ROGERS, Earl
Source:
Greencastle Herald-Democrat 30 May 1913 p 7
Monday
morning, Feb 24, 1913 the Messenger of Death knocked softly at the door of Mr.
and Mrs. Isaac Rogers, passed by the couch of little Earl and laid his icy
hands on his pearly brow, over his snowy bosom, folded his hands and fearlessly
entered the phantom bark that carries him on the waters of that shadowy river
one must cross in time and the pearly gates were opened wide to little
Earl. He was one of Heaven’s jewels
given to dear ones for a little while, and although the loss is hard to bear
let each try to fill in his heart, “Thy will oh God be done.” His mission so soon ended here will develop
in eternity where he will await the coming of loved ones. So father, mother,
little sisters, dry your tears in the glorious truth of a dear child in heaven
and may this sleep so dear and still the folded hands, the awful calm, the
cheeks so pale and chill, the strange solitude and all – may these stores of
memory bind upon your hearts peace, sweet peace, the Gift of God’s love. We cannot understand why this young life so
pure and lovely, should be cut off, but when we meet him in that deathless land
we shall understand and be satisfied why God only lost him to us for a little
while. He has crossed the Jordan of Death and we could only accompany him to
the brink. Today his home is heaven and his father is God. Now he stands at the
great white throne waiting for his loved ones. The grass in its beauty will
cover his little grave and the wild flowers will adorn him with their pewels,
the dawn will cast forth its shafts of light and the twilight will linger to
play in its shadows there the noon day will spread its warmth and vigor and the
moon will add its share of glory to the happy scene; there the song birds of
morning will warble their merry notes and the evening will be made joyous by
his presence. Last but not lest, when we view that sacred spot we shall know
there is one more Angel in Heaven its innocently just budded forth on earth
only to bloom in all its beauty in the Kingdome of our Lord. The fewer days of
this world the more of heaven. Thus in
the very sunrise of the day his little life has gone out; hardly had the bud
begin to swell, when the Great Gardner walking among his flowers plucked this
one and a vacant place is left to be filled only with the sweet thought that he
has been transplanted from early fields to fields of Eden: bathed in eternal
sunshine of the smiles of times who said, “Suffer little children to come unto
me,” and could we with his sorrowing parents be blessed with but a measure of divine
insight see him in the arms of Jesus, clothed in the morning light, free from
every pain, divorced forever from suffering and sorrow we could look up through
tears and say, “Thy will oh God be done.” - kbz