St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1914-10-10

the press OF the SLdLe dI HIS uS-
mise. Suffice it to stay, that he
was a great reformer; and it
may be averred without fear OF
contradiction, Louisiana owes
him a great debt of honor for
what he accomplished in its be-
half.
During the many years | gave
to our profession, many men,
bers of the Opelousas bar have
crossed the river and gone be-
fore the bar of their Creator.
Many of them were very eminent
in their profession. But emf
nent as they may have been,
Thos. H. Lewis, our deceased
brother, was the peer Of the
ablest Of them.
In his death the bar not only
of Opelousas, but of the whole
state lost one of its greatest
lights, and Louisiana one of it's
best citizens.
This is not all that should be
said of him on this occasion.
He may have had his foibles,
his faults, but who of us have
none? He possessed some dom
inent, noble traits, which | can
not pass over in silence.
Ifyou want to know the true
character of a man, go to his
Preside, and there witness his
conduct in the family circle.
That is the place where the win
dow Of the heart is thrown open,
revealing its true impulses.
There it was where the deceased
exhibited his real nature. His
attention, his devotion to his life
partner could not fail to claim
admiration. He was equally
kind to the other members Of
his family. In the days of sor-
rowland the bitter cup was
often to his lips-though borne
down with the heavy weight. his
thoughts were not of himself,
but of her to whom at the altar
he had given the solemn pledge
to love, comport and honor and
to help in sickness and in health
while both lived. His purse was
as open as his heart to the call
of want and distress.
The courtroom at Opelousas
and this one will know him no
more; his voice has been silenced
in death, and whatever of NOR
tai there was of Thos. H. Lewis /
now rests in the cold embrace of {
mother earth. The high esteem {
in which he was held by his fell I
low citizens was fully attested by r
the great multitude that follow !
ed him to his last resting place. i
To his friends, to the dear
ones to whom he was SO devoted, :
he bequeathed a legacy more !.
precious than gold, the memory !
of a ~Well-spent life. i
Thomas Fl. Lewis died in this \
city on the END day Of January, !.
aged ~ years, 7 months and 6
He died as he had lived, full III
It honor and of years. For g
more than fifty years he was an tt
Impressive figure in this state. dl
lis abilities, his worth, his in
endured until he was sum- nc
noned to the undiscovered coun- sh
~ from whence no traveller re- he
lrns. :.
With most men, as they be- NJ
ONE aged. they sink into OBJ
Their race run, they
pend the remainder of their ex- .h'
itence in peace and quiet. free VI
the maddening crowd. WI
With the lamented dead, it he
as otherwise. He never grew aft
d. His powers to think, to a $
rite and to speak were at mas ine
rful at death, as at any time Sc
his busy and eventful the
lreer. He was never tired. of
eager for the fray; he hr,
asked for nor gave o.,
~
His life ought prove an inspir-
to the young men of this
ate. Serving his state from la
early manhood, in the tented sue
Id, upon the rostrum and at alo1
forum, he never solicited t