“give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her own works praise her in the gates.”—prov. xxxi. 31.

“of feeble knees the strengthener,

the stay of timid hearts,

does all her might go out with her

who now to rest departs?

nay, for the children of her love,

to their full stature grown,

must learn amid their tears to prove

how they can go alone.”

emily hickey.

fifty years of work! of work that, had she been other than she was, might have been mere thankless drudgery; of work that, being what she was, remains a living influence, spreading, in ever-widening circles, to distances beyond compute. fifty years of love, poured out from a heart often disappointed, but never embittered; often left unfilled, but never found empty; often strained to utmost tension, but never relaxing its high energy. being as she was, refreshed by the living water, sustained by the bread of life, the strength was hers that knows neither drought nor famine.

for more than forty years she had worshipped in the same church—holy trinity—built by her friend the rev. david laing, and afterwards held by her friends, 380the rev. e. spooner, the rev. charles lee, and dr. cutts.

to this altar she came, through all her working time, to renew the strength in which her work was done as “christ’s faithful soldier and servant to her life’s end.” and here, when that end came, the last gleams of the dying year fell on the white blossoms that hid all that was mortal of that brave spirit, while the vast crowd knelt to give thanks for a life which had made all life so much the more worth living to themselves and to all women who should come after them.

“the good die never!” there can be no end to this high influence that for the half-century past has gone out, carrying with it all that is true, all that is pure, all that is lovely. it must still go on in the centuries to come in added power, since

“good, the more

communicated, more abundant grows.”

and yet, do we not too sadly feel that the end has come for us, who will not again, while we tarry here, look on that kind face, or feel the clasp of that hand that seemed strength itself? we rejoice in the joy of her immortality—here and hereafter—but for us, here and now, there is the suffering of this present time, which is “not joyous, but grievous.”

how much she did! she worked till the last; till those magnificent energies, which seemed inexhaustible, were at length worn out.

she “died in harness,” and we must not grudge her what she would have chosen. but yet, how we wish it might have been otherwise! that she might have rested in time, to have saved herself to be with us a little longer, an inspiration and strength to all; “a great moral force in the educational world;” an example to 381all teachers, as well as to her own staff and her own pupils; a joy to the friends who loved her; and to her own nearest and dearest——? but here we pause and are silent before her brother’s words: “i cannot speak of what she was—and what her memory will be—to her nearer relatives, and especially to us, her brothers.”

the details of the service in holy trinity and the concluding ceremony in the quiet churchyard at theydon bois, near her cottage at epping, on the edge of the forest, are given by eye-witnesses, happy in being permitted to be there to see and hear for themselves.

never, it seemed to me then, could physical disability have pressed more heavily than during that week—from christmas eve to new year’s eve—when, although no farther distant than st. leonard’s, i had to submit to be absent, while so many friends were doing honour to her whom we all loved and mourned.

the events of the three days, so full of emotion, could not be better told than as they are given in the “memorials” compiled in the beginning of the year, by her old pupils—afterwards colleagues—miss edith aitken, mrs. w. k. hill (eleanor m. childs), and miss sara a. burstall, who record the scenes at holy trinity, at theydon bois, and on the first day of the re-opening of the schools.

through the grave and gate of death.

“it is the will of god that even to the most vigorous and faithful of his servants there shall come, sooner or later, weakness and decay of strength. there is nothing more simply sorrowful than this, and yet it is an integral part of the providence of the world. to the most fortunate and gifted life, full of great opportunities, to which the character and personality were equal, to a life blessed 382with health and power and love and success and a large measure of happiness, even to such a life comes old age, with its train of disappointment and feebleness. it is true that the waning of a noble life is often marked by a sweetening and mellowing of character, which is in itself a triumph and a glory; but still the growing earthly feebleness cannot be forgotten, and it is a sad thing to watch the face change, and to hear the voice ever weaker and the step ever feebler, and to know that strength is gone and will come back no more in this life. the grasshopper has become a burden; the night is at hand.

“during the last year we have shared in such growing sorrow, as we have watched the struggle of an eager and hopeful spirit against increasing physical pain and weakness. we have hoped against hope, for the spirit was still so willing, but the foreboding was always there, and in the last dark days of the old year the end came, irrevocably and, as it seemed, almost suddenly. no more alternations, no more struggles; all was over.

