The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1901-11-15


eternity, reached and guided by some
ray of hope from God the central sun.
Life, as the sun, has its natural
time of going down. For either to set
before their time is opposed to mani
fest design in their creation. The phen-
omenon of ones sun going down while
it is still day is a mystery of provid-
ence which will be solved in the here
after
/ We walk in a world where no man reads
I The riddle of things that are,
/ From tiny fern in the valleys heart
| To the light of the largest star.
/ Yet we know that the pressure Of life Is hard,
And the silence of death is deep;
As we fall and rise on the tangled way
That leads to the gates Of sleep.
We know the problems of sin and pain,
And the passions that lead TO crime,
Are the mysteries locked from age to age,
In the awful vault Of time.
Yet We lift our feet and strive
Through the mire and mist to grOpe,
And find ledge on the mount Of faith,
In the morning land Of hope
"What is death? He is no stranger
to Us, and yet we shudder at the very
thought. Some day he will lay his icy
hand upon each one of US. Divine
truth teaches US that it is but an agent
sent to deliver Us from the cares, tolls,
pains and SORROWS OF this world. 1t is
transition from the material to the
spiritual, aud not a cessation of con-
sciOns being. 1t is not the end, but
new beginning, the spirit breaking
away from fieshIy limitations and en-
teTing upon a broader career of activity.
1t will be a progressive state, for growth
and progress is the law of our nature.
There is no limitation to possible pro-
gress III knowledge, power and blessed
ness. 1t Is the eagle Gagged, and escap-
ing from its prison, soaring away to its
weary mariner fiuding shelter from the
pitiless storm IN a quiet haven; the
hOmesick wanderers return to the pa
rental roof; the slave freed from
shackles breathing the sweet air of lib
eTty; the leaving of the tent for the
mansion; the exchanging of perishable
things of clay for an inheritance incOr-
ruptIble, undefiIed and that fadeth not
away-aud, eternal In the heavens. 1t
is passing from earthly farewells to
joyous welcome by loved ones gone be-
fore. 1t is the saying of good night
on earth to say good morn in heaven.
''What we call life, comparatively, is
death and from which death is an
awakening. We may complacentIy view
death from this vantage ground of hope
aud faith. It is not calamity, but a
boon; not a curse but blessing; not
punishment, but the hour of our re-
ward, the summons of heavenly angel.
Thus we may submissively surrender
our dear departed ones to Him who
pitied the widows grief at Main, who
stilled the mourning IN the house of
Jairus aud who, weeping In sympathy
with the sisters at Bethany, command
ed: Lazarus, come fOrth!i
"rhe ex perience of bereavement and
death is the common lot Of all. It's
coming Is often sudden and terrible.
But there comes the consolation Of the
word of God: Weeping may endure for
night but joy cometh in the morning.
Death tsunders the ties Of home
blessed home-the sweetest type of
heaven Father or mother are taken
from US, husband and wife are separa-
ted, brother and sister part and child
rem are orphaned. We think of these
loved ones, their kind words, their
sympathies, their ministries. As time
rolls on we may forget places, events
and names. but We never can erase
from memory's page the past spent
with our loved Ones-blessed, haIlowed
memories
"In this world We are pilgrims to the
eternal city Reaching our heavenly
home the pilgrims staff viii be cast
away, the hsbiliments Of mourning be
changed for white raiments, the shriv-
eIed cheek OF age shall glow with eter-
nal youth, the eye dimmed with tears
shall be dried BY infinite compassion,
the vision once dimmed shall be. clear
and We shall see as We sre seen aud
know as We are known aud Cur loved
ones fF.1m whom we nave been sspsr
ssad. We shall meet and knew s7ain-