Submitted by
Loyd Bishop

IN MEMORIUM

One more bright link in the chain of love
That binds our hearts to the home above;
One more to wait on the shining strand,
And beckon to us with loving hand.

Truly “Death loves a shining mark” for again our hearts are pained to record the taking of one of the brightest and best of our young friends. Wm. Arnold Shouse, born October 2, 1880 in Pratt Co., Mo., died November 29, 1899, at the home of his sister, Mrs. David Risk in Weston, Mo., of fever, and was buried in the Pleasant Ridge churchyard of which one present said, “What a beautiful spot from which to arise to meet the Lord on the resurrection morn.” The grave was covered with flowers by loving schoolmates and friends from Liberty where he had been in school. Rev. Lee Harrel conducted the services. The sermon was comforting and impressive from the text: “And have hope toward God that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” – Acts 24, 15
Arnold’s father and mother went from here to try to nurse him back to health, and his sister, Miss Frankie Shouse, who is a trained nurse of the Baptist sanitarium of St. Louis, joined them and the skilled physicians in the effort, but all was unavailing and he passed over the river to the better country for which we believe he was prepared for he had been a consistent follower of Christ since he was 15 years old, having united with the church at that time and was baptized by Elder J. M. Via. He was a member of the first Sunday school in Blackwell and was always a willing and helpful worker. He had a mind so pure that even in his feverish wanderings his thoughts were of beautiful things, sermons and prayers and loving counsel to his associates, and he frequently sang during his delirium and talked of friends in Blackwell. A letter to the friends from one of his last year’s teachers who is now in the University of Chicago pays a tribute to his character which I am sure is the voice of the friends here as well. “He was a noble boy.” We were expecting good things of him. His natural abilities, his habits of industry and his high sense of honor supplemented by warm sympathies, a loyal heart and a cheerful disposition promised a career of usefulness in the world. But God has willed to take him from our midst, we cannot now understand why, but we shall by and by. We know however that God never errs and we can but feel if we stop to think for a moment that it is best as it is. He was taken from a school where he was endeavoring to fit himself more perfectly for the duties of this life. He is now in a greater school where he sits at the feet of the Great Teacher. Yes, while our hearts are oppressed with a sense of loss and loneliness, we know it is better for Arnold to depart and be with Christ and be spared the sorrows and weariness of life, and
The life that gave promise of being so fair,
Schooled in heaven, what height may it attain there?
Much better God’s school than our best, you know,
Then check the wild grief and the tears that flow
And think of the glory to which he is heir.

May God comfort the bereaved ones by the presence of His Holy Spirit.
CELESTE MAY