The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-02-22
MISS ELIZA CATER.
After n Long and PainfaI Illness
Her Life Is Ended. and Her Soul
nafurns tn the God Who Gave 1t.

Misses Cater, In this village, Friday morn
ing, February II, 1898.
During her sickness, ana lhrouenout tne ar
fiic;ion Of The household, the people OF the
community were untiling in their attention
and unreIniltiug in their kindly offices
These ladies' have hosts OF frlends IN AoDe
vile who while faithful and true at All Times
were especially devoted In the days of theil
sorrow, and in the hour of their bereavement
they were not unmndful OF them.
At ten O'Clock on Saturday morning, many
persons responding TO the call OF the slow
toliing bell assembled in the presbyterian
church to pay afectonate tribute 10 the
memory of her whose life had Just gone out
The pastor, Rev. J. Lowrie Wilson, d. ID.
conducted tie funeral service, in which he
paid O beautiful tribute of appreciation
and admiration OF the lille ana character oi
the deceased, who even In the shadow and
gloom of death, was cheerful. and being nn.
Selfish in her nature, gave little concern ior
her own impending doom, but In all that she
said or did she evInced u deep anxiety Tor the
welfare Of those sisters from whom sue was 30
soon. TO take her departure. .
Dr. Wilson spoke feellngly In saying that
Miss Eliza Cater Is with US no more Such IL
the message which drops from the oell-tower
It tells us that her wilderness pilgrimage Is
ended ; that her weary, way-worn feet press
no more its burning sands; that her woman 9
hand reaches down no more to gather up OF
its daily "manna"; that her wonan's form
berds no more TO drink Of the "smitten
rock: that her "earthy house OF this taber-
nucIe" has fallen, and now lies folded away
In yon ca>kel-;lrk, 10 be set up again when
God's dear ones are summoned from tnelr
"billowy mounds"
Gone, gone, gone, rings out the sadly-grat.
Ing bell-toli-gone. gone, gone, the heart-
breaking echo that rolls back from one home
to-day Nay, more; In every home In this
COIN munlty that measured bell.stroke awak-
ems tender, loving, sympathetic echoes for
surely in the departure Of that gentle form
every home has lost a fri end
tpif hpr n pn0elVOrs
morning briefly TO render pastors tribute
to one Of his beloved flock whom the "Chiei
Shepherd" has taken away. Were II ser.
mon to be preached, and formal text 10 be
selected, he would direct your thought to
Acts tx, SO, 81: Now there was at Joppa
certain disciple named Tabitha, when by In
depreciation IL called Dorcas this woman
was full of good works and almsdeeds which
she did. Aud 1t came to pass In those days.
that she was sick. and died whom " hen
they had washed, they laid In an upper cham
ber."
As with "Dorcas," so with the subject OF
this tribute; she was woman, only q wo-
man and as Sch restricted In her labors
and influence to the narrower sphere pecullar
TO that sex. She belonged TO class. there
fore, TO which the world looks not for It's
ideals OF greatness; but to which the Church
of Christ has ever turned for many Of its
graudeSL names and most beautlful cnarac-
lers. A woman, only woman! But such
also were the Hannahs, the Naomis, the
Ruths, the Marys and Marthas, the Lydias,
Loises and Eunices OF scripture, whose re-
corded lives lend pecu liar charm TO that
blessed volume; and whose memories are
treasures In every land where the
In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. where
the Holy Ghost has written the exploits OF
many grand spirit, who through faith SUB
dued kinr doms, wrought righteousness, OBJ
tained prom ises, and OF whom the world was
not worthy" AN honored place Is given TO this
class. The women" of God, not less than
the "men" OF GDd, are there signalized by
their Divine Master as worthy OF everlasting
membrance, and their faith commanded.
If so be that that Incompatible chapter Is
cal ried over into Heaven. with Its galaxy OF
immortal names and beautiful memorials OIL
Chrst's beloved and glorious dead, may we
not indulge the hope that The name OF ibis
dear one has loving place In IL. What Is the
OF the Redeemed In glory but the
ways-back ward to Abel and forward to the
ingat herring OF the last one yet TO be saved;
and II this bc 80, how great Will be the pre-
pOnderence upon II or womens names. Ii
meeting rolls. there can be no doubt on this
point. For Christ's women are the very
soul of these meetings. But for them they
heart is cold, the Church Of Christ is cold !;
and when the hearts Of Christ's women are
warm aud all aglow. the world feels IL and Is
thi illed by the radiating warmth.
So was IL with her whose "cottined clay
lies here before US. She was pray ayer-meellDg
a wetISabbath Christian, cold
sabbath Christian, an every-Saboath.nlsh
Great was the obstacle that pre-
or God. Sne delighted in Its ordinances.
Years ago she gave herself to Jesus, un ting
with the old historic church OF Upper Long
church, in whose communion she continued
until translated, as we fondly trust, TO the
General Assembly and Church OF the First
Born In heaven. Here, therefore. that the
10. TNt~, nkt t.,N fn
here that her testimony Tor Christ was deliv.
cred. II was before you, my hearers, that she
walked. Tell me, then, ye who knew her
best, II that daily walk was not q 6eautilui
me, Is not the church OF Christ on earth weak
ened by the translation from 1t OF just such
an one! A woman, only woman; but,
thank Coda Christ-loving woman! .s
10 the House Of God contemplat1ve MARY
sitting at Jesus feet; and now. rs on the six
days, a busy, bustling. Martha" careful
maeS Of bs nf hene
now again, In the active ministrxtion OF
orn Charity"-doing for others, in
the shaded chamber OF the sick, or the aoodes
good works and almsdeeds which she did"
But, she has left us. Gone. "..gone." "..'gone"
murmurs the sad bell "gone," gone" gone"
answers back the sad heart. For nearly seven
bnnks." amid It's mists and marshes: for
nearly seven weeks talking with death, face
to face; Before her flowed In Its unspeaka-
BILE awfulness the dark, death river. The point
OF crossing was deep and broad, the waters
spreading far over It's hither bank, producing
a treacherons. .3eddyins, back water, as IT were.
No bridge spanned II, no royal ferry rippled
its surface. ~ .-.'
The prospect was simply appalling. What
she endured In Its passage. and In the seven
weeks approach TO II, IL beyond description.
Let 1t suffice TO say that her dying experience
was living Christ. She suffered intensely, but
was Intensely sustai ned by the power OF
grace. Leaning simply and alone on Jesus,
stlll following, the Lamb she bravely enter
ed the stream; and on yesterday morning,
about one o'clock. the passage was safely e1-
cted. The mist of the death river then shut
her out from view aud we saw her no more.
But faith heard the joyful Ginning OF the ce-
lestial bells, when this our "Christiana" emer-
ged from the stream on its further shore:
ION the other side of Jordan,
In the sweet fields OF Eden,
Where the Tree OF Life is blooming,
There is rest for her."
"Apd heard voice from Heaven saying
unto one, Write, Blessed are the dead which
die in the Lord from henee-forth: Yea, saith
the Spirit. that they may rest from their Ia
bors their works do follow them."
When the preacher had concluded his re-
marks, the audience was dismissed, and the
body OF the deceased was carried to Rocky
River Presby terian grave yard, and there bur.
led beside other members Of the family who
have "gone before"
DISTINGUISHED GUEST.
Editor James II. Bacon, OF Edge field,
In AbbevilIe.
n adt 1f ha