“what an oppression of loss and pain seemed to brood over us as we waited through that dark winter’s morning in the dim church full of mourning figures! crowds of people witnessed to the wide-reaching influence of the life of which we were thinking. the solemn dignity of the occasion, as we caught a glimpse of one and then of another who had come, each from his or her important place and work, to take a part in this last ceremony of respect, recalled the importance of the life-work now over. especially did the sight of such a veteran of the struggle as miss emily davies bring to mind touching memories of the fight for an ideal waged in the beginning against great odds. such had been this our leader—an important force in the world, a mind of originating insight, who had modified her age for good. but now all was over. we had had the privilege of being with her, but we should have it no more. our lives for the future were to be poorer and smaller.

“the tolling bell seemed to beat out such thoughts as we waited. but these more general regrets are changed to the acuter stab of personal grief, as the coffin is carried in and passes us close. it is to this that the loved presence has come, and even this is for the last time. a hundred personal details come back—her dress, her favourite colours, her smile, the sound of her voice. thus and thus we knew her—and shall know her no more.

“‘the best is yet to be.’ we believe it, but we loved her as she was.

“it is hard to control our voices, but we are still her army. it 383behoves us to show that we can respond to the word of command, and so we take our part in the service, and all goes on in its appointed order to the end. the coffin is carried out, and we disperse on our further journey, sad and dreary, down to theydon bois. our minds are filled by thoughts of the past and of the future. to many of us the best part of our lives is associated with her. to how many has she not been a generous and inspiring friend, who brought out all our best by her very belief in it? how are we to go on without her? and how drearily ashamed we feel of our worst, which we can never now amend before her.

“it pleased god to let our final farewell be very beautiful. the churchyard at theydon lies on the slope of a hill, and the grave is at the northern side of the low, red brick, country church. the short winter day was drawing to its close already, and the western sky was glowing with glorious red and gold. the procession was marshalled in the road below, and the white-robed clergy came down to meet us from out of the sunset light, as it seemed. our hymns of rest and triumph felt right and fitting then, as we thought of her and not of ourselves. she had fought a good fight, and had finished her course. the country fields lay bare about us, and the branches of the trees, interlacing themselves between us and the evening sky, were leafless. but everything was touched with a most tender and beautiful light, as large, soft snow-flakes floated gently down on the violets and white spring flowers with which we covered her. and so we left her.”

“‘the souls of the righteous are in the hand of god, and there shall no torment touch them;

in the sight of the unwise they seemed to die, and their departure is taken for misery,

and their going from us to be utter destruction. but they are in peace,

for though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.’”

edith aitken.

the funeral service.

“on the last day of the old year holy trinity church, kentish town, was filled to overflowing with those who had met to pay their last tribute to her who had passed away from among us. the greater number of the mourners consisted, as was natural, of past and present pupils of the north london collegiate and camden schools, but in addition there were representatives of all branches 384of education in the widest sense of the word. among these we may mention rev. t. w. sharpe (h.m. chief inspector of schools), professor hales (king’s college), prebendary whittington, rev. brooke lambert, rev. h. l. paget, general moberly (vice-chairman of the london school board), mr. latham, q.c. (representing the clothworkers’ company), mr. alfred bevan (representing the brewers’ company), mr. elliott and mr. danson (governors), mr. storr (merchant taylors’ school), mr. hinton (haberdashers’ school, hoxton), dr. evershed, dr. j. collins, mr. percy bunting, mr. courthope bowen, mr. w. c. bell (treasurer of the cambridge training college), miss agnes ward, miss hadland, mrs. w. burbury (governor), miss prance (governor), miss day (greycoat school), miss andrews (maida vale high school), miss armstrong (dame alice owen school), miss penrose (bedford college), the misses metcalfe (hendon), miss huckwell (leamington), miss green (blackburn) and mrs. mary davies.

“long before the time appointed for the service—10 a.m.—every seat in the church, which is said to hold about two thousand, was filled, while many people were standing in the aisles. as the coffin was brought in at the south door, the door by which miss buss had entered sunday after sunday from the time the church was built, the whole congregation rose to its feet, and remained standing until the mournful procession reached the chancel. it was impossible, even then, to realize that we should never again on earth see that familiar face, never again hear the kindly words that so often cheered and encouraged us in our darkest hours, making us feel that, after all, life was worth living, and that each one of us had her special work to do.

