The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-09-20
CAsKET.

| Aiilburn and John N. Scatcherd OF Buffalo
and several others took seats Immediately
in the rear OF the Cabinet.
Then followed the mourning relatives who
occupied the tier of pews on the left of the
center aisle. MIR. and Mrs. Abner Mckinley
led the way. followed by the other imme-
| diate relatives. Senator and Mrs Fairbanks
Comptroller and Mrs. Dawes, Colonel and
Mrs. My-ron r. Herrfck Of Cleveland and a
few other close personal friends. The fourth
| pew from the frcnt. that always occupied
, by President Mckinley. was draped in black
and remained vacant
| After these had been seated, the door
| leading into the Sabbath school was opened.
and the seats arranged below, as we'll as
/ those in the balcony. were soon filed with
tile representatives of various organizations
and the fellow-townsmen of the martyred
President. Conspicuous among these were
the survivors of the Twenty-third Ohio.
President McKinleys old regiment. who
brought into the church the :tattered battle
flags the. regiment had, carried throughout
the Civil War. -
1t was after 2 o'clock when the quartet
touching words Of Beautiful Isle OF Some
where" -
OPENING PRAYER OF.
IMPRESSIVE SERVICE. :.
When the sound Of the last line had died
away the Reverend OBJ. Milligan, pastor
of the First Presbyterian Church, in which
President and Mrs. Mckinley were married
thirty years ago. offered a fervent prayer.
Every head within. the church bent In SOL
emn reverence as the invocation went up.
His prayer was as follows:
God; our God. our nations God-thou
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
the Father of Mercies and God OF all COM
fort:
ave have entered the courts Of thy house
to-day with bowed and burdened hearts. In
thy inscrutable providence thou hast per-
mitted this great calamity to come upon
u.s. Truly thy ways are in the deep and
thy paths in the mighty waters We bow
In Weakness before the exhibition of thy
sovereignty and own thy right to do as thou
wilt in the armies of heaven and amongst
the sons of men. But, blessed be thy name.
thy sovereignty over us is the sovereignty OF
love. thou art our Father and. like as
father pitieth his children, so the Lord pit
ieth them that fear him. Thou hast so re-
yeaied thyself in thy word. but especially
in Jesus Christ, who was the brightness Of
thy glory and the express image Of thy per-
son. Therefore. o Lord. we can the more
cheerfully submit to the doings of thy hand
and heart. % eN@
I'VE can say with him whom we SO deep
ly mourn, This is Gods way. His will. not
ours. be DONE and whilst We cannot under
stand thy gracious purposes in this dispen-
sation. help us, Lord to wait in patient
confidence. assured that thou who art thine
own interpreter wilt reveal thy thoughts
of peace and purposes Of mercy in this
great mystery. In this spirit help us to
accept this providence and still to trust
thee. We thank, o Lord. for this life
which has been taken so rude1y from us.
We thank thee for thy servants endow-
ments and achievements. We thank thee
for the evidence that he was chosen of thee
for great purposes in this world. and for
the splendid way in which. by thy grace,
these purposes were wrought out In his
life. Adorned by thee. We thank thee for
what he was In himself, in his heme. in
society, in church and state and national re-
lations. We bless thee for the inspiration
of his example, and We rejoice that. though
dead. his influence for good will ever live
among us. Blessed be thy name, in the
temple of American honor another is writ
ten among the tmmortals. Help US all. o
Lord. to see In his life the divine possibil-
tiles OF life and to strive for a like fidelity
as We go forward to meet life's appoint-
ments.
BLESSING SOUGHT FOR
An AFFLICTED NATION.
..vouehsafe,- We pray thee. all needful
blessings to our nation In this season Of sore
bereavement. Thou knOwest, o God. how
this blow has struck every heart: how this
sorrow pierces every soul. The nation is
dotted with sackcloth and bowed with
grief. Our land Is full Of mourning. our
hearts are heavy with inexpressible and al
most uncomfortable sorrow
Surely thou hast stricken us in thy sore
displeasurc. for thou dtst not affiict willing
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