Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-02-22

may not have lived and labored
here in vain that we too may enter
in to that peace, rest and JOY that
are his in that city that hath
foundations.
mo longer a pilgrim and strang
re on the earth but fellow citizen
with the saints of the household of
God"
Geo. w. Ryland was present and
expected to respond but was unable
to do so on account of indispositicn
and Judge Clementson spoke as
follows:
REMARKS BY JUDGE CLEMENTSON.
deem it privilege, upon this
occasion, to be permitted to say a
few words concerning our old pas
tor, before we shall lay to rest his
mortal remains in our cemetery on
yonder hill by the side of his belo-
we'd wife and where so many whom
he loved and who loved him sleep
their last sleep. 1t would be his de-
sire, and it is the wish of his sons
who are here with us, that this
service should be simple and that
nothing should be said that could
justly be termed laudatory.
Mr.. Eaton was honest. not only in
his acts and words but also in his
thought, and it would ill-eomport with
his memory that anything should be
said of him that was not heartfelt and
true. Yet realize, and so do you who
knew him, that words may be said in
describing his character that would be
but honest and just which if applied
to another would be exaggeration.
Though he was man of much natural
ability and of fine attachments he was
as modest as maiden. He was charit-
able in thought as we'll as deed, always
kind and courteous, never, I believe,
in his whole life did he consciously
hurt the feelings OF any one. He
never contradicted, in the direct sense
of the term. By this l by no means
wish to imply that he did not firmly
stand up for the right, for he had
high sense of duty and did it under all
circumstances unfiinchingly. What |
mean is that if he differed with you as
to proposition or argument advanc-
ed he did not abruptly say 50, but by
way Of courteous suggestion presented
his views for your consideration. But
why should particularize when / feel
that ] can say with emphasis that he
was the finest Christian gentleman |
ever knew. and I am confident that all
of you who were in Lancaster when he
lived among us will join with me in
this sentiment. 1t was my privilege
for many years to attend this church
while Mr.. Eaton was its pastor and to
listen to his sermons. The thoughts he
expressed were always elevating and
beneficial, and his very presence in
the pulpit inspired to purer life. His
written diScourses were beautiful in
diction, he never used can't phrase,
his style was always pure. He APP
pealed but little to the emotions, pre-
ferrlng to produce, if he might, the
more lasting effect of spiritual con-
viction. His figures of speech were
always appropriate, but he did not in
dulge in extended rhetorical flights.
He was not given to painting the glory
of the sunset or the changing beauty
of the dawn, manner of speech ap-
propriate at times but not seldom
mere coruscationsofw words to hide the
want of thought. Mr.. Eaton was not
ready extemporaneous speaker. he
sometimes hesitated in otf-hand speak
ing, it seemed to me never because the
thought he wanted to express was not
clearly in his mind, but because the
appropriate term to express this
thought did not readily come TO him,
for such was his sense of propriety
that he would not mar sentence by
an inapt word. Mr.. Eaton was not an
orator. he never for moment assum-
ed to be, but he had in marked de-
gree one qualification for successful
public speaking which Quintillion
said every orator must possess
character. It was Mr.. Eaton's characte
the life he led, that gave weight to all
he said. | suppose that if all of the
sayings of Jesus of which we have re-
cord were placed together and read
consecutively they would occupy but
little, if any, more time than an or
binary sermon. 1t was not what he
said alone that convinced his dis
ciples of his divinity, it was as much
or more the life he lived in his three
years ministry by lake and river and
among the hills and wales of Palesti tine
that caused them to say truly this is
the Son of God" 1t is the influence
of that life that has turned men to
righteousness and is the great elevat-
ing force in the world to day. 1t was
the daily life of MI. Eaton that made his
very presence sermon that influence
ed those who knew him more than
mere words could to do good and for
sake evil. When he left us for another
field he might well have said Il go,
but leave my character behind me-"