The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-10-10
DIED


are throughout the city, and embracing nearly
every body in the 4th District, will unite with
MS in the coincidence which we offer him in
this, his great bereavement.
Mrs. Layton was q native of France, Dr..
Layton having formed her acquaintance during
his professional studies in that country. No
one who knew the excellence of her education,
! who had learned the amiability of her charac-
| ter, who appreciated the native firmness that
impaired strength and dignity to her gentle
| ness, who realized the extent to which her
| Catholic principles lad taken possession of her
| soul and imbued it with the spirit Of eand0r
| and purity--no one who knew her as she was
could doubt the wisdom of DIR. Layton's
choice or wonder at the wifey devotion which
brought her, the only daughter of fond home,
| away from that home into strange land.
: The malady which proved 80 fatal appears to
have been contracted at Bay st. Louis, where
! she and her three little children had been
| passing the summer. After her return home it
rapidly developed it's violent character and
| soon got beyond the control of all medical
skill So widely known as was the Doctor and
SO universally esteemed, the news spread rap
| idly, and the sympathes of a whole population
were spontaneously offered him, intensified
youth and virtues of the dying wife, her re-
moteness from the home of her birth, and the
tender age of her little ones about to be or
phaned. Everyone prayed for her. There is no
family in our city more thoroughly identified
with the Catholic cause than the one of which
the Doctor is scion, and no individual per-
haps more universally known than himself to
| all Of our clergy and religious. No wonder,
- ~
earnestly in behalf of the sufferer, Offering mp
intercessions day and night for her restoration.
But God knew best. All was in vain. The
devotion of a husband who hung upon every
movement that she made, of family to whom
she had become as dear as though a daughter
of the house, of friends who had learned to
love her dearly; the watchful attention of
the most accomplished nurses the thoughtful
care of our ablest physicians even the pray
ers of all our religious communities and doubt
less of thousands of the laity, served only to
prolong her life day or two, and give her an
additional merit of suferings patiently, beau,
tifally borne.
However, what can say so authoritative
and conclusive as the testimony of her own
spiritual director, of Father Hubert, who
watched by her bedside much of the time
during the last week of her life and who best
understood the transparent purity Of her soul 7
We here subjoin the exquisite little address
which he delivered over her lifeless body, F.,
amid all the sacred emblems of religion aud in |
The solemn presence of death:
Before concluding this solemn and i'm pressive |
ceremony, may be permitted, by few re- |
marks, to contribute my small share of comfort |
and eolace to bereaved and afflicted hearts :
days of trial over, your beloved Berthe, who |
has preceded you into better world, is now |
like the Angels of God erunt sicut Angeli |
Del" (Matth. xii, 30. THAT is, not far away
from you, though she has to you for time be-
come invisible AS the pure spirits, whom she
SO earnestly strove to resemble, she sees you,
she hears you and loves you, and her love is
now purer and it Is immortal like it's heavenly
source. Oh what consolation there is in that
intimate association you still hold with
her!-in that holy comma MON as found among
the articles of belief taught by the Divine |
Master Himself, 4" erunt sicut Angel Del -
Dearest friends, you are here surrounded |
with emblems of deepest sorrow The altar
and the vestments of the ministers speak INT
of mourning. The celebrant has just prayed |
for grace and mercy, for deliverauce from pain |
for obtaining eternal rest. These holy rites of |
Book teaches that even in his own angels God |
knows how to find defects and imperfections |
After an instant we priests will join our suppi-
cations to Divine Justice not to enter into judg-
powerless-" Non intres in judicium. cum !
servo tue, Domino" for no one-no one shall |
be found just before his face, unless he first OBJ
tains remission from all his Sins" quia nullus !
apud te justifcabitur homo, nisi per te omnium |
peccatorum Ell tribuatur remissio," (Liturgy) |
This sho uld and must be asked-must be asked |
in behalf ofth hottest of mortals, surrendering
his soul to God: Still, if am allowed to speak
my own mind, how inappropriate, in one sense
are here all these tokens of mourning How |
would like, on this occasion-pardon me-to see
rejoicing
instead ofsorrowful dirges, I feel like bursting
into joyous hymns of thanksgiving! for she is
now like the angels of God,-t6at beloved
daughter and spouse,-because whilst in her
years Of trial in her short journey through
the virtues of the Blessed Spirits, and yester-
day was her true birthday as says
Saint.
You, who at times came in contact with
that pearl of wives and mothers, Gid you not
remark how her voice sounded like heayenfv
melody Did you not observe reflected on her
serene brow q truly angelic purityf Obi Abe
vp0