cot were banks of floral
tributes sent by friends, wreaths and
punches of blossoms. The services were
held at O'Clock. Mrs. lngersoll sat be-
side her dead and beside her were her
daughters, Mrs. Walston II. Brown and
Miss Maud Ingersoll. They were very
much agitated and wept almost con-
tinuously. Mr.. and Mrs. G. p. Farrell
were present, and Charles Broadway
Rouse, Colonel lngersoll's oldest friend
occupied chair by the side of the bier
There We're some forty others present
I
Ridpath. who. in a voice full of emo.
ton, said: MY friends. it is my very
sad duty to read in the presence of the
dead the last poem written by Colonel
Robert G. lngersoll, entitled The
Declaration of the Free. This poem
Colonel lngersoll had read and altered
in some of its parts only few hours
before he was stricken down"
Major o. J. Smythe, who resides in
Dobbs Ferry. and who was a close per-
sonal friend of Colonel Ingersoll, then
without preliminary words read an
other extract from Colonel fngersolls
writings. entitled MY Religion"
DR.. John Elliott of New York read
the funeral Grafton delivered by Colo
mel Ingersoll over his brothers body.
which is as follows:
My Friends: am going to do that
which the dead often promised he
would do for me. The loved and low
ing brother. husband. father, friend
died where manhood's morning al
most touches noon, and while the
shadows still were falling toward the
west. He had not passed on lfes high
way the stone that marks the highest
point, but being weary for moment
he lay down by the wayside and using
his burden for pillow fell into that
dreamless sleep that kisses down his
eyelids still. While yet in love with
life and raptured with the world, he
passed to silence and pathetic dust
Yet, after all, it may be best, just in
the happiest sunniest hour of all the
voyage, while eager winds are kissing
every sail to dash against the unseen
rock and in an instant hear the pillows
roar. sunken ship. For. whether in
midsea or among the breakers OF the
further shore, a wreck must mark at
last the end of each and all. And ov.
cry life, no matter If it's every hour Is
rich with love and every moment jew.
eled with JOY, will, at its close, be-
come tragedy, as sad, and deep, and
dark as can be woven of the warp ant
wool of mystery and death. This brave
and tender man in every storm of lif,
was oak and rock. but in the sunshin,
he was vine and flower. He was tn,
friend of all heroic souls. He climbed
the heights and left all superstitiont
far below, while on his forehead fel
the golden dawning of IA grander day
He loved the beautiful. and was will
color, form and music touched to tears
He sided with the weak, and with 1
willing hand gave aims: with loya
heart and with the purest hand HI
faithfully discharged all public trusts
He was Il worshiper of liberty and q
friend of the oppressed. a Thousand
times | have heard him quote the
words: For justice all place temple
and all season summer He believed
that happiness was the only good, rea-
son the only torch, justice the only
worshiper, humanity the only religion