The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-12-02
Wayside MeditatiOns
"ODtmo"
Subject. Someday. The Losso "a Friend(?
The Loss of a Friendly
By "ODtinao."

am grloVed dear friend that / must bid
farewell. have known you month, yet
have become very much attached to you. Your pa
tent, regular. and had hoped constant service had
won for You my esteem and friendship. / have new
er heard your voice, for you even as who mourn
your loss, have observed the rule of silence You
have maintained an unfroward attitude and, Also
you have been a cheerful companion You have
ever worn an encouraging expression; every time
looked in your face saw, it were, hopeful re-
hinder that Father Time still was with regular
footsteps wearing for those of us who are confined
behind prison walls, pathway toward the scenes of
and liberty beyond these portals of a living
death.
Tonight as | looked upon your face saw not
the pallor of death, but rather your countenance
seemed as encouraging and full of life as has been
your wont in the other days of the short time we
have been together. But as endeavored to endue
you with renewal of power 10y winding you--for
you are but clock-I was struck with CONSERVATION
as heard the death rattle' within vour internal
organism. You seemed to have lost your grip
there was no life giving spring" to your move
ment;' your rhythmic heart BEATS which for manv
evenings had luled me to Sleep were heard no more
Tor you lay, ifeless. worthless metal CORPSE with
In my hand However, you have by your untoward
actions suggested to several ideas which might if
we give them little consideration be profitable for
First, you not sufficient unto Yourself You
were not able to bring yourself into existence but
you were made out Of materials that had aforetime
been created we are taught it was with
man. Again. your power of action is limited to a
very short period of time unless YOU receive from
source higher than yourself renewal of enerev
So. again, 1t is with man. He is but a secondary
agency thru which some power or powers higher
than himself exercises it's or thelrself
Your sudden stoppage reminds us that life ia
uncertain, regards animate as we'll as inanimate
things or beings
Death rides every passing breeze
And turks in every flower
Each season hath it's own disease,
Its perils every hour
Thus brot to a consideration of the mys.
terry of death. What is death? Every piece of your
mechanism is here, but you are no longer active:
there is no longer life-wha is life?-to your parts
Even so we stand beside the bier upon which lies
a form that once acted upon or inhabited by
that mysterious thing, influence or power, called
Life. The temple of clay" lies before us; naught
that is tangible is missing. Dissect the body, and
under normal conditions each and every organ of
the body will be found their proper place. but
they do not function. Why?
We may delve into the mysteries of medco-
physics and therein learn that as regards life and
death,-as well as other problems with which we
have to do-cerain causes bring about certain re-
suits: but that does not solve the mystery of LIFE
and DEATH. unless we accept fact the existence
and continued exercise of THE ONE GREAT CAUSE of
all created things and beings.
&c. little clock in your sudden cessation of &C
tvites you have for the moment at least caused
thoJs to become engaged with the grave and
serious problems of life. And, perchance, in this
you have fulfilled greater commission than you
would have if your days of time telling usefulness
had been prolonged; for told that: 1T is bet
ter to to the house of death than to the house of
mirth, for the living lay it to heart.'
Some people to derive much self comfort
from the old adage, Still water runs Deep" when
the fact the water has ceased to run at ALL and has
become stagnant
aatrrr Shall 1Ifr bury Our 8ha,ur?
By Moore
Where shall we bury shame
Where, in what desolate place.
Hide the last wreck of a name
Broken and stained by disgrace?
Death may discover the chain,
Oppression will when we re gone;