The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1877-02-14
TBy REQUEST
THE LONELINESS OF DEATH.

Can death he lovely? Is there amy
thing in the terrible aspect Of the grim
monster. which can p'ssibly arouse In
the behoidrr pleasant thoughts, o. feelings
other than those of rppulsion aud gloom ?
Under what circumstances may death
divest himself of his forbidding gaib. and
assume the pleasing l,abiliments OF love-
illness We have often stood with folded
arms and pensive brow, beside the bed Of
| llie dying, and have felt our heart beat III
sympathy and Ia unison with tile thfoes
Of agnny ~ the departing one; and ~ we
Witnessed the indications Of pain Gran
guish. III tile convul>ive movements or
nervous contoriions OF feature Of muscle
In the final struggle, we have not always
recognized the ;oyelinrss of death on sucli
occasions, But are there no occasion no
circumstances under which IL may be
said: Behold the loyeliness of deathi Is
the "last eneinyn always terribie? Nay,
verify, we rejoice to say that o,ir eyes and
heart can bear testimony, and that with
out shadow of doutt or misgiving, 10
the fact ti,at death Is not always horrible
and disgusting: but In s,,lne forms he Is
really lovely and beautiful. and ia one Of
those We have recently belield his bright
appearance.
On thu 10Th of November. 1876, fair
young girl whose health had bsen deli.
cate and uncertain IN ail her few, short
days oflife, lay through all that dark.
gloomy aud snowy November day In a
dying c.ndition.
A The day wore away towards the
night, her gentle spirit seemed ready 20
depart with II also. And when at last the
lingering rays of the declining day faded
out Of view. she, too, appeared on the
verge of time 10 linger but moment, and
then sweelly .fell asleep Ia Jesus Miss
Sdsau j. stroud Was indeed lovely
character. Lovely in her life and In her
faith; an,l lovely in death.
i Some ten years ago. she prnfessei the
religions of our Lord Jesus Christ and ON
the 4th Of October. 1895, MAS immersed
10y Rev. +. NJ. jordan. and united with
The Mars Hill Baptist church in Orange
county. aud subsequently with the Hills
l,oro church, of which she remained a
lively member tiIl death severed tie tie.
From the beginning other profssSion,
to the time of her departure from earth,
hers was the radiant path Of the just,
that slinellI more and more unto the PER
feet day. whose last hours Ia the mill
tuaf state shane with The brightness Of
tile friagsphdaf 10 which she attained
through Christ.
Her mind was clear and lucid to the
last, aud sIis refused to take alcoholic and
stupefying siimnlantsto revive her was-
ting sfrrngtl,, giving ~ reason that she
did mr. want TO die under such Influences;
but wished her n,lnd n remain clear that
she might think OF Jesus.
There seemed 10 be but little pain or
suffering attending her entire sickness;
but that fell disease, consumption, had
marked her as itr victim. When asked
by her mother. do you feur TO die, my
child ~ "oh, no, mother," she replied, 81
long 10 see my Saviour. Iknow ! shall
lie at rest" Her pastor asked, "where
Il your trust In view of death?" Her
answer was, Il trust la my blessed
saviour.n
Once she looke,l anxiously around as u
desiring % ask for spmething. and Ueing
quesiioned rs to what II was replied.
Nothing bat heaven"
To her weeping mother aud sisters aud
to her many friends who stood around,
overwhelmed with grief, she would turn
her dying eyes. ienderly beamlng, even
III death, with love 10 AL aud say, "why
d. you weep 10. | am happy. Jesus h
~ilh NE. long 70 70 10 him, aud ann
lmsieullf waiting his t.me." To her las-
tor who held her hand, she said, "FeeI
my pnlss and tell ms how hong now"
whea Informed that MI pulsc at her wrist
had ceased 10 beat, aud only the danny
dew % death was there, the sweetest
smile d peace aud Joy that was ever ssen
on dying cmntenance played arpund
her lils and over her entire features,
lovely even in death. How pleasant
death sernir,i IN that moment.
When breath was a'nost gone, hei
feeble Voice was distinctly heard singing q
line Of the hymn. "Asleep 10 Jesus
blessed slerp.n Then waiting moment
to recover strength she sunga strain o.
these words
dIt isti,e hope. the hlissfal hope,
Which Jesus gra~e has given,
The hope when days aid years are past
We all shall meet IN heaven
Aud then. like an innocent babe tla'
sighs itself 10 sleep upon lie mother
, gentle i,osam. Miss Sue Stroui sweetls
, / rassed away fIom earlhto heaven, with
, Out gursie. without pang. without
single cnutortlon " feature OF 'mdy, will
every muscle ~ perfectly conipored - !
lying Ia the caImiext slunil'rr, and lsailint
hrr l.sad on The Iuyinx breast III her dcal