Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-04-08

| -Di6u, III w duSdus VA
the I'd day of April, 1902, Collins Alex
ander, son of Mr.. and Mrs Walter
Alexander, aged - years.
On Wednesday morning, when all
nature was radiant in assuming her
garb of spring, Collins was summoned
TO his heavenly home and most will
ingly did he answer the summons of
the messenger who had stood so closely
beside him during his long illness. He
faced the end with patience, cheerful
ness and heroic fortitude and when dis
solution came, with loving messages and
tender farewells, he fell asleep.
When the man who has passed the
allotted age of three score years and ten
and his usefulness on earth is practi-
cally ended and he is gathered in to the
unknown world, be is deeply mourned,
| but the grief is tempered with the
thought that his life was well rounded
out; that he met the memorable fate of
mankind at the end of full day, when
his sun was in the western horizon.
How differently, when one, young
in life, especially gifted with mental
| capacity above the average, with life
stretching before him like a dawning
day, passes into eternity. Kindly words
of consolation, from sympathizing
friends and neighbors may help to
tighten the burden of sorrow, yet the
dark, terrible void of his untimeIy de-
mise cannot be filled and the heart will
ache with pain that no tears can ever
assuage.
Collins was born ia Wausau and he
has always lived here and was strong,
manly youth. The heart trouble which
caused his death, first developed last
fall, and from that time until death
claimed him, the best medical skill of
the country was enlisted in his case.
without avail. Unusually bright and
winning and great fayorite in the
community, the sorrow over his death is
universal, sincere and heartfelt.
The funeral was held from the home,
on McIndoe street, at o'clock on
Saturday afternoon, April 9TH, and
vast concourse of friends and neigh
bors were in attendance. The floral
offerings were in great profusion-
tender and sympathetic tributes from
sorrowing friends and relatives. Rev
Frank A. Pease of the First M E.
church officiated and preached an elo-
quent and beautiful funeral discourse.
Mesdames George Hart and F. Gil
ham and Messrs. A. A. Hooper and
K. Nj. James composed the quartette,
singing those comforting hymns: "Some
Day Well Understand" Nearer my
God to Thee" and Lead Kindly Light"
After the rendition of Nearer my God
to Thee" Rev. Pease spoke as follows:
The sentiment of this hymn is beauti-
full, divine. Founded upon the teach
ings of Him who came to man as the
expression of the love of an infinite
God and Father, it has brought cheer
and comfort to multitudes of heavy
hearted and foot-sore travellers upon
the highways of life.
The very genius of the Gospel which
saves from sin, and gives man the
mastery of self, and complete victory
over the world and the devil, is con
tanned therein. The power and beauty
of the hymn, and the soul satisfying
comfort of the teachings of the Christ,
which it SO wonderfully portrays, were
marvelously demonstrated in the
triumphant death of our Martyred Nc
Kinley last September. Never has the
world been SO thrilled by the pathos of
this grand hymn of the Christian
church.
Today, as we meet at this tireside, to
share with our afflicted friends and
neighbors, the great sorrow which has
come to their home, this grand hymn
seems more precious than ever We
stretch fifth our hands in helpfulness,
but, alas, We cannot lift the burden
We try to speak words of sympathy
and cheer, but how feeble are words to
express the genuineness OF that which
we offer, Spite of the fact of the in
adequacy OF human help and sympathy,
there is consolation ia the consciousness
that other hearts throb in unison with
ours.
We have reason for gratitude, even
In an hour of extreme sorrow, for God
hath not forgotten his children.
This which we witness today is the
common lot of all. Sometime each one
OF US will stand face to face with the
fact of death. Into this contest we
must enter single handed and alone.
No one can by any means redeem his
brother or give recompense that he
shall not taste death. Here comes the
comfort, the strength. the victory por-
trayed in that beautiful hymn, for, to
the soul that trusts in Jesus that which
to mortal eye and understanding is
| death and defeat, is, in reality, life and
victory. Oft have | wished that |
might see the other side of this strange.
mysterious thing we call death Surely,
there must be another aud far differ
ent side to this. We do not really die.
This tenement of clay will succumb to
the ravages of disease or of age, and
disappear from sight, but we do not
die God did not mean that man
| should die, but live, and enjoy the
benedictions of his presence God
made no provision for death, when he
made this world and created man in his
own image. What we call death is the
/ iruit OF transgression, the result of
violated law, whether it be in things of
| nature or of the spirit That God de-
sires that all men should live. is evil
denced by the marvellous life and
| triumphant death of Him who stands
as the mediator between God and man,
Jesus Christ.
And he said, 81 am the resurrection,
aud the life; he that believeth in me.
| though he were dead, yet shall he live;
and whosoever liveith and beIieveth in
me shall never die" With this conf.
dent hope We can stand in the presence
of death and exclaim, like Paul, 30.
death where is thy victory
To mourn for those we have loved
| and lost while, is natural and right.
| YET our sorrow ought not to evolve it
self into uncomfortable grief or hope
less despair.
When Jesus Christ came into this
world He short ned the distance
between heaven and earth, and brought
God and man into very close communi-
cation. So when our loved ones pass
/ through the open portal of the other