Union, Union County, Oregon
(Dedicated to the Memory of Our Beloved Son and Brother Henry James Blacker)
Born at Scott Bar, Siskiyou County, California March 18th, 1858: Died at Union, Union Co. Oregon, January 5th, 1879:
I
“He is not dead-he sleeps and he shall wake-
Wake to new joy, new triumph, and new power:
Wake to receive his birthright and his dower.
Soon will the everlasting morning break-
Soon will the mists and clouds his soul forsake
And There, mid leafy glad and sunny bower,
Shall live each tree and bloom each sweet, bright flower.
He lived on earth, his heart’s home to re-make:
We weep; but when for him that sun shall rise,
We shall forget our grief and earth born pain,
And watach the dawn with glad expectant eyes
That shall restore our dead to life again;
As come bright birds along the summer skies,
As bloom bright flowers after the summer’s rain.
II
I sing of joy, dear Father! all for thee.
No sob of mine shall mar the angel a song;
No tear of mine shall do thy spirit wrong.
Did’st thou not know of love’s eternity?
Death hat but crowned thee, Death has set thee free!
Thou art thyself-theyself, freed, great and strong.
With all the powers which to thy soul belong>
And visions which no earthly eye can see,
We know thy truth; we knew thy heart of gold.
Rich with its wealth of love for all mankind;
Rich with its treasures of life manifold-
Those hidden treasures hard to seek and find.
In vain they tell me that that heart is cold;
In vain, in vain; that those dear eyes are blind.
III
We know “He giveth his beloved sleep,”
And that for them a place hath been prepared.
We who with thee our earthly love have shared
Know well that Heavens Love they soul will keep.
Rest, rest beloved one in sweet slumber deep.
The sleep of earth is not to be compared
With heavenly rest which hath thy spirit sharedl
And called the hence as Shepherd calls his sheep;
The pang of parting from thee lingers yet,
The joy of Meeting thee is yet to be;
Forgive me if mine eyes be sometimes wet,
Forgive me if these eyes be slow to see
When then dost come we shall all grief forget,
For Love, and life, and joy will come with thee!
IV
Thou host not left us, No! Christ did not leave
His loved ones lonely, surely He hath said:
“Wher two or three in me are gathered
Together, there am I, ye need not grieve,
The Comforter shall come, ye shall retrieve
Your losses; yea, and shall receive your dead.”
And then who did step in his own footsteps tread
Shalt come again, we cannot but believe.
For thee we know that death hath had no sting.
No victory the grave, and blest art thou!
Therefore for thee no dirges will we sing,
But only lay red roses on they brow:
Had all sad shows of grief aside we fling-
Thou can’st not leave us, thou art with us now!
Mountain Sentinel, Saturday
January 10, 1880