Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-07-30
A Retrospect.

dered US a service either by act or in
luence, to forget them is to injure
ourselves and to deprive life of an
inestimable blessing. Retrospection
delights the mind, especially if the
recollection of a person has benign
influence and sanctifying effect upon
ones conduct. Such was the influence
of Thomas Lanham Dorm, the flower
of whose sweet life faded just about
one year ago, and made the commu-
nity the richer for his having lived
and poorer for his having left US, but
still the perfume of that flower lin
gers with US.
For his companions to remember
him, will make it always more difficult
to do wrong and easy to emulate his
beautiful example. Just to recall his
sweet face will rebuke US in the hour
of temptation and inspire us with an
ambition to be Christlike! We are
satisfied that the life of this boys
influence has contributed much to en-
rich the minds and hearts of those
with whom he was associated in child
hood. If this dear little fellow was
passed by unnoticed by those of ma
turity, then we are poorer for our
neglect, but the souls of those who
took him in have caught vision of
another and better life.
There are some people who stagger
our faith in Immortality, but there
are others who defy US to doubt. We
are too prone to magnify the loss of
a grown person and minimize the
loss of child-forgetting that the
great world teacher took children in
His arms and said: "Of such is the
Kingdom of Heaven" :"
In writing this retrospection we are
not prompted by professionalism,
but by an actual experience which
grew out of the association of child
so near and dear, and bearing the
same given name to my own son,
whose life has been so benefited by
his playmate that l am satisfied that
both the life and death of this dear
boy has been instrumental in con-
frming religious impressions that
were made in his home. So that,
gratitude to the deceased and per:
sonal love and admiration prompts us
to record a retrospection of most for
tunate character.
He was born January %, 1904 and
departed this life July 80, 1918. Du-
ring his brief life of less than fifteen
years he grew in favor with God and
man. Each day nraised the TN
folding of splendid manhood ...ac
promised to bless th. wor.l, bus n
the wisdom Of Gcd he was tran-p,aI5o-
ed to a life where the "rainbow ncv,r
fades, where the stars viii! be sp-' Sd.
before us like islands that siuin5er
on the ocean" and where glory meets
the eye; to land where the "wither-
ing word, farewell, is never heard,
where there is no night, nor tears,
nor 'groans, nor sighs; to a land where
we long to go because the good have
gone before.
1t is not the absence of the worth
less and the wicked that dispels the
shadow of the inevitable, but it is the
absence of the beautiful in form and
spirit that beckons us to Immortality,
that removes the sting and conquers
the vale. And that which makes
heaven so real is the life that on
earth was lived.
This dear child was filled with the
greatness of goodness, for he was
modest, humble, affectionate, respect
full, gentle, thoughtful, generous,
kind, loyal and consecrated to high
ideals of life. In the home, on the
streets, on the playground, he ex-
hibited those traits which add
charm to personality. Of course he
was not faultness but possessed
enough humanity to temper him with
the milk of human kindness. Just as
soon as he realized the meaning of
Christianity he identified himself with
the church, and to the day of his
death he enjoyed the services of the
sanctuary and Sunday School, con-
tributing not only his presence and
influence but also of his means.
He is gone but not forgotten! His
parents and relatives have treasure