The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-10-21
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ttidife= itltt- : He S.tftsf ff#zEN h.Sa tssE
cofeFe from t5e hurras 81 iosF yaaus
fce'H murder ~ntu ae were greatly
shocked ~ hear of ;he uu..ulely death ii
Mrs Richard II. Lewis, only daughter ~
President Battle
The CHRONICLE wished some months
>tuce to present a series of sketches or an
mails of Ihe Remarkable Women of North
Carolina We have had very few women
Ia speak of whose lives We're those ~ pab.
/ hc beuetactors, or actors lu any way
Z North tarollua prefers 10 sea- her dauEb-
tcrs lead quiet lIYes When death has
closed these lives, il is we'll To >pcaA oi
such aS have realized Our ideal OF what a
woman should be. There have been many
such household angels among as, Mr.
/ Lewis WAS one
When we write Of the good womeu We
/ have known our chief ann should be to
/ present true and lIfe-like sketch. Each
/ mast have some distinctive TRAITS. aud the
| mcmorialist should preserve them have
/ known Mrs Lewis since her childhood.
and when She Was two years old and
when she WAS twenty nine, she appeared
\ To me to he distinguished from any other
4 beautiful child d beautiful Woman | have
\ ever known 10y the perfect tranquil. self
! forgetting grace and calm sweetness Of
! her expression and character ~ i little
! enid She had tins unconscious angelic AR.
i A. young lady. admired and battered
+ and cpurttd abroad. and the idol of her
/ own home, she still possessed H. ~ "A
vile and mother, head Of a household.
;tul with many consequent cares and auNl-
ctlc> 70 meet. she was ever serene. gentle
radiant as with an inward settled peace
that nothing could disturb. | never saw
her when She did net seem to be quiet
/ loyciluesS peroonitied.
no IL al. y HE
ness that some Who did not know her made
the perhap, natural mistake of thinking
she must lack strength of character, firm
ness or >eIt-rcHauce. The exact contrary
of this was true Her father, her hus-
band, her brothers. all prominent among
lis As men of high character. cultivation
and strong sense, relied upon her. consult
ed her and We're influenced by her iudg-
mcnt
Many good women 90 through life Hay
ing the part Of absorbents They are be
loved and useful 10 a certain degree. but
of all they receive they reflect very little
They are chiefly recipients Mrs Lewis
radated She was the source, the fouu-
tain Of light and pleasure, and secret con
tent to all who come round her. She dll
not talk much. She shrank from prom-
ncnce, or anything that in the least looked
like taking the lead" But her death IS
to her family, her relations, her friends
like the eXtlnguishing OF their sunlight
saw her frequently this past summer
and noticed the expansion of her mind
She was reading "a good deal and her
reading was of the best She spoke 50
clearly of men and things with such just
observation and such large allowance aud
such bright appreciation She talked more
and more gaIly AID unreservcdly than |
had ever noticed before. Her beauty was
more radiant too than ever. With her
iIttle flock Of charming children round
her. children 50 we'll trained so sweet 50
truly, chidishly sweet. She WA, certainly
the loyclest picture Of young motherhood
| ever beheld. TO these children she was
the ideal mother that poets embalm in
/ song. Being at President Battles one
summer evening when all the family were
enjoying the moonlit piazza, ! missed her
and asked for her ''O SAID one i'll my
ear, ''shc is never out here AT this hour
She makes religion of putting her chill
dren 10 bed herself and having prayers
with them. Presently She came out
quietly, with the seal of this evening de
votion on her fair forehead like "A star
Her gifts and graces were freely spent
for others. When did she ever refuse to
exercise them. Her voice. her music were
ever At the service of her church. Even
when visiting away from home for the
summer she joined the village choir and
animated the services here. How few do
that when out for a vacation In social
life she was always ready to obige sing
ing, not What she herself preferred or felt
she most eXcelled in-but what the com
pany asked for, what others wished to be
heard in To please her father she stored
her memory with English and Scotch bal
lads and with Ethiopic melodies. With
sweetest persuasion she induced others 10
join in With unassuming grace she would
pat others forward.
one thinks when recalling her Of all the
queens Of old English song and poetry.
OF heavenly Urs OF the lady in Comus.
IIcrrick must have known just such wo-
man. Herbert was inspired by such a
model of Christian grace. What charity
and divine sympathy she showed to friends
and strangers both III sickness or in
trouble. How ready to share, to impart
whatever was in her hands or heart. Yet
such things She never spoke of. Her
nearest and dearest only heard as by
chance or indirectly of her mnistrations.
OF what Mrs. Lewis has been to her own
immediate family to parents husband,
children and brothers. cannot now write
Let it be imagined what grief is theirs.
Her gracious presence We have lost. We
shall hear her gentle voice. her sweet
laughter, her thrilling song no more But
the light of her example VIII remain. Let
no one say or think that she was good be
cause it is easy TO be good when one is
caressed and admired from the cradle, and
has all good things at command that for
tune and love can bestOw. 1t is harder TO
be good and unseltsh and loving and hum
bic III the sunshine Of prosperity than in
the shade. Sunlight on soil full Of nox-
ious seeds does but develop weeds" Mrs.
Lewis was one of the rare characters who
when tried by prosperity brings to light
only good and true and beautiful effects.
We will think of her and talk of her,
and as time hurries US on will recall her
as one whom God loved and blessed, and
who so reflected and radiated His gifts as
to be herself light and blessing. For
such as she
Heaven lifts its everlasting portals high,
And bids the pure III heart behold their
God
G. 7. s.
LET every thoughtful Democrat re-
member that Independentism, and Liber-
alism means aid and comfort to Republi-