“all the arrangements had been most carefully planned before. the chancel, with the seats behind, was reserved for the family and immediate mourners, governors of the schools and representatives sat in the front seats, teachers and present pupils of the north london, all of whom carried white flowers, in the body of the church. the west gallery was appropriated to the camden school, while the rest of the gallery and the side aisles were filled with old pupils and friends. the pall-bearers were:—

professor hill.

(of university college, london.)

dr. garnett.

(educational adviser of the technical education committee of the london county council.)

385mrs. bryant.

(vice-mistress of the north london collegiate school.)

miss lawford.

(head-mistress of the camden school.)

miss hughes.

(head of the cambridge training college.)

miss jones.

(head-mistress of notting hill high school and president of the head mistresses’ association.)

miss emily davies.

(one of the founders of girton college.)

miss beale.

(head of the ladies’ college, cheltenham.)

dr. wormell.

(head-master of the central foundation schools, cowper street, representing the college of preceptors.)

dr. fitch.

(member of the senate of the university of london, representing the teachers’ guild.)

“mrs. green was at the organ, and the girls’ choir led the singing, which consisted of psalm xxxix., the ‘nunc dimittis,’ and the hymns ‘the saints of god, their conflict passed,’ ‘peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin,’ and ‘now the labourer’s task is o’er.’

“after the service, which was conducted by the vicar (the rev. dr. cutts), canon browne, whose work in connection with the cambridge local examinations brought him for so many years into such close contact with miss buss, delivered an address from the chancel steps. he said the last rites were often performed over those who were too young to have shown promise; over those who had shown promise, and were cut off, as it seemed, prematurely; over those who had lived longer, and had had no aim, done no work in life; over those who had had noble aims, and had been disappointed, or who, having seen the fulfilment of their aims, had outlived their friends, and died silent and alone. how exactly the opposite of all this was the record of frances mary buss! she had great aims, she had seen a noble work perfectly done, she was surrounded to the last by affectionate friends. it was not too much 386to say that she was one of the most prominent actors in that which had changed the face of a large area of human life. there were many present who had played a large part in it, but he could not name the living. miss anne clough and miss buss were, of those who had passed away, those who had developed the best of woman’s nature, the latent power and charm of that intellect which was so subtle in its intuition and so swift in its spring. miss buss had reduced the wear and tear of effort by the improvement of method, and had changed that which had been dull and flat and painful into brightness and interest. thousands of girls’ lives had been made happier, hundreds of women were now doing congenial woman’s work through her means. it was difficult to believe that it had all grown from nothing in thirty years. it was not with her as with many—that others had laboured, and she had entered into their labours; she was herself the pioneer, and herself had crowned the work. it had not been done from policy; it had all come from love and sympathy, combined with that practical intuition which always lays its finger on the important point. now her task was o’er, that faithful labourer, under whom a wilderness had grown into a garden, the garden had blossomed into flowers so fair, had borne fruit so sweet. it was the last day of the year, the eve of a new year. the church’s lessons brought before them that beautiful chapter of the revelation which described the new heavens and the new earth. miss buss’ quiet and decided religious character enabled them to enter without hesitation on that branch of thought. her religious character shone naturally throughout her educational work. they read of the garnishing of heaven with precious stones of various hues and many names, not there because of this hue or that, of this characteristic or the other, but because they were precious stones. in all reverent faith they followed in imagination the placing of their friend, now lost here, among the precious stones in heaven, and they might pray that of themselves it might be true that she was but gone before.

“the second part of the service was performed in the little churchyard of theydon bois, near ‘boscombe.’ the journey seemed to be made doubly sad by the remembrance of the many delightful holidays we had spent at ‘the cottage,’ and by all its associations; and yet we felt that we would rather she were laid to rest there, in the open country, than in a crowded london cemetery. ‘after life’s fitful fever she sleeps well.’

