Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-01-18
FUNERAL TRIBUTE
TO COLONEL ILSLEY
Continued from Page H.

and generous heart. BE sure that
Colonel himself never kept account OF
them, There came into his room few
Colonel llsley did not remember him,
lie had TO introduce himself, and TO
remind the Colonel that all during his
college course he had been a recipient
OF the Colonels bounty, lie was al
ways helping some needy youth
through college; and for his timely aid
bestowed in one form or another, not
few who have passed out into the
life OF the world will think Of him at
this hour and call his memory
blessed
Nor is this all, You, this mans fell
low,citzens who have filled this house
to running over to-day, how eagerly
would you bear your record to the spot
less integrity, the lofty honor, and the
excellence OF his Christian character,
! But after all words are not needed,
your very presence here speaks more
eloquently than words what you think
Of this man and how you feel toward
him.
Yes, il 10 little wonder that as a
COMMUNITY we shall miss our
friend,-sorely mss that familiar fig
ure on the morning drive through our
village streets and out along the coun-
try roads. And we shall miss the
honored head as instinctively we Lift
our eyes to the window where he sat,
1t is true that during the last few
"a,
llsley could not participate actively
in our village affairs, None the less
was he with us in spirit We knew
where to find him, where to seek his
counsel. We would find him there in
his chair in the corner endeavoring to
follow with deep interest and concern
every detail, every incident OF our viii
lage life, How he irowned upon all
that was unworthy, how he rejoiced in
everything that was good,-it all made
difference to him, this was his
home ard we were his neighbors
substantial, well ordered and estab-
! lished.
There was one activity which he
could not bring himself entirely to re-
linquish to other hands. One of the
last times he left his room it was to
make his way with considerable effort
to the recent meeting OF the Agricul.
tural Society in the Hall, uong had
he anticipated this event and saved
/ his strength for weeks With some
thing of his oldtime enthusiasm he
entered into the proceedings which
looked toward the coming fair. And
we shall have a Fair | suppose on the
dates that the Colonel named, but
who thinks that this great County fes-
tival can ever be the same with its
splendid patron gone!
As a church, we his fellow members,
who worship in this place shall miss
him. Almost to the last he was here
punctually at the hour of morning
worship, He came when he was not
able to come,-so much did he love
the worship of this house Until pre-
vented by his failing health he at
tended all the regular services of the
church We recall how his voice was
lifted up in prayer and in testimony
to the goodness of his God, in whom
he put his trust with simple child
like confidence. Colonel llsley had no
use for any of the religious vagaries of
these times, his faith was absolute and
! unquestioning.
! 1t is almost superfuous for me to
try to express to you, assembled in
this beautiful and stately edifce with
reminders of the Colonels munihcence
on every hand, it is not needful that
should attempt to tell you of our
sense of Indebtedness for all this, which
we owe to the Colonel's liberality and
to that alone. He loved this house.
it was his pride, his chief delight He
built 1t as monument to his sainted
father, but from this day forth | be-
lieve we shall think of it as never be-
fore a monument and a memorial to
the Colonel himself And as we look
upon these walls of solid stone so
stately, digniiied and well balanced
in their proportions | am sure that we
shall recall the personality and the
character of this man,-likewise solid,
AS personal friends and acquaint-
| anCes we also mourn Col Ilsley's loss,
(Shall we soon forget the rare kindling
OF the eye i'll the warmth of greeting?l
and we shall count it one of the richest
experiences of our lives that we had
the privilege and the honor of his in
timacy, Nor must our sorrow at his
going obscure for us the lessons of his
life and the example of his noble SER
vice. Do we not all feel in the sill
ence OF this hour the upward lift and
the onward urge of this mans in
fuence? We cannot in the nature of
the case, many of us, do what the
Colonel did through his many bene-
factions, but we must strive the more
to be-each one of us-what the
tColonel wasa man of God who
stood forsquare for righteousness. So
shall we truest honor his memory and
testify his worth
How sweetly did he enter into rest,
and the manner of his going, could we,
or he, have wished it otherwise? No
struggle, no time for fear or appre-
hension, no wavering or hesitation, or
wistful looking backward, but the
ready response to the one clear call.
Sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me (etc.)