The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-03-10
A Dying Wife to her Husband.

The following beautiful and touching ex-
tracts are taken from letter written by a
dying wife to her husband, which was found
by him, some time after her death, between
the leaves of religious volume, which she
was very fond of perusing. The letter, which
was literally dim with tear marks, was writ
ten long before the husband was aware that
the grasp Of fatal disease had fastened upon
the lovely form of his devoted wife, who
died, it is stated, at the early age of nineteen.
It shows how fathomless is the depth of a
true woman's affections:
"When this shall reach your eye, dear G.,
some day when you are turning over the
relics of the past, l shall have passed away
forever, and the cold, white stone be keep
ing 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 so often nestled close to your
warm heart. For many long and sleepless
nights, when ali my thoughts were at rest, l
have wrestled with the consciousness Of ap-
preaching DEATH until at last it has forced
itself upon my mind; and although to you
ard to others it might seem but the nervous
imagination of girl, yet dear G., it is not
SO. Many weary, weary hours have passed
ing you, whom love SO we'll, and this bright
world Of sunshine and beauty and hard in
deed it is to struggle on silently alone, with
the sure conviction that am about to leave
you forever and go down alone in the dark
valley But [ know in whom have trust
cd,' and leaning upon His arm, l fear no
evil Don't blame me for keeping all this
even from you. How could [ subject you,
of all others, to such sorrows as l feel at part
ing, when time will soon make it apparent to
you? l could have wished to live, if only
to be at your side when your time shall come,
and pillowing your head upon my breast
wipe the death damps from your brow, and
usher your departing spirit into the Makers
presence, embalmed in woman's hottest prayer
But it is not to be so-and I submit
Yours is the privilege Of watching through
long and dreary nights for the spirits fnal
flight, aud transferring my sinking head
from your breast to the Savior's bosom And
you shall share my last thought; the last
faint pressure of this hand, and the last fec
BILE 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 communion
until gently fading from my view-the last o
earth-you shall mingle with the first brigh
glimpses of the unfading glories of that bet
ter world, where partings are unknown
Well dc know the spot, dear G., where 70,
will lay me; often have we stood by tn
place, and, as we watched the mellow sunse
as it glanced in quivering flashes through
the leaves and ightened the grassy mound
around us with stripes of FURNISHED gold
each has thought that one Of us would COM
alone ). and, whichever it might be, you
name would be on the stone. But you loved
the spot; and 1 know you'll love mo non
the less when you see the same quiet sunligh
liuger and play among the grass that cover
your Mary's grave. know you will go ofte1
alone whe, am laid there, and my spiri
will be with you then, and whisper amonI
the waving branches: Il am not lost bu
gone before"