“the day was piercingly cold, in spite of the bright sunshine, and the ground was covered with snow. about six hundred went 387down to theydon bois by a special train, and the long procession was formed at the foot of the hill on which the church stands. mr. garrod, secretary of the teachers’ guild, mr. foster watson, master of method at aberystwith college, mr. pinches, treasurer of the college of preceptors, and mr. w. k. hill, head-master of the kentish town school, acted as marshals. at two o’clock, the hearse and carriages with the chief mourners reached the spot, and the long train of mourners, headed by the clergy, the rev. c. e. campbell, vicar of theydon bois, canon barker, and canon browne, moved slowly up the hill. immediately behind the clergy came the girls’ choir, singing ‘how bright the glorious spirits shine.’ the voices, subdued as they were, owing to the great length of the procession, had—if one may so express it—a wonderfully spiritual effect. the churchyard was quite filled with the mourners, and after the actual service was finished, canon barker delivered a short address to those assembled round the open grave on the life-work and lessons taught by miss buss, whose name, he said, would be connected with the commencement of the higher education of women for many years to come. he dwelt on the zeal and ability displayed by the deceased in founding the great school in camden town, and the most important educational testimony she had given before the schools commission. miss buss also established the head-mistresses’ association and the teachers’ guild, and her schools were the models of those of the girls’ public day school company. the effect and success of her work was seen at girton and newnham colleges, and at the london university, and he mentioned the fact that at one time at least two-thirds of the girls at girton were from miss buss’ own school. the chief point in regard to her character was her remarkable personality and indomitable strength. her simplicity and singleness of heart were without a taint of personal ambition. he dilated on her great power of assimilating new ideas, and said the influence of her will was extraordinary. her name would live for years, and the women not only of this country, but of every other, owed her a debt of gratitude for the noble work she had accomplished. he touched upon her deep religious character, manifested so clearly in her quiet advice and consolation to the girls who came to her in any worry or trouble, and finally he said it was a blessing to any one to be able to see, as miss buss had done, her life’s work crowned with success before she departed.

“in compliance with the expressed wish of the family, comparatively few wreaths were sent, but these were quite as many as could 388well be dealt with. in addition to those from members of the family, the teachers of the north london collegiate school sent a wreath of laurel, the camden school teachers a wreath, miss ridley (a governor of the school from its early days) and miss j. t. ridley a wreath, myra lodge an anchor of violets, while the pupils festooned and decorated the hearse. most of those present carried flowers, which they threw into the ivy-lined grave.

“for the greater part of the service large flakes of snow had been slowly falling. the day will ever remain in our hearts. though one of deep sadness, yet there was withal a feeling of gratitude that we, too, had known her, and of pride that we were miss buss’ girls.

“eleanor m. hill.”

it is impossible to do more than merely indicate the feeling caused by the death of frances mary buss, as evidenced in the piles of letters addressed to her family, and to mrs. bryant and members of the staff, by leaders in the educational world, as well as by pupils, past and present, and by friends from every part of the globe. the extracts already given will serve to represent this deep and widespread sense of loss, and to show in how many hearts her memory will live on.

of outward and visible memorials there are several still in progress. one only is as yet completed, a window given by relatives and friends to holy trinity church, where, on october 3, a special dedicatory service was held. the subject is st. scholastica, the devoted sister of st. benedict who founded monte cassino, the first monastery of the western church. st. scholastica is said to have helped largely in the revival of religion and learning that marked the sixth century. she became the head of the first community of nuns, and it is in this character that she is represented in the upper part of the window. in the lower part she is seated, with one of her young novices at her knee, in keeping with her name, and with the work of the great teacher thus commemorated, whose likeness is plainly 389recognizable in the features of the saint. above the head of the upper figure runs a scroll with the words, “i know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith” (rev. ii. 19). the inscription below is, “in loving memory of frances mary buss, for forty-five years a communicant of this church.”

the memorial window in the clothworkers’ hall, sandall road, which is to be the gift of the company, is still in progress. the design represents four typical women from sacred history, all peculiarly appropriate—

i. deborah, “a mother in israel” (judg. v. 7).

ii. huldah, “the prophetess,” with whom “many communed” (2 kings xxii. 14).

iii. mary, who “chose the better part” (luke x. 42).

iv. ph?be, “a servant of the church, and a succourer of many” (rom. xvi. 1).

a portrait is introduced into the design.

in the camden school there is to be a marble bust, the gift of the same generous donors, who have already done so much to beautify the schools.

but the memorial which would most have pleased her whose name it will bear is in the travelling scholarships, to which the public subscriptions are to be devoted. in keeping with the large-heartedness which knew no bounds, the benefit of these scholarships will not be confined to the two schools of which she was the founder. it is hoped that many a worn and jaded teacher may thus derive from foreign travel the rest and refreshment which so often sent miss buss herself back to work with renewed vigour; and it can scarcely be doubted that in extent these scholarships will prove worthy of one who so largely gave to others.

the account given by miss burstall of the re-opening of the school after the great change that had come upon it is full of interest—

