Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-09
DEATH REMAINS STILL
 A SUBLIME MYSTERY.
Rev. c. H. Ricketts Speaks Upon Sub
 ject at Y M. c. Shop Talk.

The subject of Death was the topic treated by Rev C. H. Ricketts before the men of the Richmond Radiator company Wednesday noon. in the shop talk series under the auspices of the '. M. C. A Mrs Louis O. Potter ac- companied by Miss Letitia Kramer rendered several solos. MT. Ricketts said in part:
 Two days hence will be Good Fri day. Naturally the thoughts of many will be turned to what that day signi- ffes, Great as the effect of Christs death has been upon the world still the mere fact of his dying did not solve the mystery of death. It made no greater contribution to our knowl edge of death than the dying of the two malefactors by his side. As a fact in itself. death is the same sub lime mystery now that it ever has been
 have a growing feeling that our ideas of death ought not to be so much readjuSted as revolutionized, horrible thing? Certainly not from Christianity but from Paganism. Vail ing, bowling. rending ones clothes, putting on the sonbre robe of sack cloth, scattering ashes over oneself. and hiring professional mouCners to vail was all borrowed from heathen- ism. You cannot find one scrap of evidence from Genesis to Revelation showing that death is the awful thing we have falsely attached to it. Of course to one in health and strength the thought of dying is naturally re pugnant otherwise we should not strive to make good and suicide would be more frequent than it os How many, many times do we read in the Bible that such and such a one was gathered unto his fathers" or slept with his fathers or was not because nf hnty,rr harsh there is something beautiful even in the Old Testaments concep- tion of death as reunity with those that have gone on before.
 Death Is Blessed Sleep.
 Nothing in the teaching of Christ makes death a doleful thing. It is contrary to the experience of physi- clans and nurses. To be sure certain diseases carry acute pain with them to the very last and then death comes as a blessed sleep Nature is very kind to us and when the time comes to die. she lets us down easy. Ninety per cent of all people die uncon- sCiously. Stories gotten up by tramp evangelists for trade purposes about young people tearing their hair at tho though of death are contrary to ex- perience Sir Lyon PIayfair a man of enormous medical practice. once said he had only seen two men who
  torious criminals. In their case it was not fear of what was coming, but remorse over what had been. A per son who goes through life making it hell for other people ought at least, to have just a little of it himself. For such a one to get few healthy whaclzs from a troubled conscience be- fore he goes hence is mighty food thing
 The speaker then put great empha- sis on the naturalness of death. find ing abundant illustrations among the flowers and lower animals. Whatever views one may hold in regard to the introduction of death into the world through sin, it is clear that man is not physically immortal. The speaker also showed that what is natures can not be horrible.
 Need Funeral Reform.
 We need reform at funerals. Why put on the pagan robe of sackcloth modernized as black crepe? Does sombre black give any special honor to the dear or solaCe to the living The long black veil is inconsistent with the white casket. Sometimes the whole mourning outfit is a mockery. A woman, loaded down with black, once said to me: Why did God take my dear husband. I have nothing to live for now!" The poor, desolate crea- ture found something to live for with in the next three weeks, and married him within the next three months.
 The speaker closed by making an urgent appeal to the men to let life death would be a very insignificant af- fa