News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-30
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OBITUARY.
The sudden and unexpected death of
Mrs. DR.. Briggs Sept. z, at Oxford. Neb.,
has brought sadness to many hearts in
this community, and also into that where
she had lived less than year, and such
q sad and eventful year to herself and
family. Only five months before, Fred
die, the only son, was taken suddenly
away, leaving them crushed by the blow.
But they still had each other and the
precious daughter, and each tried to bear
up bravely for the others sake. Espec-
tally did the little daughter, thoughtful
and wOmanlv beyond her years, try to
control her own grief and comfort her
stricken parents. That the mother tried
to bear it with a spirit of Christian rcsig-
nation will be seen by the following ex-
tract from letter received by the writer
a few weeks after Freddie's death: God
grant the time is not far distant when the
sweet assurance of his Joy in the King
dom will be first in our thoughts. Now,
our lonliness, the tearing assunder of the
sweetest earthly ties aud the blasting of
fond hopes is upon us with such crushing
force that we realize more our own loss
than we do the great gain of our loved
and loving Freddie. You write of the
precious promises of the Bible. My
friend, if it were not for that holy book
and its promises to the afflicted, our jour-
ney here would indeed be long dark
one for the remainder of our days. AL
though [ have not reached that perfect
state of faith anG submission to His will
that could wish, still [ hope to be for
given all my human weakness, and look
for time when the trials and cares of
this life are ended, that [ shall hear my
Father say, 1T is well with thee and
thine; enter into the bliss of reunion
with your loved and lost, " to which she
added this quotation:
ooh, forgive me dear Savior on Heavens bright
shore,
Should still in my child find separate joy:
When L lie in the light of Thy face evermore,
May think Heaven brighter because OF my
For her, earthly cares and sorrows
ended soon, bat they are intensified to
the friends she has left, and doubly so to
the two lonely hearts left in her own
home. The same loving and wise Father
who sustained her, can alone sustain and
comfort them. May they find refuge in
His sheltering arms. DR.. Melbourne S.
Briggs and Edith NJ. Blair were united in
marriage August 81, 1873. Three chill
dren were born to them: Wilma, Nellie
and Freddie. Nellie died suddenly of
cholera-infantum in September, 1878. at
the age of Is months. Mrs. Briggs was
a woman with many noble qualities OF
mind and heart, and was most devoted
wife and mother. She was well calculat-
ed to be leader in social life, but found
the greatest pleasure in the quiet of her
own home. She never had good health
until the last two years of her life, when
she has seemed very well, though not
strong to endure, and grief killed her,
inducing physical ills. She had been all
| ing for few days, but was not cOnsid-
cred seriously ill. But in her husbands
absence to visit a patient fatal symptom
revealed itself, which she we'll under
stood. She told her niece, who was with
her, that she should not live; that she
only cared for the sake of her family ;
made some requests to friends and calm
| ly awaited. When the doctor came home
he was greatly alarmed at the change,
sent for an eminent physician, and every
| thing that human love and skill could do,
was done to save her. But all in vain.
He finds himself to-day a grief stricken
man, with SCI ningly no hope or wish to
live, save to comfort and care for his
motherless child, who clings to him so
silently and sadly for help. Since going
to Oxford she Joined the W. G. L. u,
which was organized some months after
her arrival. She had band of Juvenile
temperance workers under her charge.
and met with them weekly, until after
Freddies sickness and death, when she
could not bring herself to go on with the
work for some time, but had taken it up
again and got up picnic, which came
off duly, but found her too i'll to be pres
ent. She had made many friends in hel
new home and will be greatly missed and
deeply mourned by the community IL
whose welfare she took such an active
interest. She was left motherless when
she was less than five years of age, anC
her father died when she was but four
teen, and her oldest sister in February
1872, so she we'll knew what grief, loss
and loneliness mean, but has been very
happy in her married home. Many heart:
outside her own family and relatives are
saddened by her death. 1t is less than &
year since the family of four left her ma
tive town for q home in the far West
Two have been taken and the two LEFT
have the heartfelt sympathy of the many
friends they so recently left in their for
mer home.
Mrs. Briggs was sister of n. B. Blai
and Mrs. +. X. Montague Of this place
also of Mrs. G. E. Melvin of Cambridge
and Mrs. ID. Ii. Roberts of Kansas. Fo
the present she rests beside her child il
Oxford, but both are to be laid besid
little Nellie in the cemetery here whel
cold weather comes.