58 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



and friends in public and in private life who would feel 

 it a privilege, though a sad one, to offer here their elo- 

 quent tributes of admiration and esteem. Friends, I 

 yield to you a greater eloquence, but not a greater love 

 for the one who is gone. But your silent presence is a 

 higher and a finer tribute than the most eloquent words 

 could be. 



It is for me, only to pronounce the benediction of the 

 Church upon a beloved son, and a constant and faithful 

 worshiper in her sanctuaries, and, if I may, God helping 

 me, to say a brief word of comfort to those whose hearts 

 are saddest today. 



We are but as little children here, and this is God's 

 world, and He is our Father, and we are His children in 

 His presence and under His care. "The very hairs of 

 our heads are all numbered. ' ' And ' ' not a sparrow falls 

 to the ground without our Father." We do feel the 

 presence of the Eternal Infinite more at such times as 

 this than at other times. Shall we not try to feel more 

 and more that we are personally, each one, under His 

 watchful, loving care ? One by one He calls His children 

 to come up higher, to be nearer to Him. It would seem 

 more terrible still of He called them all at once. One by 

 one they must go, even though sobbing hearts remain be- 

 hind. It could not be otherwise. He has called our 

 brother; and we never knew him to fail in answering 

 promptly the highest call. And how promptly, how 

 quickly he answered this call! It seems to us all too 

 quickly. There was no time to say "good-bye." At 

 one o'clock he passed into the unseen world. And I 

 think he would have had it so. He had time for the little 

 kindnesses, for the promptings of affection in the home 

 life, to love the birds and trees and flowers and every- 

 thing that God has made; time always to spend God's 

 Holy Day in His Holy Temple, but never time for inac- 



