The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-03
Ghe0ttetIiles


The Telephone NJ Death.Bed.
When Rev. DR.. E. G. Brooks, the late
distinguished Univenalist Clergyman Of
Philadelphia, vls lying near death, biz
doctor, J. W. White, obtained = telephone
TO divert him in his constant agony. His
account Of the strange scene which fol-
lowed il given in the Christian Leader Of
Utica. On taking the telephone TO his
house Dr.. Brooks vas found % weak add
90 distressed in his breathing that the
physician Was reluctant 70 Try Il, bot the
Eick man innsted on the attempt. The
wires were arranged between the sick man
and the dining.room down stsirs. DR..
White proceeds: When all was arrlng-
ed, however, 70 the best Of my ability, /
place one Of the mouth-pisces in his hand,
and told him l would 90 down and test
IT. and il all the necessary conditions had
been met be could hear my voice, but
that he would have to AJAX some one else
70 reply Is he was too weak 70 attempt il.
Taking the mouth.piece Al the other
end OF the line, repeated:
The Lord reigneth; let the cath re.
ioice; let the multitude Of the IsIes be
glad thereof
To my utter sstoui.hnsnt instantly
came the response -
"Clouds and darkness are round about
him: Righteousness and judgment are
the h1biiAtion Of his throne r
II was the voice Of DR.. Brooks, the
tones clear and distinct, the iDtonstion
and emphasis perfect. I was amazed.
Bot 3 moment before bad left him APP
parently too weak and too much oppres-
Ied to speak above whisper. I vas
fairly startled. ! sould not Be mistaken,
but / could hardly believe the testimony
Of my ear. / repeated -
20 come, let us worship and bow down:
let rs kneel before the Lord our Maker"
Once more, and as promptly a. in =
church service, the doctor's voice re-
spopded:-
@For he j. our God, and We are The
people o. Bis pasture, and the sheep Of
His hand"
I then repeated verse from that grand
old hymn Of Pierpoint:-
"Sot now on zIOn'l hIEht alone.
Thy hT0S4 Eorshipsr may dHGll;
Sor phtfp a EultTy noon, Thy $50
lat Sery, By The pltrirrhb ven"
And, just a. though it had been ar
ranged beforehand, as promptly a though
3 set form were being followed, the voice
from that bed Of sickness took up the
strain:-
From every Place belsv The ikies
Tia grstgfut song. The fsrTVni 1yG,
The incense q the hslrt, may ris
To heaven, and hnd leeePt1ncs IhefO-"
/ next quoted the first verse Of the ia
milisr hymn
GofEa taIth that vn not shrink
ThooEh pressed By every foe
That vii not tIenbie On ths brnk
OF any sGrthly woe"
And the doctor responded, quoting the
last verse Of the same hymn:-
"Lnrd, give u saeh ttIth Is this,
And tbsn, EhItSer nHy coma
Well tEIts cen befe tbe hAlIovsd hlIs
OF an eternal homer
Twas anxious that the doctors strength,
which was bat weakness, should NOT be
too far taxed, and I suggested that be bad
better allow some one else 10 speak for
him, but he responded: "one thing
more;;" and then, in allow, measured, dis
tirct utterance-the tone Of triumph un-
mistakable-be repeated the iubilsnt teS-
timony OF Paul:-
The sting Of death is sin; and the
strength Of ain is the law. But thanks
be 10 God who giveth rs the victory,
through our Lord Jesus Christ"
A strange and solemn sensation stole
over me. A few minutes before had
left DR.. Brooks "Eick unto death 80
weak, 90 oppressed, 20 distressed; labor
ing for breath; talking in disjointed ut
tsrapces; but recently reused, Is ! had
been told, from sinking spell which it
was feared would have been his last.
And now, in tones "a clear, as distinct,
n we'll enunciAied a. ever heard from
him in the pulpit when in health, and
yet minimi1ed BY that strange, weird,
thrilling, telephone modiication-pre-
serving all that ia characteristic in the
speech OF an individual, and at the same
time giving the impression Of almost iu-
finite distance-came the triumphant eI.
clamAtion:-
Thanks be to God. who gireth Us the
victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ"
I could but fancy that, during my ab-
sepce from his bedside, the silver cord
had been Ioosed, the golden boEl broken.
and that the exultsnt " Thanks be 10 God"
was the outburst Of the freed spirit And
when ! returned to bis room and found
him still in the fesh, Ifelt like one Who IN.
expectedly meets him whom he had
ihoneht dad