Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-04-16
Mrs. r. p. wild.

\ News has Just reached us OF the death in
the insane asylum at Brattleboro, OF Mrs.
4 Ruth Wild, widow OF Rev. DR.. Edward
/ Wild, whose recent death was the occasion
OF much sorrow among many friends. Her
death following SO soon upon that OF her
/ husband and the distressing circumstances
attendant upon her last days makes the
rounding upof life OF unusual usefulness
and devotion seem like a dismal tragedy
4 Ruth Sibley Nichols was born in Braintree
/ VT, Jan. Z, 1871. She was the second
| daughter, and the Oldest who reached years
OF maturity, OF the late Dea. John 5. Mich
OILS, and a granddaughter OF "Father'
Nichols whose memory fingers in all the
churches of this region. She was the last
surviving member of her fathers family.
She received her education in the COM
mon schools, studied at West Randolph
Academy, and, il we mistake not, at the
old "Orange Co. Grammar School, and
was, for a time a member Of the Abbot Fee
male Academy, Andover, Mass. She was
thorough, conscientious, faithful student,
and IL not as brilliant as some, she was
well prepared, so far as school training
goes, for what was to be the work of her
life. On the End OF Aug, 1855 she was mar
ried to Rev. Edward p Wild, son OF Rev.
Mr.. Wild of Brookfield, who had just fin
ished his studies preparatory to the minis
try, at Bangor Thee. Seminary. To inter-
ested friends the marriage seemed re-
markably suitable one. They seemed es-
pecially fitted to work together in their
chosen calling. They were young and
hopeful and full of a devout Christian
spirit. They entered upon theix work at
Craftsbury, VT. and when. aher a few
years of service he sought another pastor
ate, we were told of one reason for the
seeking that We never heard mentioned by
any other pastor of any other parish, viz
that the work of seeking the conversion OF
souls within the bounds of his parish bad
come to an end, as the community had be-
come thoroughly Christianized and he de-
sired a field in which to seek and to save
the lost. Mr.. Wild's two long pastorates
were surprisingly successful, but he enter
ed upon the third with partially broken
health, and the end was not far Off Mrs
Wild lived close beside her husband in all |
his public work, carried large responsible |
titles in domestic as well as parish affairs.
Along with the joys that came to them in
the gathering OF harvests from the seeds
which their own hands had sown, there
were sorrows which were felt most keenly
by Mrs. Wild. Four children came into
their home, but two were not, for He who
gave them called them away. Their alb
sence left a shadow that no light could dis
pei. 1t is in this bitter experience. as well
as in the heavy burden of anxious care and !
thought which she carried through the
many months Of her husbands decline and
final decease, that we may, doubtless, find
some explanation Of the sad ending of her
own life. But there is comfort in the
thought that the merely physical accom-
paniments Of our departure from earth
cannot affect our moral and spiritual we'll
being in the life that is to follow. When
We consider the work of her life and the
preparation for greater usefulness which
experience had given her, we say, under
the limitations Of human Judgment, that
she was called away too soon, but in that
infinitely broad view OF individual life and
character which lies open to the divine
mind, we can only say that we believe that
in Gods thought the exact moment for
her departure had arrived. That life is
complete that is full, no matter whether
its reach be long or short Il would seem
as though the years Of her life had been
reasonably well allied in the pursuit OF
those things which minister to life's great
end. and that now She has passed into a
closer union with that Being, in doing
whose viii on earth she found her chief
delight