390“the opening of school on the first day of term was a strange, but inspiring and impressive, ceremony, which none of those present are likely to forget. the dark ranks of the girls, as they stood for prayers, the black dresses of the teachers, the laurel wreath hung above our dear founder’s portrait, the empty great chair, which would never be filled again by her we had seen there so often—all told the story which the funeral hymns[21] sung before and after prayers reiterated. when the short, very short, service was concluded, the rev. a. j. buss came forward, and first, on behalf of the family, thanked the staff for their work (a very labour of love indeed) in organizing the funeral arrangements, and the girls for their singing on the sad occasion. he then, as clerk to the governors, went on to say that the governors had been unable, owing to the shortness of the time that had elapsed, to make any final arrangement, but that they had asked mrs. bryant to take the post of acting head-mistress during the term.

“mrs. bryant, after saying a few words in response to mr. buss, gave a short address, expressing (as she said) the thoughts and memories that rose to the surface in trying to realize the greatness of the leader who had passed from among us. sympathy, absolute devotion of self, extraordinary energy of will, marvellous charity—these one thought of as they had been shown year after year in counsel, in delight in other’s pleasures, in carrying ideas into action, in patience and help to inferior workers, in honour and appreciation to talent, in raising the weak, in strengthening the strong.

“the thrill of emotion, of loyalty, of sorrow, and of hope, which passed through the hearts of so many of us as she spoke, is too personal, too sacred for expression. it was a relief when music, that divine art which begins where words end, came to speak regret and aspiration, as the solemn chords of the dead march in ‘saul’ flowed from the organ. just at this moment, a little after 9.30 a.m., a winter thunderstorm rolled up. the light grew fainter, the wind sounded round the building; still the music pealed on as the darkness gathered, rising stronger and fuller in its confidence of triumph over death, when, just at the climax of the melody, a flash of lightning blazed for an instant like an answering fire from the heavenly world. it was a strange coincidence, but it was not the first time that nature had seemed to sympathize with our grief and with 391our consolation. the flowers and the winter sunshine of new year’s eve, the softly-falling benediction of the snow in the churchyard at theydon—these had their meaning. so, too, had the symbol of power, of energy, of light in darkness, when the new year began with its new work and its new, yet old, inspiration.”

21. “the saints of god, their conflict passed,” and “peace, perfect peace.”

the music ceased, and all stood for a moment in silence, till, as miss fawcett tells us—

“mrs. bryant said very quietly, ‘the classes will now pass to their own rooms as usual!’ and, as we obeyed, the clouds cleared away, and the place was soon flooded with brilliant sunshine. ‘le roi est mort: vive le roi!’ was the thought in all minds. but our new head had taken her stand on the old order of things, and there is sweetness in our sadness.”

owing to some technicalities which could not be set aside, the post of head-mistress was still not filled officially either on the foundation day or prize day, june 27, 1895, and these may therefore be counted as the last days of the old régime, the beloved founder still holding supreme rule, through the self-effacing loyalty with which her successor did honour to the cherished memory.[22]

22. in a paper found in miss buss’ desk there is gratifying proof of the satisfaction it would have given her to know of the choice of her successor—

“i know mrs. bryant well, and think her the most competent woman in the whole range of my acquaintance to take up my work after me. she is bright, accomplished, energetic, and earnest. she is amiable and loving, and, above all, has vital force. she has, indeed, ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body.’ pages of writing could not express more strongly my conviction that she is the one woman who would and could carry on the school in the same spirit as it is carried on now. her fellow-workers would also be loyal to her, and she would be considerate about them.

(signed) “frances mary buss.

“myra lodge, feb. 3, 1878.”

on foundation day (april 4)—henceforth to be known as founder’s day—the sense of loss was manifest in the black dresses of the staff, and in the absence of the usual daffodils with which the hall had been gay in past 392times. the needlework was shown as usual, but in place of the entertainment of other years, there was an organ recital, followed by a selection of sacred music, ending with the hymn, so deeply impressive to all there, “the saints of god, their conflict passed.”

on the prize day (june 27) there was a special appropriateness in the fact that in professor jebb of cambridge, who occupied the chair, there should have been so distinguished a representative of the university which had been so much to one who had laboured to open for others the way thither which she could not herself follow.

