The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-01-24

suffice to depopulate the earth were il
! not that an equal number are daily,
! hourly entering it, One generation
passeth another cometh, friend from
friend departs. How frequently are we
called upon to mourn the removal of
beloved ones, endeared to us by the
| ties of kindred, affections and piety
but seldom are we called upon to
mourn public loss so bitter Mourn.
full however is our assembling is
let us endeavor to improve it by dir
Getting our attention to some great
truths which are at all times import
ant and which are now especially ap.
propriate
There is a natural reluctance in the
human mind to contemplate death.
whether natural or accidental HUI
man nature recoils from IT, The pain
and anxiety for which it is usually
preceded, the humiliation and corrup-
tion by which it is always attended
combine to clothe it in revolving fea-
lures and to make il king OF terror to
the guilty children of men. Death is
not the original law of our being
There was no grave in untainted Eden
Man was net created mortal. Death is
the fruit of transgression.
by one man sin entered into the
world. and death by sin and so death
passed upon all men. for that all have
sinned." "s*s
Frequently are we called upon to
kneel by the couch were parting life
is LAID and then to stand up and utter
the mournful request Give me a
grave, that l may bury my dead out
of sight This very day was gathered
about the open sepulchre a stricken
community to commit to it's gloomy
abode all that remained of husband,
father, brother and friend who laid
his life in the fiery alter of service
and we turned away with tear dimlned
eyes, breathing forth pathetic lamen-
ations: Lover and friend hast thou
put far from me and my acquaintance
host thou bid in darkness.
The tragic suddeness, the unspeak-
able bitterness of the APPALLING disaster
startled us while it inlpressively ut
ters the injunction "Be ye also ready,
for at what hour your Lord cometh, We
know not"
No heightened illness, no incipient
ed us for the heavy blow. The mid
night cry came Unexpectedly.
The sympathy of the community as
voiced in the public press, has already
gave out to the stricken family. The
profoundest depths of what is human
is man have been touched and have
spoken. There is a brotherhood of
man whose bond of union is that ma
tive charity which makes man kin,
but there is a higher spiritual brother
hood in Christ Jesus. In the name OF
this Brotherhood of believers, this fam
lily in Christ Jesus, do we extend our
terderest sympathy and prayers.
The collection taken at the church
amounted to SS9.17 and more is ex-
pected from members of the con-
gregation.
w. j. Silverstone placed a glass
jar near his newsstand in the D. &
H. depot to receive contributions for
the Bergman family. The collec-
ton is growing daily.
Remembers Bergman in Sermon.
Rev. w. H. Swift, ID. D., pastor of
the Presbyterian church, Sunday
morning preached from the text,
" Let us go into Judea Again"-John
11:7. DR.. Swift spoke of three
things essential for a Christian
knight, namely, first, a sympathic
heart; second, pure heart and third,
brave heart. 1t was under this
head that reference was made to
Fireman George ]. Bergman. DR..
Swift said:
'"Tis this appeal to our admira-
ton, it's the heroic throwing oneself
into danger against great odds, put
ting manhood bravely between the
fire fiend and life and property, TAX
ing all the risks; running full tilt
against the foeman worthy OF their
steel that binds the fire laddies so
closely to the hearts of us all.
We applaud daring where there is
call for daring as brave George Gerg-
mann went into the burning building
and laid down his life one week ago
this morning. AS we speak of his
daring, his sacrihce, let us remember
that it deserves no greater praise
than that we give those who took the
same risks and are still with us,
thanks to God.
Our sleep is sweeter, our cares
are laid aside because we know so
many men in Honesdale and Texas
township. so many brave men, will
spring at the first call of danger and
put their manhood between us and
loss. 1t takes a brave man always
to do his duty"
Rev. A. l.. Whitaker, rector of
Grace Episcopal church, read a pray
er morning and evening for those in
affliction.
Rev. G. S. Wendell, pastor of the
First Baptist church, remembered
the afflicted family in his prayers
Sunday at both services, as also
did Rev. II. NJ. Crydenwise in the
Methodist church.
Rev. j. w. Balta OF st. Mary
Magdalen's church, exhorted his con-
gregation Sunday morning to attend
the memorial services at the Luth-
eran church that evening for the
man that sacrificed his life for The