FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104  
105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   >>   >|  
e would never recover; but would soon drop into a deep stupor, occasioned by ossification of the brain. During the night her feet and hands grew cold, and the worn spirit seemed struggling to depart. She would frequently arouse from her stupor, and speak a word or two to her attendants, saying to one, "You did not expect me to be found alone now, did you?" She repeated, "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you." She lingered till about ten o'clock in the fore-noon, then calling for the absent members of the family, she desired to be raised up. Her son supported her in his arms, the feeble lamp of life flickered a moment in its socket, there was a little struggle, and that pure breast lay free from the care or burden of life. Those loving eyes had looked their last upon her dear children, that stood weeping by her bedside, and the toil worn hands were laid cold and pulseless upon her peaceful bosom, and she was now at rest with her Saviour, "in the house of many mansions." Those dear hands that had been so active, administering to the necessities of her family, had now ceased their labor, and lay inactive, in their marble whiteness. How many thoughts come surging up, from the wellspring of memory, as we looked upon her in her last repose, and glanced retrospectively upon her useful and exemplary life. Again we heard the rich instruction that had fallen from those pale lips, and a new-purpose sprung up in the heart--a new desire to be more entirely consecrated to God, that our path might be the path of the just, that "grows brighter and brighter to the perfect day." Her coffin was carried to the bedside of her husband, who was unable to rise, and too sick to realize the extent of his sorrow, and so he looked for the last time upon the countenance of that dear wife, who had been the partaker in his joys and sorrows, through their long journey together. It was fifty-five years since their union, and now the bond was broken. One was an angel of light, the other was left to drift awhile upon the ocean of life, ere his frail bark sails over death's sluggish stream. She, too, was conveyed to the Cemetery, and laid beside her dear son, who had been deposited there a few month's previous. And they followed her, slowly and sadly, along the same road she had passed over half a century before, when she was borne into the neighborhood, a young
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104  
105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

looked

 
family
 
brighter
 

mansions

 
stupor
 
bedside
 
unable
 

fallen

 

instruction

 

retrospectively


glanced
 

sorrow

 

repose

 

extent

 
realize
 
exemplary
 

coffin

 

desire

 

consecrated

 
carried

sprung
 

purpose

 

perfect

 

husband

 
deposited
 

previous

 

Cemetery

 
sluggish
 

stream

 
conveyed

slowly
 

neighborhood

 

century

 

passed

 

journey

 
countenance
 

partaker

 

sorrows

 

awhile

 
broken

weeping

 

repeated

 

Father

 

expect

 
lingered
 

prepare

 

attendants

 
occasioned
 

ossification

 

During