The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-01-19

pouring of sorrow as was shown yes
terday afternoon at the services held
in memory of the late Paul Isenberg at
the German Lutheran church. All that
was best in the business and social life
of the city was represented in the large
! congregation filling the pretty little
church, the church that the man now
gathered to his fathers had been so
largely instrumental in building up,
and there was in every heart a genuine
grief for him whom all had known and
loved in the years that are gone.
The ladies of the Lutheran congrega-
ton had decorated the church most
beautifully for the occasion. Great
streamers of black and white cloth
were stretched across diagonally from
the choir rail to the mouldings above
the chancel. These streamers were car
ried around the four sides of the in
terror, likewise, and were draped in an
arch of mourning above the entrance,
while the pulpit, also draped in black,
was relieved by a touch of white flow
ers and by great banks of palm leaves
and ferns. There were palm leaves in
the corners of the building, and the
whole effect of the interior was most
appropriate TO the occasion.
It had been announced that the
memorial service would begin at
o'clock in the afternoon. Long before
that time the carriages had begun
rolling down Beretania street, leaving
their burdens of humanity at the door
of the church. and by the time for the
opening the building was filled with
those who had come to pay a tribute to
the memory of one whom all had loved.
The service was begun promptly, the
pastor of the church, the Rev. Wilhbald
Felmy, and Canon Macintosh, of ST.
Andrews Cathedral, who was to assist
in the observance, taking place behind
the rail. The service opened with an
organ voluntary, and the singing of an
impressive quartette by the choir of the
church The Rev. Mr.. Felmy then led
a short praise service, after which
Canon Macintosh stepped into the pull
pit and began his brief tribute to the
honored dead.
I'VE brought nothing into the world, -
the reverend gentleman said, land we
take nothing out of it. 1t has been said
that death is preacher of unconquer-
able eloquence. In the sermons that he
breaches there is an eloquence passing
the eIoquence of man. This is a season
when the sensibilities are aroused, and
when we feel that there can enter that
great heart mystery that is in all of US
those words of compassion and con-
ISOLATION that carry healing with them.
But words alone. even the tenderest
| words, will not satisfactorily express
the feelings with which we have come
here. There is more than words in the
lesson which we are to draw from the
life of this good man. We feel, look
ing upon his life as we knew it, that
his virtues must be our virtues. We
feel that we can in no other way solve
the great mystery of why this good
man should have been taken away. long
before he had reached the allotted time,
unless it was that the divine purpose
was that we should have the lesson of
his life more strongly impressed upon
us by his loss. 1t is that We must
make his virtues our virtues, emulating
the good in his life. If he was good,
then the lesson is that we must like
wise be good. If he was noble, we must
be noble to follow in his footsteps. If
he was generous, just, charitable, then
we must be generous, just, charitable.
We must live as he did, that we may
hope to meet him in that future where
the just man is made perfect.
My friends, the memory of Paul
Isenberg will live longer than any of US
will live. His kindly eye and generous
hand, always stretched out to help the
deserving, will be remembered by hun
dreds in the years that are to come.
1t is one of Gods mysteries why man
such as he was should have been cut
off from the family he had raised in
the fear of the Lord and in the~loving
way of good citizenship. We can only
learn from his taking off that the fact
is emphasized that no man could fol-
low surer way to good citizenship and
to nobility of soul that the man who
follows in the footsteps of him who i:
gone. We, who knew him when he wa:
, Wrestling his livelihood from the hare
soil of the islands. who saw him grow
as this land he loved grew, know tina
his was the broader patriotism tina