St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1912-12-21
OBITUARY.
ROBERT q. FIRNBERG.

ROBERT H. FIRNBERG.
i Last Friday, the 18th of
December, in the plenitude Of
| his mental and physical powers,
with the promise of a long life
before him, with a full apprecia-
ton of the value of life and the
artistic temperament to grasp its
beauties and assiTnilate its beati-
tudes, poor Robert Firnberg
passed into that unknown country
from whose bourne no traveller
has yet returned.
He made a gallant struggle for
life, but the insiduous attacks of
the dread pneumonia soon
muffled the heart throbs that
marked his march to the end.
Some faint hope had. been ex-
tended to the loved ones who
watched over him with such af-
fectionate care, every temporary
Improvement being magnified by
the anxious wish, father to the
hope, but alas! like in the
Dying lamp the unsteady
flame
Hangs quivering on pivot,
leaps
And falls again, as 10th to
quit, "
SO til soul of Rob ert,
weary with the struggle
of the physical body against
uisiduous disease, flickered and
finally fell exhausted in the
socket, whether to pass into a
.leaden sleep that knows no
awakening, where no pain, no
sorrow, no anguish, no regret is
felt, or whether translated to q
higher sphere where earthly joys
can furnish no parallel for the
happiness that falls to the lot of
those who have lived uprightly
here below, we know not.
It is a gratifying thought to
friends and relatives that in
either state he must be happy
and that his last hours were not
tortuIed with pain, and that he
was conscious almost to the last;
as was said by DR., Johnson of
another Robert
Then with no throbs of fiery
pain,
No cold gradations Of decay,
Death broke at once the vital
chain
And freed his soul the near
est way.
The great concourse that
assembled at the residence Of his
brother Joseph and who followed
the body to the grave il despite
Of the raw December day,
showed the affectionate hold
that Robert had on this COM
munity where most of the 45I
years of his life were spent. The
eloquent words Of Rabbi Roth
stein, who read the beautiful SER
vice of the Hebrews for their
dead, both in the musical Ian
guage of this ancient people and
IN English, found a responsive
echo in every heart. Il seemed
an auspicious omen, that, as his
words of hope for the departed
and consolation for the mourners
were spoken, a rift opened in the
ieaden sky and for a few mo-
ments the sun shone forth in
warmth and splendor as the
casket was lowered into it's final
resting place. There may heE
rest in peace, a pleasant memory
to all who ever knew him. His
devoted sisters and their hus-
bands were with him to the end. I
Mrs. Nicholson, of Austin and
Mrs. Herman Meyer, of Waco, I
Texas; Mrs. Sam We'll, and his /
brother, L. NJ. Firnberg and
wife. and the following friends
and relatives from Alexandria:
Senator We'll, Mr.. and Mrs.
George Bauer, Max Levy, Mrs.
Roy Lisso, and Mrs. Emile Gold /
stein of New Orleans, whose
presence contributed not only to
the comfort Of deceased in his
last hoers on earth, but sustained
the devoted brother Joseph and
his wife and children, sorely /
stricken by this affliction.
Robert Firnberg came to 0pe-
Iousas at the age of eleven, from
New Orleans and entered the
public schools where his studious
habits and application won for
him the Peabody scholarship OF
which he did not avail himself.
retaining the bronze medal as a
souvenir of his industry. He
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