Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-10-21
OBITUARY.

Ihp I'm
IN Pasquotank county, State of North Carolina On
her ancestral property.
Inc nome of her youth was peculiarly adanIed
to develop and mature life full of natural groco
and beauty. Her mother, whose maiden name WAC
Mary Williams, and whose marriage with Frederick
Blount was celebrated on the 9th of Apr 1TG0
had the mien and carriage of O high bred lady md
INDUCED in the most lavish hospitality entertainn
las the author of these lines was informed bv tbe
late Gov lredelD, perhaps more than any one ladv
IN Carolina anterior to the American Reyoution
and possessing manners that would adorn a cottage
3r % palace Her father, Frederick
blount, was lawyer, planter and a eentleman--a
. most finished and polished gentleman of the old
Oarorna school, distinguished for his virtues and
cuVation intimate friend of the English Colonial
uoVernor Tryon, and when on a visit to England
nad the distinguished honor of receiving from a
@ muc1 nigher parsonage, his Sovereign, George the
lnHG present. now in the possession of his
granoson, the author Of these lines who also has
an unique piece of furniture brought over by the
1atner OF this Frederick, when returning from
Visit 70 the mother country. This Frederick sus-
tanned the constituted government of his country
in principle and action, was of daring and dash;ng
courage, and witha of bold courage too (of winch
tradition gives US an anecdote) and of an unim-
peachabe integrity, but died before the revolution
actually broke out By marriage, his fortune was
such as TO enable him to exhibit most generous
hospitality. His house was the centre of the
highest culture and intelligence of the time Tn
this atmosphere was the young life of the present
deceased moulded. There being ony two children
and her sister, Sarah Blount dying at a very early
period, she became an heiress, whose fortune was
afterward much increased BY the death of n rela
tive-a nephew of the half blood, whose name was
Samuel, (who was also the nephew of the present
James Johnston, of Chowan, one of the Healtbiest
individuals in Carona,) the son of John Swan and
Penelope Johnston, who intermarried on the 4th of
January, i790 Samuel was born on the 3Oth of
and nuir N
1896, left large estate to the present deceased:
who nearly two years previous on the 18th of Nav
1894 having just arrived at the fullness of beauty
and the loVelness of womanhood became united in
marriage to William Shepard, federast in opin-
ion, and by profession planter and merchant of
Newbern, where they resided after their marriage
at "Elmwood." William Shepard was possessed
of uncommon financial ability, and but for an I'M
pediment in speech would have entered public life
to which he was much solicited He was the
uncle of the Biddles of Pennsylvania-N icholas,
Richard, William and Others and of James Biddle
all of whom were very eminent and of the last
James Biddle, the celebrated McDufie, of South
Carolina, in his life of the same, remarked "he is
an honor to his country and has immortalized his
name"
Indeed, the character of Mrs. Shepard must have
been very decided, for it is said that she could
influence her husband to a great degree who was
himself man Of singular powers Of mind and
research. Nor was it in the things of this world
only that her rare endOwments and her intuition in
detecting character enabled her to become the
adviser of her husband, but in that higher sphere
too where God only be the infallible teacher
she became the gentle and loving guide Of her hus-
band. True and faithful she was in all the varied
and responsible relations Of life as well as in its
most minute concerns. In the dIspensations of her
charity her left hand knew not what her right hand
performed. As wife, daughter, mother, sister,
friend, she was an example for imitation, and 10.
wards strangers always afable: her native dignity
OF character repressng without effort any un-
meaning puerilty For long period she had been
a member of the Episcopal church, adorning the
doctrine OF God, her Saviour, in all things The
wicked she thought much about and was anxious
for, while she was accustomed to say that mean
spirit allied with malice was rarely if ever reclaim
--hlA-aOr charity, ho-~-Or, So UoundIeSs that
she treated las indeed the genteness of her sex
demanded), with forbearance, not only those whose
principles she could not approve, but also those
whose principles We're calculated to excite conteIpt
as well as adherence. Now residing in Newbern
where such men as CASTOR, Spaight Donnen
Graham and Stanly and others were magnets of
social attraction she became popular by her refine
ment and courtesies, and occupied distinguished
position.
But let us withdraw our eyes from the outer
world and fix them that inner circle of home
duties and graces, and the household of which Mrs.
Shepard was the centre will present a scene of
unmingled interest and loveiness. We find the
unusual spectacle of eight ten children arrived at
funess of years forming this family circle. 1t
here especially that the geniality the oTerflowing
gadsomeness and the chastened cheerfulness of the
mother found their most congeuial home. But
there are no Edens into which care does not enter,
no charmed circle which SORROW does not invade.
Early marriages first producing separations, death
afterward with no sparing hand invaded this happy
home Still more severe dispensstiOns awaited her
patience and temper. Not one death only but
many occurred in quick succession, and, natures
order reversed, Mrs. Shepard, at her DEATH
surrounded by but few Of her immediate descen-
dants Imperfect any sketch of the life of such
Q woman must of necessity be- it would appear,
unnecessarily so, without at least glimpse of that
more domestic life which is the less beautiful
for being quiet and unobtruslVe. Her greis, various
and multiplied they were, never unified her for
the duties Of life They chastened her life without
destroying it. Every period Of her history was
characterized by the most careful and systematic
attention to the various duties Of her station. Her
| life affords most remarkable illustration Of how
| much may be accomplished by system and pune
| tuality. But what is mainly remarkable is that
during this same life of domestic care, and grief
and trouble, and social courtesies, she found time
also to communicate q portion of her Heavenly
thoughts to paper in the form of prayers rather,
| may say, as fndices to prayer.
For several years previous to 1888, the date of
the removal of Mrs. Shepard from Newbern to the
city of Raleigh, she had ceased to entertain much,
| and never entertained afterward to the extent of
former davs. Her mind YVES strong and powerful
as ever but her physical frame for the last two
wears, before death, gradually underwent change.
er health had been feeble for several months pre-
yious to her decease. Her mind, originally strong
and powerful, was retained to the last, unimpared
except so far as sickness necessarily operates on all
alike; her faculties indeed were remarkable ior one
Of her age She bore meekly her sickness, soOthed
by all the attentions that the tenderest human
love of dutiful and affectionate relatives Could
bestow. After having been for nearly half century
a member of the Episcopal church, on the 18th o
the month of October 1874 her spirit was bora'
by the angels to the paradise OF God, and on tn
16tb of October all that was merely mortal of he
nature was placed beside the remains of one tt
whom she was attached in life by the stronges
ties of affection-one who proved herselfa daughter