is coming; but a kind
Providence so ordered it that my message reached Burlington, where he
had been on a visit, just after he had started for Dorset.
The night, like that of Sunday, was as day for brightness. Never shall
I forget its wondrous beauty, although it seemed only a mockery of my
distress. Soon after the first rays of the sun appeared, Dr. Wyman came,
but only to repeat, _It is death_. I asked him how long she might be a
dying. "Perhaps several hours; but she may drop away at any moment."
We all gathered about her bed and watched the ebbing tide of life.
The girls were already kneeling together on the left side. They never
changed their posture for more than four hours; they wept, but made no
noise. The boys stood at the foot of the bed, deeply moved, but calm
and self-possessed. The strain was fearful; and yet it was relieved by
blessed thoughts and consolations. Although the chamber of death, it was
the chamber of peace, and a light not of earth shone down upon us all.
He who was seen walking, unhurt, in the midst of the fire and whose form
was like the Son of God, seemed to overshadow us with His presence.
As the end drew near, we all knelt together and my old friend, Dr. Poor,
commended the departing spirit to God and invoked for us, who were
about to be so heavily bereaved, the solace and support of the blessed
Comforter.... The breathing had now grown slower and less convulsive,
and at length became gentle almost like that of one asleep; the
distressed look changed into a look of sweet repose; the eyes shut; the
lips closed; and the whole scene recalled her own lines:
Oh, where are words to tell the joy unpriced
Of the rich heart, that breasting waves no more,
Drifts thus to shore,
Laden with peace and tending unto Christ!
About half-past seven it became evident that the mortal struggle was on
the point of ending. For several minutes we could scarcely tell whether
she still lived or not; and at twenty minutes before eight she drew one
long breath and all was over.
Again we knelt together, and in our behalf Dr. Poor gave thanks to
Almighty God for the blessed saint now at rest in Him--and for all she
had been to us and all she had done for Him, through the grace of Christ
her Saviour.
The following account of the burial was written by the Rev. Dr. Vincent
and appeared in the New York Evangelist:
DORSET, VT. _August 16, 1878._
This lovely valley has been, for the past few days,
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