Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-01-28
From the Rockingham Register
OBITUARY.

The citizens of our town of all classes, expert
! enced profound sadness on Thursday of last
CLARKE the amiabe, accomplished and devoted
| wife of Rev. j. l.. Clarke, of Staunton, were
brought hther for interment. Her death had oc-
Cured at noon on Wednesday, the 9Th of Janu-
airy, in the 37th year of her age after she had pa
tiently and unmurmuringly endured much af-
Fiction Of body for some months The writer OF
this imperfect tribute of respect to the memory
of this excellent christian woman, would indite
no fulsome eulogy nor write word not In conso-
nance with truth. She was born and reared in
this town. where she now SO quietly sleeps the
dreamless slumber of the grave. She was the on
ly daughter Of Edward and Elizabeth Stevens,
formerly of Harrisonburg, and had received all
the advantages of fine education. In addition
to this, her cultivated mind was early. imbued
with religious sentiments, and her heart had been
early taught to trust in the blessed Savior of the
human race She became christian in heart
and in life and her naturally attractive and beau
tifu character shone with increased brightness In
her unreserved conservation to God. Thus fitted
to adorn any position and to exemplifv the doe
trines OF the gospel, she became the wife OF him
whose house has indeed been left desolate In her
removal. 1t may be said of her with truth that
no lady was ever better suited to be the wife and
companion of a minister of Christ. Prudent,
discreet, modest unassuming yet intelligent and
attractive in conversation and manners, she tailed
not to win the regards of all hearts wherever her
husband was stationed. 70 murmurs, no COM
plaints repinings at the hardness of his lot or
of her own in connection with his, ever escaped
the lips of her whose absence pains so many
hearts In all the relations of life, as friend,
daughter, sister, wife, it may be said of her, that
she lacked nothing to complete the perfection OF
her character. A life like hers, of devotion to
God could not be otherwise than peaceful and
calm and it was fair to infer that the close OF
such an existence would illustrate the power and
beauty of our holy christianity. Her end aoas
peace indeed it was triumph over the appre-
tensions which poor, erring mortals feel when
they are called to pass through 1.-The dark valley
of the shadow Of DEATH 1t was natural she
should wish to live, as the of her earthly ex-
istence had scarcely assembled to mid-heaven, and
there were many ties strong and tender to bind
her to the present life; yet no wish to Interfere
with the will of her Heavenly Father ever es-
capped the lips of this patient, suffering child of
God. The language of her soul was uniformly
that of entire submission and resignation to the
will of God. Hence the strong basis for the bles-
sed assurance which her friends are authorized
to cherish, that their 'loss is her eternal gain
Yes they feel-they know, that
"Her languishpg head is at rest,
Its aching and thinking are DER;
Her quiet immovable breast
Shall be heaved by affliction no more'
To her devoted friends and relatives to whom
she so dear, in their overwhelming bereave-
ment we can only point to the blessed hereafter
where the pure in heart shall see Cod Happy,
happy, will it be for them ALL if they can only
live as she lived, and die as she died. Then, in
deed, may we justly anticipate a reunion of kin
dred spirits when God shall make up His jewels
and gather His elect from the four winds of hea-
ven. xw