The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-08-09
OBITUARY.

Mn. EDITOR I'm these few lines / desire ia
offer tribute OF respect TO the memory of John
sided near Marshalrs Ferry. He was q son OF
James Shields, who preceded him to the spirit
world, only by about three weeks. The father
was near Sc years old the son would have been
"a had he lived to his birth day in next November
He was educated at Tusculum College, and was a
very fine student. He especially excelled in
Mathematics, the chair Of which he afterward
filled in his alma mater. He possessed a clear,
brilliant and anAltical mind with fine literary
taste, and extensive reading, and was naturally
capable of, and had the culture for the very high
est attachments in any avocation of life, which
doubtless he would have reached had not Attic
| ton, alas, fallen heavily upon him more than
twenty years ago. During all these long years,
from curvature of the spine, dyspepsia, and dis
eased liver he has been q great sufferer. But we
trust that our blessed Savior he learned "obe-
dience by the things which he suffered"-obedi-
ence to the sovereign viii and authority of God
our Heavenly Father. He was a man Of high
sense of honor and self-respect, Of unblemished
moral character and integrity, and literally full
hlled the Scripture injunction to speak the truth
in the heart" He was affectiOnAte in the family
circle, kind to al, and spoke evil Of no one. He
priced his friends greatly, but was familiar with
but few. He conv0rsed freely with congsnial
spirits and was very elevated in tone, chased and
pure in social life. His language was simple en-
glish but stately, and his thoughts were elevated
liberal, and showed bredth Of intellectual grasp
that not every one could appreciate. In fact, his
the more brilliant of the Heavenly bod les
''high and lifted up" above the rest. He was
familiar with the annals of the past and after
ward became richly classical in profane and
sacred things-he did not neglect the reading OF
the Scriptures. He loved nature, and we are glad
to say, before he died, natures God. He said he
had been trying to be religious for fifteen years,
but did not become satisfied until Just few days
before his death. he said, show beautiful every.
thing is to to-day" His faithful Christian sis
ter said yes John, this ia a bright, beautiful day
after so much rain and cloud. But, said he, 81
feel so gOod"-so indiscriably bright and pleas
ant. All that burden Of mind and heart Is gone
/ never felt such an experience before. soft
mellow brightness was radiant upon his face, and
q glow beamed from his eyes that the richest
vocabulary of earth and sky can never express
As he was about breathing his last, in the Very
deepest agonies of physical dissolution, he said
am almost gone his sister Kate said trust in the
Lord John, ''He will never leave thee nor fOrsakI
thee to which he gave assent and then the rich
perience of faith in Christ again clearly mani
fest and he said with his last breath, goodbye.
In such case tits not forever, but only for thu
night. Joy cometh IL the morning-the morning
Righteousness shall appear" in greater splendO
than thousand material suns riding in grandeur
the cloudless sky, making manifest what is thu
riches Of the glory Of his grace, by the resurrec
ton of our sleeping dust from tho graves, b.
fashioninR them after the likeness Of his owl
glori6ed body, by clothing them in the habiliment
OF Immortality, and browning them with eterna
life, and by saying "enter thou into the joy o
thy Lord" May we all enter in with him through
the gates into the beauties, honors, glor1es, an'
eternal felicity Of that city.
CT. CARROLL.
Au0 q 1897