The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-12-16
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
In Memoriam.

In Memoriam.
When death lays his icy hand upon
the young, and gay, and beautiful, and
1 look upon all that remains, the scene
brings to my mind, the beautiful saying
of Herodotus, "Whom the gods love,
die young"
l would not say, nor did the author
mean, that all the good die in their
youth, yet, since so many are thus cut
down, there is truth enough in the ex
preston to give it strange and melan-
choly beauty.
But | was led to make these remarks,
because had been thinking of the death
of Lizzie Lupton, charming young
lady who a short time ago attended the
school to which l belong She was just
budding into womanhood when l first
knew her, and appeared to be in good
health; but after some weeks friend
informed me, that the bloom upon her
cheek was the fatal hectic flush.
She loved the schools, both the day
school and the Sabbath School. There
was singing in both of them, and it was
thing in which she took great delight,
as she told me in her last illness. Among
her favorite hymns were these two:
The Better Land" and 1.-The Beauti
full River"
But her insidious disease made fearful
progress. She was soon prostrated.-
Then came anxious whisperings about
her condition. How we missed her at
the school! How deep was our sympa-
thy
But the worst thought of all was, that
she was not Christian. Her pastor
and other pious friends visited her.
Some prayed with her, and doubtless
many more for her. One of her friends
sent her Abbott's Young Christian to
read. There is reason to hope that
this book helped to awaken her to a sense
of her condition. She was then afraid
to die, and was greatly troubled, and
there was great anxiety among her
friends, which continued until she saw
the Lamb of God which taketh away the
sins of the world; but she finally made
a full surrender to Him, and then all
was well.
One seldom witnesses more solemn
and impressive scene than was presented
when she partook of the Sacrament on
her bed few days before her death. 1t
was so sad to see her going in the morn
ing of life, in the very bloom of her
youth and beauty-but it was sad only
to the living; for the calm faith which
made perfect strength in that delicate
form, enabling her so to triumph over
death, was truly wonderful to behold.
Well might it cause us to exclaim, 90
death, where is thy sting? o grave,
where is thy yictory?"
When We assembled around her again,
it was to consign her to the grave.
The bare narration of such events and
scenes as these are sufficient to awaken
the sympathy even of those to whom she
was unknown. They require no embel-
lishment to produce that effect; they
need no comment. These events were
in themselves a sermon most eloquent.
That pallid brow warned all to prepare
for death. 1t said to the young, even
you are not secure. That calm face pro-
claimed the power of the Gospel of Christ,
which could enable one so young, when
the pleasures of this life were just open
ing to the view, to meet death so tri
umphantly. 1t urged Christians to be
up and doing, remembering that the night
soon cometh. 1t told all that vanity is
inscribed upon all earthly things and pur-
suits, and that there is no substantial
happiness out of Christ. These are use
full lessons; may God help us to heed
them.
As for our dear Lizzie, we have reason
to hope that she now rests upon the
banks of that Beautiful River, of which
she loved to sing, and beholds with costa
tic Joy the unspeakable glories of the
Better Land.
HER FRIEND.