The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-12-19
A BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE0F A DYING
WIFE TO HER HUSBAND.

The following most touching frag-
ment OF letter from dying wife to
her husband was found by him some
months after her death, between tie
leaves of religious voume, which she
was found OF perusjng. The letter,
which was dim with tear marks, was
written long before the husband was
aware tnat the grasp OF fatal disease.
had fastened upon the lovely form of
his wife, who died at the early age of
nineteen:
When this shall reach your eye, dear
G., some day when you are turn
ing over the relics OF the past, l shall
have passed away forever, and the
cold white stone will be keeping It's
lonely watch over lips that you have SO
often pressed, and the sod will be
growing green that shall hide forever
from you the dust OF one who has often
nestled close to your warm heart. For
many and long sleepless nights, when
all my thoughts were at rest, have
wrestied with TIE consciousness of
approaching death, until at last it has
forced itself on my mind. Although
to you and to others it might now
seem but the nervous imagination of
girl, yet, dear G., it is 50 Many
weary hours have | passed in the
endeavor to reconcile myself to leaving
you, whom l love SO well, and this
bright world Of sunshine and beauty;
and hard indeed is it to struggle on
silently and alone, with the sure con-
viction that | am about to leave all
forever, and 60 down alone to the
dark valley But l know in WI n |
have trusted; and leaning upon His
arm, | fear no evil. Don't blame me
for keeping all this from you. How
could subject you, of all others, to
such sorrow as l feel at parting when
time will soon make it apparent to you3
l could have wished to live, if only to
be at your side when your time shall
come, and, pillowing your head upon
my breast, wipe the death damps from
your brow, and usher your departing
spirit to its Makers presence, embalmed
in woman's hottest prayer. But it is
not to be so-and | submit. Yours is
the privilege of watching through long
and dreary nights, for the spirits final
flight, and OF transferring my sinking
head from your sinking breast to my
Savi0ur's bosom And you shall share
my last thorght, the last feeble kiss
shall be yours: and even when flesh
and heart shall fail me, my eyes shall
rest on yours until glazed by death !;
and onr spirits shall hold one last com.
muuion until gently fading from my
view the last OF earth-you shall nlngle
with the bright glimpses ofthe unfading
glories of that better world, where
partings are unknown. Well do |
know the spot, dear c., where you
will lay me; often have we stood by
the place, as we watched the mellow
sunset, as itglanced in quivering fasaes
through the leaves, and Furnished the
grassy mounds around us with stripes OF
gold. Each, perhaps, has thought
that one of US would come alone and
whichever it might be, your name
would be on the stone. We loved the
spot-and | know that you will love it
none the less when you see the same
quiet sunlight and gentle breezes among
the grass that grows over your Mary's
grave. know that you will so oftener
alone there, when | am laid there, and
my spirit shall be with you then, and
whisper among the waving branches,
"Not lost but gone before"