In Memoriam

Dip.d, At hls home In Medina, Ohlu, Sept. Ut, 880, Clakk Rick, aged 72 ycars, 3 months and days. The deceased was an uncle of R. A. 3eal, proprietor of' the Coukier, and of Gugene E. Beal, of' thiscity. The follüwing is a synopsis of the funeral remarks made by llev. C. J. Ilyder, tastor of' tlie Cougregational churck of Medina, of' whieh the deceased had been a eading raouiber. Tlie pastor is a brother of liev. W. H. Ryder of thiscity: Every student of tlie Bible hus iloubtless irrii ImpKMsd by tlie tact that so large a portion of it s oocapled with biography. iciaps of personal history, records of human lives, are abundant witbüi it. One ¦ i-.iMin fur tbis probably is, thut men are always most dceply impressed by the lives of otber men. No theorctical treatise on faith eould imi)ress men as the simple account of Abraham's life does. Jacob's struggle with the angel, through the long uight, cUngiag to li ai as the daylight breaks, although crippled, refusing to let liiin go ii ii til the blessing was promised, impressed the importance of importúnate prayer, as mere words could never do. Truth cmbodied in human life is always powerful. God in His revelntion to men lias taken ailyantage of this principie. The Bible is not a cokl statement of ethical truth, but the living power of souls all aglow with that truth. The most impressive power of God Himself does not come throiigh the tables of stoDe written by His nivn linger, but through the patiënt human life and painful death of our Savior. It is the record of His life that moves men to repentance. Gathered, as we are to-ilay, to pay the last honors to the earthly casket of our dcpartcd brother, we are following tin method of teaching truth illustrated in tlic Bible, when we brielly review his life. CXark Rice was bom in Oneida Co., N. Y., May 20th, 1808. He died in Medina, Ohio, Sept. lst, 18S0, at the age of 72 years, 8 months and 12 days. In early youth he moved to Parina, N. Y. When 23 years of age he was con verted to Jesús Christ. About this time Mr. Finney was holding revival meetlnjn at Rochester, which was only a short distance from Parma. Mr. Rice attended some of these meetings, and was doubtless lomgwhat impressed by them, but he did not decide the question of his personal dnty there. His conversión was characteristic of the man. Without excitement, alone in his own room, he accepted the Savior. From that hour until the time of his death he was an earnest and consistent (Jhri.stian. Shortly after his conversión he was married to Miss Sarah Stevens and settled in Penlield, N. Y. Their residenee fiere was brief. In WM, four years after their marriage, they removed to Sullivan, Ohio. The country iuto which they mine was almost a complete wilderness. Mr. Rice was immediatcly engaged in Christian work among the few settlcrs. He was appointed deacon of the church. He very reluctautly accepted this office. With his usual modesty he feit that others qoold fill prominent places much better than he. The position, however, was Wtged npoo him by the church, and he filled it for years with great acceptance to the church. He was always nstinctively riglit In moral questions. When slavery was general ly tolerated by northern people, was outspoken in his condemnation of the system. He was one of the earliest advocates of total abstinence. A single incident illustrated his character. It was the universal custom among his ncighbors to furnish liquor at "house raisings." He feit that custom was wrong, and when he canie to put up his house, he declared that no liquor should be drank. His neighbors told liim it uoukl be impossible to get help at sucli i " raising." He quietly replied that he would go to Oberlin, which was even then noted tor its temperance principies, and biing help, ratlier than have liquor used when his home was erected. His neighbors yielded to hisdetermination, and bis Oberliu bretliren were saved the tedious journej' of twenty miles in an oxcart through wools and swamps. This same quict iletermination always gave him pnwiT. Seventeen years ago he lelt bis home in Sullivan and moved to Medina, Wbere he bas siuce residcd. Ten ycars ago be was -liirki-n with the disease that at last proved fatal. On account of his feeblo health, he has taken no very active part in the affairs of this cominunity. Aiiy man who was In troublc knew that he would flnd a sympathlzlng (Hand in Deacon Rice. Daring the past few months he has been conflned to his bed. Although he has not sxpected to recover, he never for a moment lost his interest in life. The erection of the new church by the society, of which he was a member, has been of constant interest to him. He inquiretl particularly of every friend who visited liim, ot the progress of the work, and only a few days before his death, was greatly pleascd to see the plans for the new building. His intlnence has by no uieans been conlined to the chainber in which he lay sick. It has reached the whole coinmunity. Ineligious men have marvelled at his patience, and his Christian bietlnen have come from his bedside, Ktrengthened by his cai nest and contident l'aith. There aeemed a nivsterv in respect to his sufferings. There is no mystery in death. The hour is full of comfort for thosc who inourn his loss. His soul, ripened by all the experiences of UU life, made perfect by sutl'ering, has gone home. The hour is full of lessous for those of tig who take up the woik which he has lain down. . . The cliiirch has a ricb legacy in Hls memory. Greatei responslbilUy reitaubon us all, because of the noble godly life that has gone out from among us.