Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-04-02
through Heavens gate


should relnquish the loves, comradc
ships, associations, perhaps with mo
mentary sorrow, until there comes a
hour in life when we would rathe
be with those we have laid away thai
. with the handful yet remaining in tn
. flesh. And when we have pare,
with the number that adjusts the bal
ance, when our hearts anticipate be
ing There with them, in that moment
my friends, we have come to know
the peace which passes understand
ing
1t was very quiet in that from
room as Rev. Dodd looked into oul
races. A sleigh-bell tinkled past out
side. The driver of log-team hal.
coed unwittingly at a companion fur.
thor up the HILL An iciclc broke
from the caves and was dashed in
pieces on the crust of the snow. But
there was no sound nor movement
, within.
| What horror, what agony and fear
and apprehension would there be, my
friends, if all of us ceased to exist
at the same time? But no!-each of
Us slips quietly away one by one to
join the Choir Invisible Of the I'M
mortal Living wherein are faces that
we know and voices that we recog-
nizc. And in the going, each one of
us add ourselves to the long list of
some other PERSONS loved ones whom
someone else looks forward to meet
ing Somcday when a ship is waiting
in our last vision and we find our
place therein and sail away.
"That is why most elderly people
do not fear the Great Adventure.
Those whom they have known and
loved and wept with and comfortcd,
those whom they have worked beside
and slumbercd beside, those with
whom they have discussed the same
thoughts and passed the same plea
santries, those who have gone
through with them the same cxpcr-
fences and looked upon the sar:c
scenes and whispered condolences too
intimate and sacred perhaps to be
spoken aloud---thcy have gone one by
one upon that purple journey. And be-
cause they have gone, every gray
haired saint is not afraid to set out
also.
"What we are met today for is
merely to show our sympathy for
saddcned sister who must endure a |
pittance Of loneliness before the re-
of her life too, is made.
And yet in the experience she is but
having the depth and beauty and a.
tenement Of God and His universe
brought closer to her. By an hour of
bittcrSweet heartache she is robbing
The Great Transition of its pagan
shadows and learning the turns in
-hc footpath to peace. Life will be
! vaster and still more beautiful thing
20 her as the days go by and the
years roll on and she comes nearer
md nearer to the heart of the sunset.
She has loaned this man to eternity
o make her own journey thither the
easier; she has added another soul to
hose she will rejoice to turn her
'tcps toward when God walks in
Garden in the cool of lifc's day"
Such was the sentiment of DR..
)odd's sermon over Jack Purses bier
And strange to relate, so beautiful
vas the suggestion, so rich his voice,
o mellow his heart, that no one
lot even Mary herself-shed the
visionary tears.
She walked up to the flower smoth-
red, satin-pillowcd bed and stood for
moment looking down upon him.
"Goodbye, Jack DEAR" she said.
When the boys have all joined you
yer there, then I'll come too!' !
I remember that as Sam and I
rove homeward in the keen late =
inter afternoon together, above the
ngle of the sleighbells and the !
runch of the runners cutting through i,
ne snow-crust, the editor cried as
1ough from the depths of his soul! '
"Oh that could believe it, Bill! }
N that we were sure of it."
We left the steaming horse at the
very stable and walked up Maple :,
treet together. AS we parted be- ',
IRE my gate, Sam added: y
"In all that sermon or in his prayer :.
owhere did DR.. Dodd once speak the =
ord DEATH" =.
eyes," replied. $50 l noticed" y y
But | was thinking of something "
ore important than that. :,
/ was thinking of Mary, left y
one with those little children. =
We do not understand, being ordin- y
Y thick-skulled males, how Mary n
arse survived that blow. She must IL
I'VE gone through hell the first week a
flowing the placing OF Jacks body 81
the vault for burial in the Spring. tt
ar wives went out there to console p
+ and brought back stories of her W
cerfulness, her poise, the wonder OF
| tenderness she exhibited toward h;
l. fatherless boys. And then,
en- came an episode with which it ii
fitting to close this portion of our {"
rrative and move on out of scenes m
struggle and grief and heartache T
% those of success and glory and a
4 "a