Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-11-01
A Dying Wife to Her IIIss-
Ha.. band.

The Savannah Nems &c Herald is in
debted to n lady friend for the following
most touching extract from n letter
written by dying wife to her husband,
which was found by him some months
after her death, between the leaves of q
religious volume which she WAS very
fond of pcrusing. The letter, which
was literally dim with tear marks, was
written long before the husband was
aware that the grasp of fatal disease
had fastened upon the lovely form Of
his devoted wife, who died, IL Is stated
at the early age of nineteen. 1t shows
how iathomless is the depth of a true
woman's affections:
"When this shall reach your eye, dear
O., some day when you are turn
ing over the relics of the past, shall
have passed away forever, and the cold,
white stone be keeping its lonely watch
over the lips you have SO often pressed,
and the sod will be growing that shall
hide forever from your sight the dust of
one who has often nestled close to your
warm heart. For many long and sleep
less nights, when all my thoughts were
at rest, have wrestled with the con-
sciousncss of approaching death, until
at last II has forced itself upon my
mind; and although to you and TO 9TH
ers il might seem but the nervous imag-
ination of girl, yet, dear g., Is IL not
so? Many weary, weary hours have |
passed I'm the endeavor to reconcile N.Y.
self to leaving you, whom love so well,
aud this bright world of sunshine and
beauty; and hard indeed Is it to striIg-
gle on silently alone, with the sure con-
viction that am about to leave all for
ever and GO down alone into the dark
valley! But know I'm whom / have
trusted, and leaning upon his arm, Il
fear 40 evil.' Don't blame me for keep.
ing all this even from you. How could
| subject you, of all others, to such sor-
row as feel at parting, when time will
soon make IL apparent to you? could
have wished to lived, IL only to he at
your side when your time shall conae,
and pillowing your head upon my breast,
wipe the death damps from your brow,
and usher your departing spirit into Its
Makers presence, emballncd In wo-
mans holiest prayer. But it Is not to
be so--and submit
"Yonrs is the privilege of Watching
through long and weary nights, for the
spirits final flight and of transferring
my sinking head from your breast to
the Saviour's bosom! And you shall
share my last thought; tho last faint
pressure Of the hand, aud tile last feeble
kiss shall be yours; and even when
| flesh and heart shall have failed me. my
eye shall rest on yours until glazed by
death--and our spirits shall hold one
| last fond communion, until gently fad
ing from ms. view-the last of earth
you shall mingle with the first bright
glimpse of the unfading glories of that
better v orld, where partings are un-
known. Well do know the spot, dear
O., where you will lay me; often
have we stood by the place, and as we
watched the mellow sunset as 1t glanced
in uuiyering flashes through the leaves
and brightcnd the grassy mounds
haronnd US with stripes of FURNISHED
| gold, each Las thought that one of us
would come alone; and whichever IT.
might be, your name would be on the
stone. But you loved the spot; and /
| know you'll love me none the less when
you soc the same quiet sunlight linger
and playsamong the grass that covers
your Mary's grave. ! know you will
go often alone, when am laid there.
and my spirit will be with yon
then, and whisper omong tl,e waving
branches, II am not lost, but gone be-
| fore.