The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-12-03
Addresses Delivered
At the Memorial Service Held
in Honor of DR.. Frank S.
Harris--Resolutions Adopted
by the Sunday-school.


resolutions being signed by 5. K.
Harris and ". HI. Hart, committee
appointed to prepare same:
Francis Summerfeld Harris, born OF
the flesh May 10, 1852, and was born
| again -
Back in the reconstruction days, he left
his old home at Sassafras Fork and
went to Brinkleyville to carve his own
fortune without any inheritance but a
genuine manhood Proud OF his family
| and lineage he was determined that by
no fault of his should the luster OF his
family record be dimmed. He applied
himself to his business and to his books
until he became man OF rare qualities
and qualifications As friend, he was
absolutely true AS man of business.
! he was unswervingly honest. AS a citi-
zen, he was of the highest type. AS
| Christian. he was true to the highest
ideals. AS a man of letters, there have
been few who could WELD SO graceful a
pen As a churchman, he insisted on the
demands of the Book and objected to
every innovation. Attendance Oil all the
services of the church was to him abso-
lutte law. Nothing avoidable detained
| him feasting nor mourning. Joy nor sOr-
row these all he carried to the Lord and
| to His house. His was a strong nature
ald while few ever saw him weep many
can testify to his charities 4 few years
ago he was seen trudging through the
snow nearly to his knees looking for
those who might be in distress. Every
| law of God and of man was sacred to
him and nothing to him was profane ex-
cept sin. Every service of his church was
an obligation as well as g privilege to
him. While he was true to his own church
he was delighted with every other and
so when his own did not demand his
service it was always freely given else
where He lived noble life following
hard after the Master and when he had
| filled up his life and had finished his work.
after two weeks of suffering he left the
| dark night OF this life and as the gray
streaks of dawn were struggling with
the darkness he broke loose from the
mortality here and awoke in the glad
eternal morning where is Joy forever.
We commend his wife and children to
the kind Father Of us all and pray that
they may be His special care.
While we weep, we have a glorious
| hope. While we sorrow, we rejoice.
While we contemplate his virtues, we re-
solve to follow him as he followed Christ.
We have lost true friend, a genial
relative, a faithful citizen. whom all
who knew admired, but Earth's loss is
! Heavens gain
Resolved, That a copy of this memo
rial be spread upon the minutes OF our
Sunday school and copy be made for
his family and also published.
Prof Alderman spoke in effect as
| follows:
In some oriental countries they meet
around the funeral pyre of the dead to
proclaim his virtues. With much ado
they endeavor to persuade the gods that
the departed friend was in every way
worthy to be recognized and favored
among the deities.
| We meet this afternoon to talk about
our deceased friend and brother DR..
Frank Harris We can do him no good
| for the God whom he served knows all.
Bat it is profitable to us to learn from
the example of his life how one may live
unspotted from the world. We hope to
gain from his life and character inspira-
ton for better living among men.
He was unusually upright in his life.
That tall, manly form was the image of
! the noble soul within. He never swerved
from what he conceived to be right. No
man was bold enough to try to draw
| him into the meshes Of sin. One look
| from the eyes OF that stalwart Christian
| nObleman caused the tempter to cover
! and skulk away.
Only the best satisfied him. SO far as
man could tell he was a Christian in
whom there was no guile The attitude
of his little children in school was an
earnest OF the beautiful home life
He has erected for himself monu-
ment more enduring than brass or
marble.
Mr.. 7. NJ. Pittman spoke without
notes substantially as follows:
WIS in another city when the news
came of Dr. Harris death, and deeply
regretted that was unable to be present
and take part in his funeral | am
grateful for this opportunity of paying
respect to his memory. knew DR.. IIar-
ris some twenty-five years and early
learned to appreciate his many excellent
qualities. AS | have thought of him |
have been impressed with the idea that
in his life and character we have one of
the best products of Puritanism. His
fervent piety; his profound reverence for
! spiritual things; his strong convictions
of right and his high. almost severe
| standards of conduct; his deeply serious
nature We're so many expressions of that
religious spirit which yet so largely
dominates the simple life of our South
land, modified and tempered blythe gen
tier breath of modern Christianity
There is little to be added to the
tender and Just tributes already paid to
| the memory of our friend this afternoon
1t may be proper for me to emphasize
one or two thoughts that have not been
made prominent. | note that his life
was characterized by very strong con-
victions upon nearly all questions of
moral import. | am fully persuaded
that he was 81 member of the Methodist
Protestant church, because he was first
a Methodist Protestant | have no idea
| that any one ever heard him say that
any other church would do as we'll. or,
that he ever had such a thought If he
had believed that any other church was
better he would have made his home
there. The same conviction made him
loyal to his church and assured his
presence at her services. | think | have
never heard OF his desertinga meeting at
his own church to run after the attrac-
tons of another. All our churches have
had occasion OF humiliation in the faith
lessness and disloyaly of members
whose light spirit of frivolity led them
| wherever the finger of entertainment or
inclination pointed the way, but this
church never suffered such shame in the
life of DR.. Frank Harris.
Reforms are made possible by two
classes of men; l, those. who, seeing evil
conditions are content to work out i'm
provements by gradual looping off of
the worst features; ,, those. who. seeing
the ideal insist upon its perfect realiza-
ton. They neither accept nor support
any halfway measures. DR.. Harris was
one OF the latter Such do not always
attain their end, but they do serve the
high purpose OF lifting the world above
mere compromise and expediency, and,
setting the eyes OF their fellowmen upon
that which is true and perfect set u
| hjptar SraDdo rt for II mon and oil fimo