Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-27
IN MENIORIAM.

| It is known that among the lost by the de-
| plorable disaster TO the steamer United States
| was Mrs LOUISA JANE HAYs, wife of C. NJ,
Hays Esq. of this city, and sister to Gen. Thos.
T. Smiley. The Diseased was the youngest
child of Mrs. Araminta L. Smiley and was born
| in Davidson county in April. 1924. Besides her
| husband mother and brother, Mrs. Hays leaves
three sisters, Mrs Cath arne Bugg. Mrs. Emily
Brunson and Mrs. Mary Ann Smiley. and two
children. Capt. Thos. s. Hays. and Mrs. Anna
Murphy, to mourn her departure. One who al
ways knew sand always loved her writes as fol-
lows:
Take. holy earth. all that our soul holds dear,
Take that blest gift that Heaven in kindness
gave
To memory's fount we'll bear with tender care
The lovely form which loved to kiss the wave.
Weeks of painfully anxious suspense have
come and gone, and up to the winter freeze is
borne the sad tdings that Lou HAYS, the cher
ished and beloved wife, the Obedlent daughter.
the devoted mother, the atiectOnate sister, and
the constant friend of our gTlhOOd has faded for
ever from our sight like beautiful dream. On
the bosom Of the Ohio there was fearful storm
of raging elements, and IN Its wild fury her gem
tie spirit fed from earth to It's home Of blissfu
eternity. Again are the words of prophecy veri-
ted-"one shall be lett and the other taken
TG us the departed was peculiarly dear. With
her memory are connected many happy ass0-
Citations of our girlhOod. Sitting tonight by the
tireside watching the dying embers rs they fade
into grey ashes, We ses her as she appeared to
US in 'life's first morn, in all the beautiful and
gentle virtues Of blushing wOmanhOOd, The
genial. happy smile and kindly words. dispensed
alike graciously TO rich and poor. marked her
course of young and later life and made her the
loved friend of all who knew her. Again, IN
memory we see her wearing wreathe Of orange
blossoms and registering her vows ut the mar;
rage altar. How fully her heart sanctioned
what her life uttered, the faithful fulflment of
her duties as q wife attests. Again comes the
memory of a suffering little martyr, who. with
arms entwined about her neck utters the sweet
word, mother" How patiently and tenderly
for months and years did she watch over that
dying child, never growing weary but constantly
petitioning the most High 10 spare her darling.
1t was only then, when the low, soft moan of
the little sufferer almost rent her heart IN twain
we missed her glad smile. lime, which sOttens
all earthly sOrTOw, threw its mellow shade over
her great beTeay ement, and once more she found
life precious in the companloDshlP OF the treas
A few short months ago she confded her first
born to the care OF another, whose home Is IN a |
distant city, and 1t was while returning from a
visit to this loved daughter and her husband
that death claimed her for his eWn. Il
10 the aged mother of Mrs Hays, whose earth |
Is pilgrimage is well nigh ended, this deep at |
fiction comes with paralyslng force. 10 her she |
was as THE staff OF life Her glad voice had the
pswer to mitigate much of the sorrow of that |
venerated mother. whose every want seemed |
anticipated by the dutltul and atieeuOnate |
daughter. But she sorrows not as those without |
hope. The consultations OF the Christian religion
are hers. Remembering that she too must soon |
cross the silent river dividing time from eteT-
nifty, she Is sustained by the cODsolIng hepe OF /
meeting in heaven those she loved and lost on |
earth.
If human sympathy could bind up the broken,
desoIate hearts of the bereaved, surely their
night of darkness would soon be gone But hu-
man consolation can never lessen sorrow like
theirs, however acceptable as an Offering OF
cherished friendship TO the departed. May each
one of us bear a record as pure as hers, and,
whether in the glory of WOmanhO5d OF the ma
turity of later years, may We be ready to say
8 1t is far better to depart and be with Christ"
E.