The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-08-07

BY her casket, and her books upon her
bookshelf, and her work basket and
table by her side. Then every day this
widower used to go enriy IN the morn
ing to that tomb and stay there until
late at night. He would slt In her
chair ana read poetry to her,leaf ears
and talk to her us though she We're
alive. You say that man was crazyf
He was no more crazy than thousands
OF people who, day IN ana day out, 80
to the graves Of their loved ones and
weep and lament over the past, instead
of going out into the world with Chris
tian courage and doing as the dead or
rather as the redeemed, spirits OF their
dear ones would have them 90. Christ,
in the words of my text. Is not telling
that young man to be disrcspectful to
his dead sire. He is, however. enun-
eating the tremendous fact that Il
young man does not honor dead par
ent so much by weeping over a grave
as by living the true, honest, noble
Christian life which that dead father
would have him live. Let the dead
bury the dead" might be translated
into the words, "Let the dead ones
precepts live in the living. and let the
living fulhll the mission Of the dead
An Incident Of War.
But | think there is another reason
why Christ spoke the words of my
text. Jesus Is here not only enunciat-
Ing the fact that the primal duties of
life should never be made subservient
to the secondary, but also the great
truth that man has his duty to the
world at,large as well as TO his father
and mother, his wife and child, his
brother and sister and friend. BE.
cause men and women are bone of our
bone and flesh Of our flesh that is no
reason why we have not duty TO our
fellow men who are not akin TO us
by blood-duty to your fellow men
and to your fellow mems children
whom you have never seen. a man
than when he is a soldier. | remeln-
Der some years ago, during the Span
ish- American war, we were encamped
In the OLD fair grolhlds of Springfield,
the Illinois capital Dewey's guns at
Manila had spoken. The troops We're
being hurried to the front. our regi-
mant was to move south within cou-
pie OF days. The surgeon of our regi-
ment came to my quarters one night
and said, chaplain, read that 1t
was letter from Chicago telling him
that his wife was lowering between
life and death as the result of a very
serious operation, and she wanted to
see him just for few hours before
he went south. "Why don't You run
up to Chicago tonight and come back
tomorrow" we asked. "You WI be
here in plenty of time" THE colo
mel won't let me. The orders have
come down that no leaves Of absence
can he granted, as we may go to the.
front any moment" Orders be
Hanged said | impulsively If my
wife were dying, orders or no orders,
| would go to her" "Then you would
be captured as Il deSerter and perhaps
shot" said my. companion quietly
"Ior the good Of the service | 1nust
obey orders ana 20 with my regiment.
My duty to my country is now even
greater than my duty to my dying
wife" Yes, surgeon" said |, you
are right. There are duties In life
even greater than those we bear to
our loved ones, dear though they may
be- God help you in this your hour
of trial"
So Christ in these words of my text
was enunciating an infinite and omnip-
otent truth. Jesus is practically say
ing: young man, higher than your
love for father or mother or wife or
child is your duty to me and to the
great world at large. Come with me
and help save the millions who are
dying in their sins. Come with me
and bring back TO Il life OF purity ana
love those who will never know me UNI
less they see me as Il result of thy
guidance. Come with me, Come with
me-" This sentence. Follow me- and
let the dead bury the dead" Is only
another wording of the same thought
which Christ spake unto his Disciples
sic that loveth father or mother more
than me is not worthy Of me, and he
that loveth son or daughter more than
me Is not worthy Of me- And he that
takcth not his cross and followeth after
me is not worthy Of me" Yes, there
come certain times in life when our
duty TO Christ and to our fellow men
should have precedence over our de
sires TO be with our dear ones in our
own homes.
But though these words of my text
may seem 10 separate some of rs for
little while from our loved ones on
earth. is it not a sweet and treasured
thought that Christ win never separate
US. his children. from each other In
that better land? During the last i'll
ness OF DR. George Grey, Chicago's
great religious editor, he had won
derfnl vision. He seemed 10 be boy
again. Standing upon the banks Of the
Ohio river. where he was born. He
used TO see FAR or. rising over the sfees