The Washington herald., 1908-01-08
MANY PAY TRIBUTE
TO BELOVED PRIEST

Continued from Page One.
but awful mystery Of DEATH cast furuyt
glances at the white face within the
coffin, and turned away with trembling
lips.
There were few lights within the
church at the beginning of the service
only six tall candles on the altar. a few
lights on the side. and the seven candles
that nickeTed in the draught about the
crucldx that stood at the head Of the
coffin. Even the row Of electric lights
that usually sets of the fine painting OF
the Blessed Virgin was unlighted. Lights
draperies, the faces Of the people. the
voices Of the pricsts-all seemed 10 be
of one tone, one key, and the note of IT
all was sorrow and bereavement
LEAD, Kindly Light
Gradually the chancel was filled with
priests, the officiating clergy and the
visiting prelates Vestments OF many
kinds there were, with here and there a
Dominican monk in his garb Of brown
It was not until the chancel was filled
the church had been filled long since
and hundreds were standing in the aisles
that, for the first time. the organ
pealed forth and the voices OF the choir
sounded IN that most beautiful hymn
written by Cardinal Newman:
Lead. kindly Lisbt. amid tn eucsrciiug gloom.
Lead Thou me Oh,
Tie night IS dark and / am far from home.
Lead Tho1 me on.
Keep Thou ms feet. do net ask 20 see
The distant step; one step enough foT me.
So long Thy power has blest me sure it stiu
VIII lead me 5u.
Ger moor and fen Ger Greg and torrent, tu
The night u gone.
And with the morn .hese angel faces smile
Which / have loved long SINCE and Lost awhile.
And then. while the congregation re-
manned reverently silent, the mass began,
and the voices Of priests and acolytes
chanting the Latin prayers rose. now
high, now low, dying away in the vaulted
church. with now and again a most i'm
pressive pause which marked all the more
gravely the tense silence OF the multi
tude
The aged Cardinal Gibbons came I'm, and
the requiem mass went on, the mystery
of the waving incense-censors, the lighted
candles. the genufections OF the priests.
and then came the brief but fine sermon
of the Rev. DIR. Fletcher, Of the Baltimore
Cathedral, which sermon win be found
elsewhere. He took no text. but had he
done so it might have been the one from
which Thackeray was so fond of preach
ing, "Vanitas Vanitatum."
4 Message of Hope.
Standing just inside the sanctuary rail
and looking down at the open coffin, the
message Of DR.. Fletcher was a message
of hope, message to the people not TO
regard death as triumphant in this hour.
but ratheT-Tealizing that a good man
and a faithful servant has gone TO his re-
ward-a clarion call; 20 Death. where Is
thy sting; where. grave. thy victory"
And at the end he gave the people the
same admonition that King Arthur gave
to the last of all his knights, the lone Sir
Pray fer my soul
More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams oi Wherefore let thy voice
Rise like q fountain for me day aud night.
That nOuTish a blind life within the brain.
u, knowing God. they raise not hands In prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For 50 the whole round earth is every way
Bound hy gold chains about the feet Of God
But more serious and touching still was
the time when the cardinal stood at the
head of the coffin and preached his ser
mon. He eulogized the dead, but struck
the much-needed note, too, that our dead
friend was a man as we'll as a priest of
God; that he had his faults and his fail
ngs-it was these human qualities that
made his appeal and his example and his
teaching so universal-and the prelate
urged the people to pray for the departed
soul
And then he came down TO the foot Of
the coffin to pray, and he took holy water
md sprinkled the face of the dead and
ne took the censor in his aged hand and
waved the smoke and the perfume of in
,ense about the coffin. Then he made his
way back 10 the dais. And while he did
so, a priest came down and reverently
oosed the stiff fingers that were clasped
lbOut the golden chalice and took II back
10 the altar, and while the organ pealed
,ut a last wailing and pitiful cry, the
horisters and priests marched around the
.offin for a long, last look at the peaceful
ace.
As the attendants raised the coffin lid
md put il in place-shutting out all, and
so ineXOrably that this was
indeed the end, there were sobs from all
1ver the congregation, and there was
hardly an eye that was not dewed with
ears.
Slowly the coffin was wheeled down the
entral aisle, out through the door of the
hurch, which stands so typical of his
inc spirit out into the binding rain,
where, needless of the cold stood thou7
ands waiting to pay their last tribute of
aspect; and sO-away to Mount Olivet
cemetery, his last resting place, TO the
iullen tones of the mourning chimes:
Yet in these ears. till hearing dies.
One set slow bell viii seem to toll
The passing Of the sweetest soul
That ever looked with human eyes.
hear it now. and DER and DER.
Eternal greetings 10 the dead
and Ave. Ave. Ave" said,
"Adieu, adieu. f0reYeTnore.
President Sent Flowers.
A testimonial of high regard in which
he reverend pastor was held by the
President of the United States, was the
eautiful floral offering of lilies Of the