Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1912-07-18
II. 1879, at Greenville, Michigan.

II, 1879, at Greenville, Michigan,
moving to Bedding in 1880.
Two children have blessed this
union-a girl and a boy. The girl
p..ssed on. OF tn.s life in her nine
teenth year. The son and the faith
er SUI yive the mother, who went 10
her rest July ~. 1912.
Mrs. Webster was a member OF
the Degree of Honor" the "Pyth-
ian Sisters" Lady Maccabees,' and
the Royal Neighbors.''
Those are only few OF the cold
facts. One other should be men
toned: she was always interested In
Cd believing thst there Is
no darkness but ignorance. ShI
ser ed on the public school board for
great many years. During thar
time, she was always abreast OF the
times. always striving to Increase
the efficiency OF the schoOl-always
interested in teaching the young 10
think.
MES. Webster always knew wha'
wanted, hut pleaded that everyone
should decide all questions in cor
troversy on the basis of right, not
tut of considerat, Oh fol- her Feelings.
Int C the m1ny splendid things
have heard since my arrival this
Forming, these TWO seem the best 10
Indicate her character.
When anyone was severely con-
dehhed for sorlc cteo, in her pres
cpce, she would ak DO you know
10Th sides of the story?"
Tie other EXPRESSION was: Crit
,ise with justice.
So when death took such a wo-
man from our midst, it matters not
what our philosophy of life II ay be,
whether we look upon death as
wall or as 3 door. whether we think
Of it as a sinking into eternal night
Or rising in eternal day, that hour
brings us grief. We have seen by
The poem that death is the common
lot of all 1t is as necessary as
birth. We know II must come.
That takes away part of the sting;
bat no matter how all inclusive our
thought of things may be, the hour
ot parting is time Of sorrow.
The Christian who believes that
the one he has lost has gone to a
heaven beyond the skies, can no
more drive back the tears than the
Atheist who, gazing into the face OF
| his beloved dead, believes that
| death is the end OF all" And the
scientist, even though he is thor
oughly convinced that nothing can
| be destroyed; and who reverently
considers every fact of life or death,
will stand in deepest sorrow by the
open grave of those he loves.
Slice the flower OF love first bios
somed in the human heart, the day OF
separation from those we love has
81 en- our cheeks bathed in tears. And
we are not ashamed of that sorrow
nor would we try To drive back
those tears, for If a peel of laughter
in the presence of life and joy is
wholesome and good, tear or sign
of grief in the presence of death and
sorrow is equally wholesome and
equally good. Both are splendid
Both are component parts of our
existence upon the earth. III, then
1t is good to join in laughter with
those who laugh, it Is also good to
mingle our tears with those who
weep.
| And when this sad hour comes, nc
matter what we think of the future
there is formed in our hearts al
aching void that only time can fill
And yet, as soon as the first echo OF
the dreadful shock has spent itself
we look into the silent chamber and
begin to treasure up all the pleasant
moments given to us by the dear one
who is dead.
If it is a child whom we have lost
the sweet little things it said and did
will clutch at our heart strings, Civ.
ing both pleasure and pain, through
L oil a N NJ n
lives.
If II is a father, whose body must
be returned to the primal elements
because 1t has grown tired and lain
down to rest, we cherish all he said
and did for us, or for the community
in which he lived and died.
| Or if it is a mother who has ans
wered the august command OF
Death, We gaze upon her sweet and
placid face, and think OF all the kind
and tender words that she said and
did.
1t does not require much argument
to prove that the world cannot be
any better-than it's women; and that
no civilization can be as good as II
might be SO long as the women are
not permitted to enjoy all the civic
Il - i'hO6Co anu uullco lHdl dIC Gil
ioyed by men. They are interested
N all humanity, and they know that
| lpon the extent to which all the race
the progress of mankind depends
is interested in itself. So when
We come TO say good by to a woman
who, for over forty years, has work
| ed for the progress of the human
| race, IL cannot but make us sad. We
do not look upon woman as the old
hulchmen did, and tolerate her
ust because she is the mother of
men. Knowing woman to have
leen & mother of civilization itself
sc eel the need of her counsel in
ese.y walk OF life; and we do not try
cover up the fact that her passing
loss that never can be paid.
iae will heal the wound, but the
scar will last as long as those who
have lost her are left upon the earth.
And that scar will be a sacred treas
ure In the heart OF the husband who
has lost wife, and in the heart OF
the son who has lost a mother; and
they are truly thankful for the grief
that springs up in their hearts over
his irreparable loss.