Green-Wood Cemetery
500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232
January 17, 1925


This message was last edited by the GM at 18:39, Tue 13 Jan 2015.

The Reverend's eulogy began with a reading of Psalm 13:

"How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him, ”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me."

He spoke at length about Jackson's life, and given that the man knew Jackson's family more than he did the young man himself, his words were surprisingly moving. He talked not only about Jackson's wanderlust and thirst for knowledge, but also of his generosity of spirit and his ability to quickly make friends. Near the end, he praised Jackson's dedication to the triumph of truth and civilization over falsehood and barbarism.

The Reverend proclaimed the relatively small turn-out to be a sign that as Elias was a man of no fixed home, only the world itself was a large or fine enough cathedral to contain all those who mourn his passing. His words ended with an acapella rendition of Sunset and the Evening Star, in which he was joined in by some other voices, other friends of Jackson that had come to attend the funeral.

"Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar."

Walter takes his place before the assembly, a bit self-conscious in his borrowed suit.

"My cousin, Jackson Elias, was more than a kinsman. He was a friend and a mentor, although my life led me in different paths many years ago.

"I always admired his dedication to his profession and his courage in pursuing knowledge in difficult and dangerous climes. He was ever a scholar and an adventurer, a man of strength and purpose and will, seeking to cast light among the shadows for the education of mankind.

"For me, Jackson takes his place in the ranks of the fallen heroes of the Old French chansons de geste that I studied during my years with Jackson at university, Roland and Guillame, Huon and Ogier. Those legends are about brave men advancing the Light and holding back the Darkness, often falling in battle, but never failing in their purpose. They often lose their lives, but never their lustre.

"Jackson is just that sort of hero of civilization. We, his family and friends, must do our utmost to ensure that his efforts shall not have been in vain, to strive against the Darkness that would overtake the good and pure in the world.

"Farewell, noble cousin."

He bows his head for a moment and resumes his place in the pews.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:09, Wed 31 Dec 2014.