El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-01-18

four great facts of life: BIRTH adolescence marriage,
death Of the four great facts, simplest
Generally it is Just falling asleep There is rarely
struggle suffering the end torture mind
There pathetic stiffness the heartbeas uter and
But the who passing generally the
concerned While the bed weep heave
IN agony of spirit and iuwardy, sometimes openly,
God and strain the fber Of their being until
they must give way there the pillow that with
bitter unavaBg tears reposes quiet FORM sometimes with
smiling face often with eyes that look away
open spaces past the fret and ume Of the little earthly day.
through the gates Of reckoning paradise where
peacefully pursue his chosen work. go about his interrupted
Play with flying feet and gay laughter.
The human paradox: In tears into the world,
10 De welcomed with smiles with smiles CO. amid
Modern human philosophy religion all their hope
call death, have able wholly the cere
monal rites and burial from terror and torture for
The living 1t possible savage and the child
people of earlier days gave better expression their
IN future life in their crude way the sepuItuIe
we oderns have been able to devise The mythology the
ancent and Of the red men, indicates abiding
the continuing relation Of the lead with the living
words does the ritual of the church. yet how far
y far, that comes from yielding comfort the SCARED
soul Of understanding rebeIious-has lust turned
from having closed the dmmng eyes greatly
AT such times habit and convention induce speak
and sing Of happiness when there only mockeTy
word The church devoes its rituals partly effort
inspire hope and calm fully as much to harsh
warnings that the kne continues ring long
after the grave IS closed
In the death of soldier greatest or least
is always something profoundly moving military
IS heartbreakng FL PasO has become very familiar with
soldier funerals during these recent years Sad sad
people forget the simplest obligations of decency that
and chatter laugh flag covered casket
moves slowly by and and boys neglect
their hats the national colOs Such couuess to
the touch Of human sentiment damnab those
guilty of and mind spirit; they
not decaey enough even to feel OF shame The
care not; but military funeral is the dgnihed
worthy of all national rituals entitled
under any and all conditions to the elemental tribute of
respect.
When great soldier dies or an emperor there is sort
Of grim jest IN the pageaHty of mourning nature
Eaf
to sloat great fallen low Something of
this feeling reflected in the hearts Of though the
Isecion it takes rather the hard irony fate
saying Nature values life and fling back into her
fses ny esn contempt for death.
La the great hymn of the church. Magncat find
thought Of rstrbution of balance of cempensatons
seisHk set forth the words said and sung daily for
millions:
'Fecit potentian in brschio suo disperst superbos
s12s aneD mpsS f boS d s 7s 5ms
He hath Showed might in his he hath the
proud in the coneeit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath
exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things the rieh
he hath sent empty away
Music is sometimes called the universal language In
music the great of the ages have sought mbOdy
their conceptions of the meaning of DEATH the dead
the living And it highly significant that with single
conspicuous exception in the first class of
pieces In the literature Of death and resurrection great
compositions IN minor key Seldom indeed does the
composer take flight into the regions of bssfuI realization
confidently preached by the sacred books and their pest
interpreters.
TIanscendent glorious overwhelming are some of the
dead marches" and funeral marches" Of musical literature
The adago from Beethovens ~Eroica" symphony
chosen by the New York Philharmonic society in 1865
during the week of LneoIs DEATH for presentation by the
great orchestra at the memorial service because
deemed the composition in all the range of music
suited 10 such an ovepowengy solemn event
views the peaks of aspiring hope yet gains them not
ends without "Sieges Death tremendously
tragic and soul piercing with resstess sweep
like tempests at sea, its crashing chords thuuderous
Ietbutons its march of mighty gions brief voices of
sweey Measuring melody its Hnanswerable declaration
hnaty and the visul closing of the the end-his
Richard Wagners message, and It accompanied soul
its flight into the unknown Some composers such as
Chopin IN his familiar funeral march Beethoven briefly
his have INTERCEPTED stauzas major key as if the
could faith and with Unsuitable
yearung, be sustained unrelieved And played by
masters, without the handicap military march time this
part IN Chopins sonata movement is almost gay lifting
ntszHds smile between tears; yet returns