The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-28
IN MEMORY OF FRANCIS 4. HEUS-
TON.

On Sunday at p m. tie memorial
service Of the late Francis f. Houston,
who died on board the steamer Portland.
Nov. q, 1898. was held at his late resi-
dence. In the parlor YVES a photograph OF
the deceased which was beautifully decor
Sated with flowers. Precisely at O'Clock
the Rev. Theo. A. Smythe began by
reading the burial service of the congre-
gntional ritual after which trio Of
female voices rendered beautiful selec-
ton. Rev. ;. W. Hutohings then offered
fervent prayer followed by the address
by Rev. Theo. A. Smythe. The basis
Pfor the address were the words of David:
"He that is our God is the God of saliva
ton; and unto God the Lord belong the
issues from death. - The speaker said in
part: 1.-THE old belief that death was un-
known In this world prior tn mans
apostasy has long since been abandoned.
by. the light of that kscience that aspires
20 walk the ages Of the mighty past and
uncover its secrets, we find that its ever y
epoch, as taught in our school books, Is
but record OF death.
Its Siiurian and Deyonian ages tell OF
the death OF all dwellers in watery deeps
Its Carboniferous and Trassio ages tell of
death over all the earth to vegetable and
animal, even the mighty mastodon itsel t.
And what are the rocks but mausoleums
and monuments of death?
And now what is the belief relative to
MANI Why, that when God built him up
in his image and likeness He designed
that he should stand as contrast TO the
Astounding de ath. with the trade mark of
immor tai on his brow.
by the fell apostBsy the purpose of
heaven was defeated and death became
the sign manual and signal of dishcnor
and ruin.
How divine is the mission of Christian
ity to reverse the ruin of the fall The
process of sin IL from life to death: the
process OF grace is from death to life
eternal life with Christ in heaven,
Where the faded flower shall freshen.
Freshen, never more to fade,
Where the clouded sky shall brighten,
Brighten never more TO shade.
Where the sun blaze never scorohes,
Where the star beams cease tn chill,
Where no tempest stirs the echoes
OF the wood. or wave, or hill.
Where the morn shall wake in gladnsss.
A nd the noon the day proIong;
Where the daylight dies in fragrance,
Mid the burst of holy song
| Loved one, we shall meet and rest,
With the holy and the blest.
What is death to the Christian but the
| minister of God to draw aside the curtain
of the invisible and usher him into the
beatitudes of the blesty What Is death
| but the day when he comes of age and
claims his Entertainer What is death
but the favoring gale which carries the
| long tossed mariner Into the haven Of re-
poses What is death? 1t is the moment
when the long enduring patient shakes
off the last symptom of disease oh,
says Paul, to live is Christ, but to die is
gain.
IAN hail, thou king of terrors, I'M
robed and uncrowned Thy dying friend
that left our sides never saw thee in thy
ierrors but only as friend. and smiling
with thee went home to God"
The speaker oounselled bis hearers most
eloqnently not to have nm abnormal dread
of death. but to live day by day in com
munion aud peace with God SO that death