The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-04
MRS. CECILIA WHITE.
In the Beauty and Glory OF True WO-
manhood She Enters Upon tina:
Grcat Sleep Which Men Call Death.

Great Sleep Which Men Call Death.
Our community is again called upon to
| mourn the death of one of its most valued
| members. Mrs. Cecilia White departed this
| life at the residence of her father, j. ID. Cnl-
| merS Esq. about o'clock Monday morning,
December = 1850, IL: the END year OF her age
| For several days IL was known on the streets
that she WAS sick, but no one thought That
she was in any danger, until u few days ago,
when all hearts were shocked ut The Sad IN.
| tcligcucc that she could not live. And
thus 1t was that The beautiful and dearly be-
loved bride, with IL heart as pure as the orange
blossoms that claspcd her brow, was stricken
down. and borne from the uisles OF the tcn-
pie to the garden of the sumberers.'
| How mysterious oftenlines are the dlspen-
sntions OF that Providence which is over MS
all Only n few months ago this lovely young
woman became the happy bride OF our lc-
low -townsman, Mr.. Thomas y. White.
| ife,journcy with brighter prospects than did
she. Possessing naturally cheerful and
/ hopeful disposition, together Win thosc ee.
ments OF character which constitute the
beauty and glory OF true womanhood, she had
entered the race to shed the fragrance or
beautiful life upon home and society. be
sides possessing the wealth OF the hlShesL
confidence ana best affections which were
iavished upon her by those OF her own home,
/ she had by her winning manners endeared
herself TO u host Of friends who to-day mourn
her departure.
TIE FUNERAL SERVICE.
| When the church b I'll rang ut half-past ten
| o'clock all the business houses of the town
were closed, and great multitude of sympu.
thiZing friends occupied seats In the Metho-
dist church TO pay Il tribute or adectlon 10
her who had so lately gone out from amongst
US.
At II o'clock, the beautiful casket, upon
which was placed choice flowers most taste
fully arranged, was borne into the Methodist
church by Messrs. w. ID. Wilson, X. l.. Mabry,
DR.. Game, George Penny, j. A. Harris and D.
H. Perrin. Who acted as Dall-bearerS.
The choir sang In rely sweet and pathetic
manner: "Come unto me all We that labor
and are heavy laden and will give you rest"
Mr.. Beatty, the othcating minister, announc-
ed the hymn: "When blooming youth Is
snatched away"
Then followed the Scripture lessons from
Psalm Xc "Lord thou hast been our dwelling
place in all generations" &C., and Cor. XIV,
'Now is Christ risen from the dead, and be-
come the first fruits Of them that slept" DC.
After leading The congregation In IN prafyer a
the deceased. He then called the Gongrega-
tion to consider for short while "The min
istry Of affiiction," In which were pointed out
some Of the profitable lessons taught US ut
the bedside Of the dying.
Among other things, he said: One lesson
learned Is our weakness and helplesSncss
Who that has ministered to the suffering
through hours Of anxious watching, as the
time-piece marked the passing moments. but
has yearned for a remedy that would give re-
lief? Who that has watched the tide OF lie as
IL gently ebbed away, that has not longed ior
power to arrest its departure? Remedy after
remedy is tried, until the whole stock OF
remedies Is exhausted. Oh what n sense OF
| helplessness sweeps down upon the soul as
| the skilfu physician and faithful nurse teli
US no more can be done-that death must
ensue. We then stand face to face with that
strange and mysterious power we call death,
and helplcssly await results We cling with
all the tenacity of our fondest love to those
whose last good bye must soon be heard-we
| imprint the farewell kiss upon their brow
, and turn aside In all the desolation OF help
lessness, to pray for the grace OF submission
We would snatch them from the grasp or the
destroyer and carry them beyond the reach OF
his power, but our strength Is Insufficient.
Who shall say that this Is not profitable
lesson 2? That man, revclling In the pride or
his intellectual and physical strength, should
not be brought, occasionally, TO an humble
recognition OF the limits TO Ill his greatness?
Another lesson The highest type of un-
selfish love is developed at Tie bedside OF the
dying Whether our love huS been intensi-
fled, or whether 1t Is that q prc-eXisting love
has been brought under stronger light, shall
not attempt TO say. II may be that we are SO
constituted, thatwe 90 rot set the proper val. val
own-that only when 1t elndes our grasp DO
we properly estimate It's value.
Explain II as we may yet the TACT remains
the same: We do love the departing with
peculiar affection that is given only to them.
Whatever of seltishness there may be In us in
other moments, better and more generous
self rules now, and we behold the most sub
lime exhibition of unselfiSh love.
The plea is often made, that affection Is
more needed during the time when active life
is combating the evils and trials of this ev-
cry day pigrimage-that the place to scatter
flowers IS upon the pathway OF life, rather
than upon the graves of the departed. This Is
all true. but taking 81 view from the stand
point which Is occupied to-day, we are war
ranted in saying, that If ever an hour comes
in the life OF any. when sympathy and love
are needed more than at other times, 1t Is
when the last lingering look Is being had up,
on the familiar scenes OF childhood ana
home, and the trembling spirit turns away 10
face the strange and untried spirit-0nd into
which 1t must go alone. 1t yearnS, we be-
lieve, for that sympathy and love In which IL
has so often before sought and found shelter.
And it Is not denied this support; for then we
lavish upon 1t, as never before, the wealth OIL
our highest and best affections.
Again, we have Il striking obJcct.lesson OF
the weakness Of our hold upon this temporal
life and the things which belong to It. Here
have we no continuing city, but we seek one
TO come" "The days Of our years are three
score years and ten; and If by reason OF
strength they be fourscore years. yet Is there
strength labor and sorrow; for II is soon cut
off, and we fly away" How true are the
words:
"Life is n span, q leeting hour,
How soon the vapor flieSi
Man Is transient tender flower,
That cen In blooming dies"
WIN lnlS lesson DclOTe uS LO-uhS SllNulu uO0
the prayer Of our hearts be: $50 teach us to
number our days, that we may apply our
hearts unto wisdOm?' Let us therefore, not
lay up treasure upon earth "where moth and
rust corrupt and where thieves break through
and steal, but in heaven. where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt. and where thieves do
not break through nor steal"
And in our Sorrowiny, let US thank God,
that we sorrow not as those without hope;
but anticipate blsslul and happy reunion
on the golden shore.
AT the conclusion Of the religious services
the deceased was buried il the family plat AT
Upper Long Cane cemetery, where so many
of her friends and relatives sleep their last