The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-05-19

.
previously given in his own paper, the
Charlottesville Democrat, the speaker
concluded as follows:
He was valued member of the pro-
| fession, not only Of his section but
of the State and was one of the most
! invaluable members of this Associa-
ton, being on its executive commit
tee until his election as our Vice Pres
ident at Cape Girardeau last fall.
Monday afternoon, January 81, af-
ter last honors had been paid him by
the community in which he lived, his
| former tenement of clay was recon-
mitted to the arms Of Mother Earth
to await the sound of the resurrection
trump which shall reconvene us all
at the steps Of the throne.
Death masquerades in multiplied
and multifarious forms; he comes at
all seasons: he spares none..l must
/ confess | am at loss to tell you why
one so vigorous in body and in mind,
one so useful, so valuable to his COM
munity and commonwealth, should
be cut down by the "Insatiate Archer
in the heydey of life, ere his life-sun
had fairly reached its zenith. 1t is
one of those strange providences that
makes automatic the adage that I'm
the midst of life we are in death"
| What beautiful, what blessed
what an accursed world is this we
tread! Cerulean skies, arching noun
tains, dales and plains: genial sur
bathing in beauty valleys pregnant
with fruits and fragrant with flowers
where light-winged birds with bright
est plumage and sweetest song fiji
through outrageous groves, watered
by rivulets singing their glad ways
toward sun-kissed seas, all lighted by
night with stellar worlds as though
angels had hung out a, million candles
that man might not stumble on his
way while the Day-god was at rest
But. over all this falls the fata
shadow of gaunt Death, skulkine
along the hill-tops. The end inevitable
Of life.
"There is no cote however well at
tended,
But one dead lamb is there;
There is no household howso'er de
Tended
But has one vacant chair"
Who of US thought at Cape Girar
deau, last fall, that the great-hearted
loving, sympathetic fellow we de
, lighted in calling our Big Brother
: Bill would be absent from our ranks
today, gone to join the silent cavaral
knowing to the realms of shade 2
AS his memoir in his own paper elo
quently expressed it, Gone in tn
golden prime of his manhood, with hi
pen unrusted and the last white pag
unwritten."
| do not claim my friend, our bro
: ther, was infallible or impeccable
but "E'en his failings leaned to vir
! tues side" and as every true painting
e must have it's soberer colors so i
t each life we look for that which make
a one real humanity and companionable
He repaid friendship with fealty
was too big to harbor hatred and tn
h shafts of his enemies left no mark
!. of malice in his mind. He possesse
v that divine shallowness that soon fol
: gets an injury. He could give an
: take without resentment.
:. AS member of this Association
d his wise counsels, ripe experience an
] clear business insight were our CON
Q mon heritage, but he was too modes
t to obtrude his views, however the
a came freely and fraternally when ash
n ed for, and were well worth the ash
: ing. !,
o His versatile pen put him to tn
/ fore of the craft of this section an
e makes his successor impossible to fin,
5, He was an enemy to pessimism an
n a stranger to gloom. When he can
lc on the stage, darkness got off at Il
first exit. He numbered his friends ar
lovers by all who REALLY KNE'
,e him.
" Our duty and privilege at this hol
" is to embalm him in our memory, ar
q to pay tribute to his work as brothe
10 friend and member, but / am CO.
. scious that what we say here will az
be but feebly to his praise.
sr Also, may we gather comfort fro
w the sentiments of this hour, as to m
and doubtlss to you, there comes
distinct pang of sorrow when we CO
:. template that he will nevermore sha
70 the pleasures and profits of our NEE
- ings, for last January 28th, he sill
% ! ped off into the midnight shadows al
= left us with straining eyes gazing o
y in the gloom after him.
ID But we shall see him again.
n knowledge and Reason halt at t
Is frontiers of Time. Beyond is ter
at incognita, an unknown world, whe
Of no irreverent injury may penetra
% and where only the feet of Faith mi
or tread. Hope tells US our deal are
rest in that unseen land. Freed fro
the carking cares of this earth-lii
they pause just outside the gates
the Fathers higher kingdom: tn
pitch their tents on celestial plai
n, to await the arrival of earth's la:
Gu born generations.
ef When black-winged death casts
sy drapery of sable shadows over o
ny hearts and homes, that which we m
e have discredited and discounted |
! comes a priceless possession, and
= turn then to the Old Book to viii
- Jur forebears pinned our faith and
- which they pillowed their head VIII
y the eternal night came on, and FRI
is leaves Of life we gather that viii
insures surcease from sorrow a
MAKES hope "pring eternal in !
.lreast."