Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-05-04
IFroal tue B4ltiaiofe Epiac pal Si4shoOist.l
UnSbtrus1ve Worth.
NJ 'KENDREE Reilly, D. D.

1t isnot always in the din and hustle o:
pubic life thar We are to look for the highest
examples of merit they may be found here,
but are more frequently met with in the more
retired walkso socIety among those who cui.
tivate no higher.ambItiOn than usefulness IN
the domestic circle. Such was the train OF
Thought that crossed the mind of the writer,
as recently. on = brief visit TO his friends n
Chsriestown, Jefferson county. West Virgins,
he stotd beside newly made grave il the
old Methodist CHURCH yard of the place.
The surroundings embodied but few OF
those modern improvements which go SO far
to disstpate the natural dreariuess Of the grave
yard they rather revealed the impress nj
ueslect which is the more paipable. since the
establishment. of new public cemetery in the
neighborhood has drawn attention away from
the older dsnominational grounds And yet
this old cemetery has clustered about it asso-
Citations, the duplicates Of which are hardly
al yet possible to- the new Here lie the re-
mains of citizens who distinguished the former
history, especially the Meth6dism, of the
place. In one enclosure we look upon the
graves of the Rev. Thomas Reyes and wife,
two prominent Me;hodists of over half CEN
fury Ago. the former local preacher of emf
nent usefulness. Near by, IN another en-
closure. may be seen the marble slab beneath
which repose the dust ofthe Rev Seely Bum,
an old 'Itinerant of the. Asbdry Sc!oUl. who
retired. Shortly after his approximation, to
this town. and here.spent the retaining years
of his life, preaching Christ and Idning good
AZ opportunity Uttered. endearing himself To
all by his hIameless department ana feFvent
piety. The remains of his wife, Susannah,
who survived him many years and died turing
7theslate war at the advanced age Of p1nety>
seven. slumber by his Side: while %itTfn the
same enclosure all that mortal of Mrs.
Ann NJ. b: Kelley, their adopted 'danehter
and late wife ut the writer, with two of her
children, await the summons of the same
resurrection trump Not far distant may he
seen the graves of Charles Gibbs and wife,
and the newly>tnade grave is that of their
daughter. Mrs. Saran Jane Johnson a sister
to Mrs. Kelley and related to all she other
parties named. who departed this life Jan
nary II. 1875. in the sixty-third year of her
age. The daughter of class leader and
reared in the lap of Methodism, Sarah Jane
Gibbs early gave her heart to Christ and lived
consistent Methodist until called fr"m the
Church militant 20 the Church triumphant
W hen only twelve years of age she was sud-
denly deprived OF her father. aud as their
eldest born rendered valuable service to
her mother in rearing and educating the
other children. She was unIred in marriage
to Mr.. Th,mas johnson, a methodist cl,ss-
leader. August Is, 1888, and their union,
which lasted nearly thIrty seven years, was
one of great mutual happiness. Mrs.
johnson was ono OF those uunbtrusive persons
who must be well kn"wn to be appeciated.-
She desired no public notnricty, preterring
the happiness of domestic life, she earnestly
addressed herself to the work of making her
r.. l. L. 4 !
and in this was EN- ncntly successful T,was
pleasant indeed to share her hospital ty and
look uron the unpretentions comfort and que,
satisfaction which reigned supreme in that
household.
'Bn; the hest afrangeE,eits for earthly har-
riness must, sooner or later, be INTERRUPTED
And so it occurred in this case A few verrs
since. declining health compelled Mrs j. to
desist from the more active duties of her house
hold, and to await the will Of her Master-
In this che succeeded admirably for though
much afh.c. from heart disease yet not
mnrmnr or other sign OF rmpatIcncc ever mar
red the even tenor "f her Christian life Her
death though sndden was one of sublime aud
quiet triumph. and without dnnbt, she re-
signed her sOnl intn the keeping of her Re
deemer as she peacefully sunk into the slun-
Der of death, leaving to her hu+hnn1 aud
children the legacy of spos'ess life and in
the assurance that their loss was her eternal
gain
In reviewing her history have seldom met
with lady who 40 fully answered Snlnm"n's
ideal of model woman as contained in Pro-
verbs XXI True to her Cad, true TO her
family, true TO all her relations OF life, her
price was indeed above ruhies
Wheeling, W. Va, April s. 1875.
METHODIST FRATERN1rY.-Bshop Kavanaugh.
of the 81, E. Churc!., South. has accepted the in