Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-04-13

the matter with you yoa think | am not
a christian, and you don't like to leave me
IN my present perilous position without be-
ing able to think of me as ready to die.n
LIE said that was what made him hesitate
and linger. l told him then about nv
praying on the eve ming of the Manassas
fight He seemed greatly comforted by
1t, and said he could return home with
cheerful heart"
We said: "Then, Whitfield, YOU arc
not afraid to die q "No sir,'' he an
sWeTed, shall go up and make nv re-
port to the Almighty, as the Commander
in Chief of all things. I'll tell him have
been faithful soldier, and dutiful son."
Here the nurse interrupted him, and seem
ing to think he was trusting in his own
goodness, said: Whitfield, my son you
know all that wont save you." "Stop!-
stop! wait till get through" said he,
Iii tell him have been faithful SOL
dier and dutiful son, but an unfaithful
servant of God; nevertheless, my trust is
in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of men,
As he finished the sentence, he turned and
looked upon the kind nurse, as though to
ask, !" Is my faith right 2" The good old
lady burst into tears. We all kneeled
down in prayer around his bed feryently
we thanked God for his grace. earnestly
We commended the dying soldier to his
Saviour, and arose feeling that truly God
was in that place.
Sing to me" said he, some of those
good old hymns | used to hear at home"
We sang
/ Father, stretch my hauds to Thee &c
/ Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" &c.
lie seemed to appreciate the sentiments of
the hymns, and tried now and then to
join in singing. Finding that he enjoyed
those hymns go much, we commenced and
sung the beautiful words
"Jesus, lover of my soul,
sasns@pessagn ms 0pay soson y ydS;s Sc d
day-break--every sound hushed on the
street-silence reigned in all that crowded
hotel-the light in the room threw its fit
full flashes upon the quiet pale face of the
young hero-the Adjutant leaned upon
The foot of the bed, weeping-the gener-
Gus Christian nurse, amid her tears, join
q ed in the hymn-we felt,
angels nov are lowering around u.s."
n As we sang the lines
g "Cover my dsfenceless head
With the shadow of thy wing,
i Whitfield exclaimed, Adjutant! Adju-
. tant is not that grand All you don'i
i know what that meansi I'll tell yor
- &c what it means. At Manassas, when th,
- - bullets we're whistling around MS like hal
- - and our boys were dropping in the ranks
y and poor Barlow fell, then the Almight
! covered my defcnceless head with tk
=, shadow Of His wing !" With deeper en-
ba o phasis than We had employed, he repeat
Cd
VS. With the shadow of THY wing
raj It was the grooming triumph. The M
'c BILE boy, weaker sank back on his pillo,
u We said, +" You had better now rest."-
on "No," said he, "let me talk. have bl
sit little while to live let me talk. wis
W. one thing could be-" What" asked W
n /" do you wish 2" "I would like" he re
to Piled, "that my dear mother could con
m ana SIT down right here on the bed By IN
md and could kiss her once :. then I won
pei lie down and die, and they would car
ray me away to Georgia, and bury me by t
we side of my sweet little ,stster-nurse, y
on. knew my sister; she was a good child
pl1e and then. Ah and then would 90
ace to Heaven, and wait till the rest all can
lto' O ! would not that be grand | bop
ang to live long enough to see Father.
will be here to morrow morning. /
ana never mind, God knows best-it is
ana right. Adjutant, you know -,
anne my company? Well, give my lovc
'ach him. In the battle, as he was march
by my side, " Whitfield" said he, i"
the stand by you to the DEATH" Noble
= low Tell him I'll think of him in
lar nifty
Al The dying soldier grew weaker,
mo" bright eyes closed, and the morning
great threw his golden splendors upon the i
bean of the sleeping hero. His father arr
llte' by the early train, but too late to see
after son alive We told him the story OF
ut oil sons death, and recouhted more fally 1
eeled in these pages the touching scenes of
mixed memorable night. The old man su
and | through his tears, and grew happy
serve hope in the midst of his grief. 81
'ment satisfied" said be, " Whitfield died
owly, would have him die-died for his G.
rare try; died honorable !; and, above all,
Of the in the faith OF the Gospel. 1t will
r the fort his mother. shall return to
out to home and praise God for his goodn,
oticcd the midst of our sorrows.n
lxioas, Ed r. G. Ad,oc,