Excerpt from The New Life Dawning, and Other Discourses, of Bernard H. Nadal, D.D., Late Professor of Historical Theology in the Drew Theological Seminary

Dear Nadal - the generous friend, the genial col league, the cultivated scholar, the tireless student, the tender-hearted, gentlemanly Christian - comes to me often, many times a day, just as he used to when we strolled the groves together: comes knocking at my door, as he was wont, in the evening and in the morning. At this moment his step is in the tessel lated hall, and I am waiting to see him come with his pleasant smile through the open door. He does not come. May be it is that my dull eye Of sense does not see him now.

Glad am I that one who knew him well and loved him reverently has been induced, at the promptings of affection, to give permanent form to some of the reminiscences of his beautiful character and life, as he went in and out among us.

As it is acted before us, a beautiful life is full of precious though often unconscious ministries, which keep on forever voicing-themselves in our history and working themselves into the fiber and fashion Of our character. Abel, though dead, is speaking still, and the unseen influence of his example goes on touching the shores of human thought and feeling over all the world. The connection is lost to our crude observa tion, but the Infinite, who is interested to pursue the stream through all its intricate windings, discerns each echo and vibration of the hushed voice and finished act, and will gather them all up at last, and place them, a crown of glory, on the head deserving to wear them.

It is often not until the vase Is broken that we discover the precious Ointment it contained, even though we were constantly breathing its delicious Odors. We walk along the journey of life with a chosen friend, in a commonplace sort of way, in sweet content, without knowing exactly why, until death lets go a bolt, and our comrade falls then first we learn that it was an angel who had - been walking by our side the ascending chariot reveals the Elijah. After the grass covers away his form, and the places where we met him are vacant, we remember the marvelous charm othis presence, and are surprised that much as we loved him, we really never knew his worth until he had gone from us.

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