in the presence of lady frederick cavendish, who gave the prizes on this last day, there was also a very special fitness, not only as a very active member of the council of the girls’ public day schools company—a work made possible in the beginning by miss buss’ success in her schools—but still more as the daughter of lord lyttelton, one of the earliest friends to the higher education of girls in general, and, in particular, to the north london collegiate and camden schools for girls.

the day was further marked as the close of the first great period of the school’s history by the absence, not only of the head herself, but of two of her foremost helpers—the bishop of winchester and mr. elliott—the one suffering from the illness so soon to prove fatal, and the other from sudden bereavement. so far back as 1879 miss buss, in regretting the absence on the opening of the new hall of the rev. charles lee, had thus written of these three friends—

“for years past mr. lee was the one person who was guide, philosopher, and friend; who gave up his time, and who, with mr. elliott and mr. thorold, met constantly in camden street, looked after myra lodge as well as 202, worked up the law questions 393(mr. elliott has always given his law knowledge to me and to the movement from the beginning), and in fact worked hard when friends were few and success was apparently hopeless.”

mr. lee’s removal from london deprived miss buss of his valuable help, but for fifteen years longer dr. thorold and mr. elliott were by her side in any time of need, and their kind and genial speeches had come to be an essential part of prize day rejoicing.

and so the old order changes once again. but, no longer looking sadly backward, we may turn hopefully to the future, as past and present are united in the heartfelt tribute to the founder with which her successor takes up the work of the school.

“last year i stood behind her in this place and read the prize day report, which was her report, for her. to-day i am proud to be her deputy once again and glad, for this day at least, of the circumstances which have determined that as yet no one speaks in her place as more than a deputy.

“the thought of our school’s past—the pride in it, the regret for it as past—must be specially with us all to-day. for the first time in forty-five years we meet together for our yearly distribution of prizes without the gracious presence of the founder, a presence so familiar, that cannot be replaced. a great teacher, a wise administrator, a strong and sympathetic leader, she held a place almost as unique in the educational world as the history of the schools she founded. nevertheless, the loss to us in this school is deepest, widest, most intimate. to those who have been her colleagues, the sense of it is ever present, in all the details of work, and affecting all the relations of friendship.

“noble work like hers remains in effect for all time, and great inspirations are immortal, passing on from mind to mind. the neighbourhood knows, and will long know, our building as ‘miss buss’ school,’ and our traditions have already lived too long to lose the stamp of the character that moulded them. to guard them with care, to act on them with zeal, will be the pleasure and duty of every north london girl.

“it is, i believe, hardly necessary, but i would like, before concluding, to remind the pupils of the thanks that are due to the 394teachers for their never-failing interest and devotion to work which, though always cheering, is sometimes hard. for myself, i could not adequately express, but i hope they know without words how much i have appreciated their loyal support and their unity of spirit as they have worked together with me during these last six months. the dark cloud through which we have passed has caused us all as colleagues to draw closer together, like children in a family when the head has gone forth.”

we find the same spirit in the account given in the school magazine of mrs. bryant’s election, on july 9, as miss burstall concludes—

“it was a quiet day, and a very simple ceremony. there was something of the sweetness and ease of home in it all, and indeed we felt as if we were a family rather than a school; and, as in the beautiful and sacred life of home we do not speak of our loyalty and devotion, but act on them as principles so certain as to need no expression, so it was here. the day was a very happy one. every one went about her work with a new impulse of earnestness, a new assurance of peaceful continuity. for the rest, the future will speak, and the past is witness that the future will be good.”

on prize day, that last day of the old which was the first day of the new era, lady frederick cavendish in her address dwelt especially on the faith and sympathy of the founder as the secret of the success of her schools, finding here, as everywhere, the true source of all great and lasting work in the faith that uplifts and the love that unites.

then from the bright past the speaker looked beyond the darkly shadowed present to a future full of hope in the work to come. none present on that day will forget the inspiration of the closing words of this address—words doubly strong as quoted by one who had come through a great darkness into the light: one who will always stand out as witness that a heart emptied of joy may yet become a full channel of blessing—

395“what though the brightness dim, the glory fade,

the splendour vanish?—not of these is made

the holy trust that to your charge is given,

children of god, inheritors of heaven!

? ? ? ? ? ?

a sacred burden is the life ye bear,

look on it, lift it, bear it solemnly,

stand up, and walk beneath it steadfastly,

fall not for sorrow, falter not for sin,

but upward, onward, till the goal ye win.

god guide you, and god guard you all the way;

children of light, set forth, set forth to-day!”