Excerpt from The Life of Thomas Dixon: A Memorial

It is perhaps impossible for one generation fully to apprehend the life, or appreciate the experiences, of the generation which precedes it. It is chiefly the issues of an active life, with its accomplished facts which touch other lives in this world, which may be expected to make lasting impressions on succeed ing generations. A man's contemporaries are the most capable and appreciative judges of his personal character; while an after-generation may perhaps be the better judge of his acts, or of the Wisdom of his plans. IT Is the memory OF the man, not the register of his deeds, which is the more precious to his friends. The deeds are to them specially valu able only in so far as they perpetuate the picture of the man himself. It is the husband, the father, and friend, who should be embalmed in the deserted household and circle of affection. His works and activities will be measured by them, and become especially precious only in so far as they bring the man himself back in his earnest and active life to their hearts.

It is, indeed, one of the saddest thoughts of our lives here, that we not only pass away from visible and conscious contact with the world, Which is so much to us, but that the very remembrance of us fades away from the world's vision, as the morning cloud before the dawning of the day. The remembrance of many of our acts and plans of life may remain in the world after we leave it, especially if their results continue to affect other lives. Dim and imperfect shadows of ourselves, in conspicuous positions, may now and then flash across the path Of other seekers of position we shall probably be lost to sight, even before the foot-prints we have made, in crossing the stage of action, have become untraceable. Yet it is we ourselves who desire to live in the hearts of all to whom we have tried to be helpful and true. It is what we are, or have tried to be, with all our mis takes and blunders, our imperfections and weak nesses, that we desire should remain in the memory and heart of those we leave behind us.

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