Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-10-25
4 TOUCHING RECITAL.
A NOTED HUMORIST'S RECITAL OF
HIS DYING MOMENTS.

4
A NOTED HUMoRIsT's RECITAL OF
HIS DYING MOMENTS.
Robert Bnrdett, the noted humor-
ist, editor of the Burlington Hack
eye, in a private letter gives the fol-
lowing touching account of the dy-
ing hour of his deceased wife. The
tender, soul-subduing pathos of the
sketch shows how nearly allied, III
the same mind, is the element of
brilliant wit to the melancholy sad
ness of the deepest pathetic senti-
ment. The death bed scene of this
beautiful, long-suffering, faithful wife
and mother was radiant with the
hope ID ajoyous future, in reunion
with the loved Of earth and ming
ling in the society of angelic spirits.
Who can gaze upon this pen piano.
ramlc depicture of the surroundings
of a departing soul without tear I
The bereaved husband has written !:
"The gray light OF early morning
was creeping in through the open
ing window, and on her patient face,
glorified by suffering, was shining
another, fairer light, that | know
was streaming from celestial portals
opening for her. She smiled sweet.
" as / crossed the room and stopped
to kiss her, and said:
s The child before the dawning,
Between the night and morning,
at was the hour at which she had
expressed wish that she might
pass away, and / know that she
referred to favorite verse of poem
that she loved. / said:
Eyes, uy dear; l think the sun
will come very soon now
"Her face crew radiant us she
smiled again and said:
"sYes. He will come for me this
morningn
"DOra was quickly at her side,
and we knew there was watchers
whom we could not see standing in
the room. She who was nearly past
all suffering was solicitous of our COM
fort, and in quiet and loving tones
gave some little instructions. You
must keep WE'LL she said, "for Rob
bie's sake you must keep well and
strong.
"The nurse entered the room, but
Carrie could take neither nourish-
ment nor medicine. Il want moth
ing,' she said. Her breathing be-
came more laborious. The doctor
arrived, but she could not swallow
the medicine, and he held her hand,
babe her goodbye and went away,
promising to come in again during
the morning. About six o'clock
Robbie came into the room and
kissed his little mamma and stood
by her side.
"There was no fear, no dread, in
all the scene. She could speak only
in short, broken sentences. AS I
repeated the beautiful promises to
her how her face kindled as she
smiled upon us, turning her dear
face from one to- the other! Even
as she entered the river she said
the sun was shining on it, The
waters were not so cold or so bitter.
She had no fear, she relied on the
strong right arm Of the righteous.
"Moved by a sudden impulse
about an hour before she passed
Robbie rushed to her side, threw his
arms about her. She kissed her
boy and tenderly said:
"God bless my babyr ~
1t was her last blessing on earth.
= Lord she said, in broken accents,
checked by her troubled breathing,
into Thy hands commend my
spirit Still she looked at us, smil-
ing, until a few moments before the
end. She asked for a drink of o.
angeade, but could not swallow.
Even so,' she whispered; 'come
quickly. Lord Jesus Her head fell
back in my arms. Like flash of
sunlight the bright white light
swept across her face, carrying away
every line and mark Of pain, every
stain and cloud of disease; her face
turned upward, and her eyes grew
strangely radiant. sMotherr she
called, joyously as a tired child
springing into a mothers arms !;
Mother! mother!' and she was
folded in the arms of the angel moth
er who passed away when she was
a child. Her face was as white as
the starlight, her radiant eyes were
not dimmed when we closed them,