The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1863-10-29
TERMs, ,oF 1lslAa


that sorrow cannot kill, at least, notme.
It sickehs me, even yet to recall those
lays. They are covered as with the
blackness Of darkness, and horror like
o hideous specter, crouches over, them
with widespread wings. There was
one friend, just one, who was both able
md willing to do me good. She knew
ne to the soul, she truly loved pc
he was in my regard, as an angel Of
God. Her sweet eyes and her smiling
ace are at this moment looking ~ me
from their oval frame: Blessed be Godl
She is my very sun, now,--nline, as no
other living creature is; as willgsoon
appear. aas..sIiadieT
In the extremity Of my want and
distress | went to her, but had hardly
reached her when she was brought
down with typhus feE es in its severest
form. My last ray Of light was depart
ng. / felt no surprise. Everybody
Who was true TO me, who at heart
Wished and with earncsthess tried to
render me aid, was wont to die. Be
ng used to that | might have 1t;
but to seethe sufieringsand to hear the
rawlings Of that gentle, faithful, loving
being. was too much to endure. 1t al
most made me mad. In factI became
despairing, desperate. All the misery
Of the past arrsyed itself before my
memory, all my vain. efforts after a
better fate for those most dear to me
and for myself, all that'it had cost me
to adhere to the path of honor and
uth,-everything, everything rolled
and surged before me, and with ,all.Was
mingled her distressful cries that she
had lost Heaven and that Satan wasin
her Three strong men were tryingto
control her that she might donoper-
sonal damage to herself and it was
al that Ney could do to manage her, 80
strong and firm was the dclusion that
possessed her.
Utterly exhausted ] had dropped
outside of her chamber door upon the
floor of Il front room AT my lett and
about four feet from me was the open
door INTO the h;li / threw my apron
over my head, bowed my head into my
lap, and my soul began an unspoken
prayer | had been in Gethsemane
before, had wEesded in prayer until l
wondered that the sweat upon me and
the tears that forced their way were
not OF blood but never had / known
what d was to be abandoned to an 'ag-
ony like that which overwhelmed me
now. First | called in THIS spirit
'Why hast thou forsaken me, my God?
[ have cried day and night before thee,
but thou wit not hear Ny soul Is .fuH
of troubles; am afflicted and ready to
die from my youth up. Lover and
f'icnd hast thou put far from me; thy
icrue wrath goeth over me / sink in
eep waters, and there is none to de.
liver my soul Then Satan poured
upon me horrid doubts Of all that l
had most sacredly believed, and | ad-
ded, bitterly and wildly: is there any
! God-anv Jesus Christ who hears and
pities? God! God! Lord Jesust 4 i
thou art anyphefei hear me noe. Give
me sign, or can never pray to thee
again. If thou art and hast compass
sion on all my tr ub e and pain if it is
ofany Il SO to pray TO the, give me u
token now. | was indeed, III extremity
at that time, on the brink Ofinfdelity's
bI ok gulf, and bending to my fall.
But the enemy can never quite pluck
any purchased soul from the hands Of
Him who has bought it, Ofthistruth
/ now am sure. For more than thirty
hours my friend had, without ceasing,
raved and struggled. While l prayed
how shall l express it'll felt sud
den presence at the hall door, Form
passed in and paused beside me. Cool
| garments. like gentle wind, swept
me, aud face and eyes of divine pow
| er and beauty looked rebukingly but
! lovingly and with unspeakable pity and
tenderness down Oh me, as i crouched
closer aud closer together upon the
floor. l would lave given worlds for
power to lit my head and look with
| my bodily eyes upon Him who stood
beside me, to clasp with my arms his
| feet but i could do neither. My hush
ed spirit, repentant, utterly ashamed,
was PROSTATE before lin, and ! won
dered if He had come to punish my
impious cries and rawlings. l could
not even ask His mercy. l was 80 a
shamed under His gaze. Ina moment
He passed into the sick chamber and l
shuddered as l listened for the result.
| No blow ofvengance fell. Immediate
4 ly, as His hand touched her, my friend
grew still and calm. Her attendants,
seeing not as Isaw, We're surprised at
the sudden change, the more so as they
found that it continued, and they were
no longer needed. They one by one
withdrew. and quiet sleep, the first
for many long days and nights, fell on
the weary eyes of the dear sufferer
She slumbered long and well, and now
she lives, my love and comfort. Is ii
any wonder that call her mine OF
that 1 say, kholc that my Redeemel
| livcth? "'" ''''i
Should any wish to know that thif
. can be borne witness to by more than
one-one who may appear to them but
as an over-wearied and excited watch
er, add that there are other sure wit,
nesses, several of them, ard Of vel
known names which they would moi
9 withhold. l feel that there are many y
tried, discouraged hearts which vii
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