The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-22
GONE TO HIS REWARD.
The Faith of an Old Black Man Answered
on His Death-Bed.


His Death-Bed.
Detroit Free Press.
When the meeting had been opened and
the roll called, Brother Gardner 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 of the members, he announced the
death of Uncle Daniel Whitbeck, a local
member, who had been present at the last
meeting.
"Ycu knew him to be old an feeble an
sort O. watin' to CO." continued Sir Isaac
AN yet de news surprises you. week ago
he sot heah wild US; tonight he am lynn in
his coffin. Sich am de onsartainties of life
BruddeT Gardner an me has knowed Uncle
Daniel since we was all chilli en- togeder IN de
far-away days. When he realized dat de
summons was drawin' nigh he sent fur us
an we sot beside him when de angel took his
speerit an few away.
Uncle Daniel was poo ole black man,
unlettered, uulearned, an lookin' back only
to 'ars of toll, an privashun, an sorrow.
In de days of slavery dey sold his wife away.
He saw one of his boys shot down an buried
in ditch. He had scars on his body an
scars on his soul. Men who heard him pray
had scoffed at him. Men who heard him
say dar' was God an hereafter kicked an
abused him. Men tried to whip his faith
away. Men robbed, an cheated, an lied
about him, an sneeringly asked why his
faith did not protect him. Men argued with
him, an though dey could silence him dey
could not shake his belief. He saw poverty,
woe an misfortune in almos' cherry month
of his life an yit how did he die?
Oar was sunthin' grand in dat death bed
scene" continued Sir Isaac in a whisper.
Eighty Vars of toll an anxiety an sufferin
was DRAWN to a close. A life in which dar
had bin many clouds an leetle sunshine was
OH m Ha at
lawyers an doctors an statesmen had said
dar' was nc hereafter. He remembered dat
men had called him fool fur thinkin' of
heaben an prayin' to God. He was low an
ignOrant-dey was learned an great. Dey
could read an argue an discuss-he could
only cling to dat faith planted i'll his heart
when he was chile i'll de humble cabin.
Now came de test. 1t was de faith of one
poo old downtrodden black man agin de
sophistry arguments, aSsershuns, an deduc-
s3uns of hundreds of infdels.
81 see him as de sinkin' summer sun
crept inter de winder an turned his white
har to color of gold. He WOKE from his
soft Sleep an dar was SIGH happiness in his
eyes an SIGH glory in his face as | Eebber
saw befo' He listened like one who h'ars
de far off sounds OF sweet music, an de glory
deepened as he reached out bis hands to us
an whispered:
al kin see my ole wife an de chilen mp
dar. l kin see glory, an rest, an peace! L
kin look across de dark valley an see sich
happiness as men nebber dream Off
An he passed away like a babe fallin'
asleep, an you who go up dar to mOrrer will
fin dat same glorious smile lighting up de
face of de dead. He has suffered an believed
an had faith an gone to his reward His
words as he left de scenes of airth to walk de
path leadin' frew de dark valley to de shores
of heaben am a mo- powerful argument dan
all dat infdels have spoken or will eber
write. His smile as he heard de soft rustic OF
de angel comm fur his speerit was an answer
dat will stan above de sophistry of all unbe-
lieVarSD