Woodstown register. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 187?-1892, 1883-10-09
FARM AND FIRESIDE.
THE LIME-KILN CLUB.

When the meeting had been open
ed and the roll called, Brother
Gardener asked Sir Isaac Walpole
to take the chair. The grand old
gray-haired man slowly assembled
the platform and, greatly to the
surprise OF the majority IF the mem
beers, he announced the death OIL
Uncle Daniel Whitbeck, a local
member, who had been present a,
the last meeting.
"You knew him to be old an
sort O. waitin' to co." continued
Sir Isaac, can yetde news surprises
you. A week ago he sot heah wild
us to night he am lynn in his coffin.
S CHI am de onsartaiuties of life.
Brudder Gardener an me has
knowed Uncle Dan Ell since we was
al chill'en togeder in de far away
days. When he realized dat dc
summons was DRAWN nigh he sent
for US, an we sot beside him when
de angel took his speerir an flew
away
"Uncle Daniel was q poo' ole
black man, unle,tered, unlearned>
an lookin' back on'ytoy'ars Of toll
an priyashun an sorr' W In de
days of slavery dey sold HI wife
away. He saw one Of his boys sh, t
down an buried in a ditch. He
had scars on his body an scars on
his soul. Men who heard him pray
h ID scoffed at him. Men who heard
him say Oar was God an here
after kicked an abused him. Men
tried to whip his faith away. Men
robbed an cheated an lied about
him, an sneering asked why his
'a,th did not protect him. Men
argued wild him, an, though dey
could silence him, dey could not
shake his belief. He saw poverty,
VOC an misfortune in almos' cherry
month Of his life, am yit how did
he die?
"Dar' was su,hin grand in dat
deathbed scene," continued Sir
Isaac in whisper. Eighty Vars
of toll an anxiety. and sufferin'
dra in' to a close. A fife in which
iar' h d bin many clouds an leetle
sunshine was about to end. He re-
;ncmbered datgreat lawyers.an doc
tors an statesmen had sa d dar' was
no h rea ter H.. remembered dat
men had called him fool fur
t. inkin' of heaben an prayil.' to a
Col. He was low an ignorant,
dsy was learned an great. Dey
could read am argue an discuss, he
could only cling to dat faith plant
ed in his heart when he was chile
in de humble cabin. Now came
de test 1t was de faith ofone poo
ole down-trodden black man against
d., snphistry, arguments, assershuns
an deducshuns of hundreds of in
fidels. tas#as4s
81 see him as de sinkin' Summer
sun crept inter de winder an turned
his white h'ar TO color of gold.
He woke from his soft sleep, an dal
was SIGH happiness in his eyes an
,ich glorv in his face as l nebhel
saw befo'. He listened like some
one who h'ars de far-off sounds O
sweet music, an de glory deepened
as he reached out his hands to u.
an whispered.
81 kins my ole wife an d.
chill'en up dar. kin see glory an
peace! l kin look across de edarl
valley an see sichhappiness as mer
nebber dream off
"An' he passed away like bah.
fallin' asleep, an you who 60 W
dar' to-morrer will fin dat sam,
glorious smile lightin' up de face o
de dead. He has suffered an, be
lieved an had faith an gone to hi
reward. His word as he left d,
scenes of airth to walk de path lead
in frew de dark valley to de shore
of Heaben am a mo- powerful argy
ment dan all inEdels have Spoken
or will eber write. His smile as h,
heard de soft rustic OF de ange
comm fur his speerit was an an
swer dat will STAN above de soph
istry of all unbelievers." -Detyo,
Free Press.