River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-03-17
In MEMORIAM

spot of radiance in our social circle.
She always radiated light and love
and cheer. Her character blossomed
into girlhood and then into woman
hood among us as the opening of a
beautiful flower, and it came into
its development as simply and nat
urally as the flower, unmarried by
the petty foib1es, prides or jealous
les which so often sully the purity
and sweetness of disposition.
God gave her a beautiful face,
but one wonders whether God gave
it more than it was the expression
of her inward soul; for the psychic
forces within are greater artificers
of countenance than we dream. A
different soul behind those eyes,
which we shall always remember,
different thought and desire play
ing habitually on the face would
have given different picture to
hang in the hall of our memory. A
con spicuous beauty of her spirit
was her simplicity. This was not
the simplicity of inexperience: but
the simplicity of Truth. She loved
beauty but hers was no striving for
effect through artifice but a desire
for those realities in which beauty
and worth were indwelling. She
sought for the reality of love and
not it's mere expression: for the
reality of sympathy and not it's
mere lip service. This conscious
ness of reality made her simple. 1t
gave her that directness and unaf-
fectedness which were her charms.
How directly she came into our
hearts. At her approach the bar
riers by which we keep people aloof
through term of probation were
thrown down. And this was as
true in the distant great city, where
she went to find home, as here in
the western town. 1t seemed strange
that she, a western girl, should
find SO instant a place in the con-
ventional society CT a great metrop-
oils. But it was the coming of a
glorious and unmistakable woman
hood unto her own.
These things we glorify in mem
DRY were no mere chance product of
circumstances. To some it seemed
as if her brightness and beauty of
spirit were due TO the absence in her
life from hardship and trouble, for
aside from the death of her mother
her Heavenly Father gave her the
smiling face. But not so. 1t was
by the resolute setting of her will
that she barred out the unlovely.
Among her own private memoranda
is found the evidence of her own
spiritual culture. These papers re-
veal the process by which her
strength and beauty came. They
did not merely happen.
Hers was a short life when meas
ured in years but how fruitful when
measured by the standards which
mete out crowns for character and
attainment. The influence that in
spires, the loneliness of soul, the
fragrance of personality which take
long years and many battles for
some of US to obtain, were won by
her in the very freshness of life.
Quickly the work which man is sent
here to do, was done by her and
swiftly as the door of life was open
ing into the new joy of motherhood,
as she thought, it proved the open
ing into Paradise into which she
entered, spared the pain of fare
we'll. She never knew the coming
of the little one, left motherless by
her going the first hour of it's life.
What a priceless heritage are
these blessed memories to him who
faces the future, bereft of the life
comrade: to the father, the sister,
and others near of kin, To them
has come the sweetest sorrow that
can be experienced in this world
There is nothing to regret, for the
home life was ideal, the harmony
was perfect. There is sweet Joy in
this keenest of sorrows.
A beautiful life is closed. Or
Sunday last we laid away from OUT
view all that was mortal of hel
whom we loved, amid a wealth O.
beautiful flowers whose purity anc
fragrance were symbolic of tina
life. The services at the hom'
were marked by their simplicity
Beautiful passages of Scripture
were read by Rev. Spencer, followed
by a prayer that was inspiring am
comforting. Exquisite music wa
rendered by Miss Campbell and MI
Shepard, accompanied by Mis-
Powell at the piano.
Overwhelming were the tribute
of love avorecSed nv letters an