Free press., 1901-09-28

votfon he sat at the bedside of his be- |
loved Wife, when all feared that fatal |
illness was upon her No public ciamoT |
that he right show himself to the popu- |
lace, no demand of a social function was |
sufficientito draw the lover from the bed |
side of his wife. He watched and waited |
Tender story of His Love.
This sweet and tender story all the |
world knows, and the world knows that |
his whole life had run in this one groove
OF love. 1t was a strong arm that She
leaned upon and it never failed her Her /
smile was more to him than the plaudits |
Of the multitude and for her greeting his |
Acknowledgements of them must wait |
After receiving the fatal wound his first |
thought was that the terrible news might |
be broken gently to her. May God in TINS /
deep hour of sorrow comfort her. May |
his grace be greater than her anguish |
May the widows God be her God. Anoth- |
er beauty in the character of our Presi- |
dent, that was a chaplet Of grace about |
his neck, was that he was a Christian.
In the broadest noblest sense of the word |
that was true. His confidence In GOD was
strong and unwavering. II held him |
steady In many storm where others
were driven before the wind and tossed. |
He believed in the fatherhood of God and |
in his sovereignty. His faith in the gos-
pei of Christ was deep and abiding. He |
had no patience with any other theme |
of pulpit discourse. Christ and him cru
cihed' was to his mind the only panacea
for the worlds disorders He believed II
to be the supreme duty of the Christian
minister to preach the word He said:
I'VE do not look for great businessmen
in the pulpit, but for great preachers
Ever True Christian.
It is well known that his godly mother
had hoped for him that he would become
minister Of the gospel, and that she
believed it to be the highest vocation in
life. 1t was not, however, his mothers
faith that made him Christian. He had
gained in early life a personal knowledge
of Jesus which guided him in the per-
formance of greater duties and Vaster
than have been the lot of any other Am
erican President. He said at one time,
while bearing heavy burdens. that he
could not discharge the daily duties OF
his life but for the fact that he hao
faith in God William Mckinley believed
in prayer, in the beauty of 1t, in the
potency of it. It's language was not un-
familiar to him. and his public addresses
not infrequently evince the fact 1t was
perfectly consistent with his lifelong
convictions and his personal experiences
that he should say the first critical
moment after the assassination ap-
preached, Thy Kingdom come; thy will
be DONE" and that he should declare at
the last, 1T is Gods way: his will be
DONE He lived grandly; it was fitting
that he should die grandly- And now
that the majesty of death has touched
and Gained him find that in his su-
preme moment he was still a conqueror
Lessons from the Sad Event.
Let US turn now to a brief considera-
ton of some of the lessons that we are
| to learn from this sad event The hrst
| one that will occur to us all is the old,
| old lesson that lin the midst of life wa
! work and to his labor until the evening
| He f1eeth as it were a shadow and never
| continueth in one stay" Our PreEident
went forth III the fullness of his strength
| I'd 6aVatN
smitten by the hand that brought death
with it. None of can tell what day
may bring forth. Let US, therefore, re.
member that mo man liveth to himself
and none of dieth to himself. May
each days close see each days duty done.
| Another great lesson that we should heed
| is the vanity of mere earthly greatness!
| In the presence of the dread messenger
| how small are all the trappings of wealth
and distinction of rank and power. be-
seech you, seek him who said: Il am the
resurrection and the life; he that belieV-
! eth in me, though he were dead, yet shall
he live and whosoever liveth and be-
Iieveth in shall never die" There iG
but one Savior for the sick and the weary,
I entreat you, find him, as our brother
found him. But our last words must oe
spoken Little more than four years ago
we bade him goodbye as he went to as
sumo the great responsibilities to which
| the nation had called him. His last words
as he left US were. Nothing could give
me greater pleasure than this farewell
! gree ng-this evidence Of your friend.
ship and sympathy. your good will, and
1 am sure, the prayers of all the people
! with whom I have lived so long and
whose confidence and esteem are dearet
! to than any other earthly honors- To
| all of the future is as a sealed book
but If I can, by official act or admins
| tration or utterance, in any degree add
| to the prosperity and unity OF our be-
! loved country and the advancement and
| weIl-being of our splendid citizenship,
! will devote the best and most unselfSh
efforts of my life to that end. With thia
| thought uppermost in my mind, reluc-
/ family take leave of my friends and neigh.
! bors. cherishing IN my heart the sweetest
/ memories and thoughts of my old home
my. home now-and. I trust, my home
| hereafter, long as I live" We hoped
| with him that when his work was DONE
freed from the burdens of his great of
fee crowned with the affections OF a hap
! py people, he might be permitted to closS
his earthly life in the home he had loved
Sadness of the Homecoming.
He has, indeed, returned to US. but
! how? Borne to the strains of Nearer,
| My God to Thee" and placed where he
| first began lifes struggle. that the people
| might look and weep over so sad home-
coming But it was a triumphal march.
How vast the procession. The nation rose
! and stood with uncovered head. The peo-
| pie of the land chief mourners. ThC
nations of the earth weep with them.
But, o, what victory. / do not ask you
in the heat of public address. but in the
calm moments of mature reflection, what
| other man ever had such high honors be4
slowed upon him, and by so many peoples
What pageant has equaled this that ws
+ look upon tonight? We gave him to this
nation only a little more than four years
ago. He went out with the light of the
morning upon his brow, but with mis- task
set, and the purpose to complete it. We
| take him back a mighty oonqueror.
| THE church yard where his children rest,
| The quiet spot that suits him best;
There shall his grave be made,
/ And there his bones be laid.
! And there his countrymen shall come.
With memory proud, with pity dumb.
| And strangers far and near,
| For many and many year;
| For many q year and many an aga
While history on her simple page
The virtues shall enroll
| OF that paternal soul" -
The bloom on fruit is said to be ma
| ture's WaterprOofing. Where 1t Is