The true northerner., 1900-08-03

cyclone and the "still small voice" of the
Hebrew prophet His whole being was
one diapason OF rythmical energy. His
in solo and chorus as they rolled up
against the battlements of heaven. With
out seeming intentional effort, his prayers
breathed cadences bathed i'm the melo-
dies which only angels can execute. He
poured forth orchestral volumes OF tenor,
alto, soprano, contralto and bass in choral
symphonies with crescendos and dimin-
uendos, swelling diamond ripples in the
sea OF glory. a soul possessed of such
sensitive faculties, and strung up by such
an intense mental activity, must consume
by attrition against the thorns and sharp
stones of ignorance and depravity and
superstition.
His powers of description challenge
and defy all explanation. He was so in
timate with classic love, and could thread
its mysterious labyrinths with such
familiarity as to call forth the heartiest
applause from the most cultured. With
Greek and Roman literatures his capa-
cious brain was packed to its limit. He
formed close companionship with Ho-
mer, Herodotus, Xenophon, Plato, Aris-
totle and Demosthenes, Cicero, Virgil
and Horace. He drank from this literary
well-spring the ripest culture of the
pagan world. Storing up the model
gems of thought from these master
minds, distinguished for excellence of
| style of expression, he could Gull the
choicest figures to paint his ideality be-
fore less fortunate minds. Profound
thinkers were his study. His disgust for
superficial platitudes knew no limit. In
mythology, he revered the gods of
Olympus. He drank with them the
chalice of delicious nectar, comforting
Immortality, beauty and vigor of thought
on all who partook of it, He held sweet
fellowship with Jupiter, Demeter, Apollo,
| Hercules, Vulcan, Mercury, Pluto, Ceres;
| these were his classmates He studied
their characters when stripped of the
mythical; found them to be forces of
nature told in expressive aud most touch
ing poesy. He could amplify upon these
crude figures in sketching vivid illustra-
! tions, whereby he bridged over the gulf
and married human thoughts which had
been SO long and so far divorced. The
exquisite and touching poetry underly-
! ing all these ancient legends was famed
to flame as he saw the marvelously
beautiful and true.
We have been intimate with our broth
er for over two score years: many times
have attempted to follow him in his voy-
ages into the infinite; leaping from some
sublunary terrace, without the sound of
of farewell, he wheeled away into end
less space: with hypnotic access to the
treasures of perfect internal memory
and with the flight of an angel wing he
swept through Saharas of darkness to
help gild the peaks dividing life and
death; thence over the frontiers quicken
ed under the prophetic power of God;
thence from distance that is only
counted in heaven by unutterable space,
we discovered the light through a sleepy
] film. In a moment we were rushing by
| planets, in a moment more we were in
the midst of blazing suns. Then came
/ the long eternities of twilight. On the
/ right hand and on the left lowered mighty
consultations, that by self repetitions and
answers from afar, built up triumphal
gates whose archways seemed ghostly
! from infinitude. Within by stairs, we
scaled the eternities below: but above
was below to us, when stript of gravita-
| ton AS we thus rode from infinite to
infinite and tilted over abysmal worlds,
a mighty cry burst forth from us, that
other systems more mysterious, that
worlds more bilowy other sublime
! heights, and bottomless depths were just
at hand. We shuddered, and sighed,
and stopped, and wept. We were human
yet. The pageantry was too sublime for
mortals. The over-laden heart gave
way to floods of tears. The spirit of man
aches with this infinity. We have seen
| the glory of God and it is insufferable.
How we long to draw the measuring line
and reveal the limits of divine thought
and activity. The listening stars that
shone around issued a choral voice. "the
end, there is none" There is no end to
the universe of God, to his wisdom, his
power, his goodness; and 10. alas there is
no beginning. "From everlasting to ever
! lasting thou art God" IL am that ] am."
We have broken this alabaster box
to help the living bear the disabilities
and infirmities of age; thus inspiring the
aged spirit to buffet with the roughness
of life for few years more before we
part to meet in the sweet bye and bye.
AS he has relegated to their dungeon
more felon doubts, more black thoughts,
more thieving griefs than we can count,
so we bring some paltry appreciation on
his Slst birthday. He has comforted a
host of the afflicted; sung courage to an
army of disappointed ones; has poured
balm and consolation into the heart-sick.
He entered the Holy of Holes with bare
feet, saw cherubim, as guardian angels,
with out-stretched wings over the ark of
God. His words have been an oasis in
the desert; an inviting bower on an ard
uous ascent; beautiful grotto in a
scorching noon; restful arbor for calm
and helpful meditation. We would give
our whisper in the ear of our beloved