The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-05
HOW A MISSIONARY DIED.
Particulars of the Death of Rev. Benjamin
Luscomb in Africa.


Rev. Thomas J. Campbell, of this city,
yesterday received letter from Mrs.
Luscomb, giving the particulars OF the
death of her husband, Rev. Benjamin
Luscomb, missionary in Africa, work
ing under the direction of Rev DR.. Slmp-
son. The Miss Drew referred to was for
merly nurse at the Maine General Hos
pital. Mrs. Luscomb and Miss Drew are
alone at the port, and in the opinion OF
Mr. Campbell will probably be forced to
return home. The letter from Mrs LUIS
comb is as follows:
Makomp, West Africa, April 3rd, 1895.
Dear Brother in Christ:
1.-THE Eternal God is my refuge and.-un
derneath are the everlasting arms. "
Last evening at s. 80 the Master said to
my precious husband ''It is enough, come
up higher, and of another it can be said
faithful unto DEATH Monday, a. m,
March 25, he came in from the brickyard
Where he had been experimenting the
work, and said to me, II think I have
the fever" and as put my hand upon
him and felt the fiery heat 1 knew he
was not mistaken. He seemed from the
first to be entirely in the grasp of this
dread disease, his constitution being such
that it had much vitality to feed upon.
We did not, however, consider him dan
gerously sick, especially after Thursday,
when his temperature began to fall and
by Sunday it was normal and he seemed
quite like himself The enemy, however,
would not yield without another struggle,
and Monday, a. m. his temperature be-
gan to rise again, until at II p. m. it was
los degrees After that he grew rapidly
worse, until the end came last evening.
l cannot tell you how wonderfully God
comforts and sustains me in this hour
and gives me grace to say with all my
heart "Al is right that seems most
wrong, if it be His sweet will
saturday night though he was really
then in no present danger. he said he
thought he would not live, and said,
thinking of the next day, "How beauti-
full it will be if He takes me on the Lord S
day, >" and expressed his Willingness to
die or live as God willed. He was deliri-
GUS after Sunday all the time, and never
us all, until Tuesday "a. m. After that
ne was very restless, and we held on to
God nightly that he might have quiet
and peaceful end God answered our
prayer, and at p M, he closed his
eyes for the first time for many, many
hours, and slept like child until s
O'Clock, p. M, when he simply ceased to
DTtdulle % we lay HIS DOuy away III
Afric's soil, the land he loved so well,
to sleep till Jesus comes, while his spirit
is with the God he loved and served He
has never for a moment doubted that he
was in Gods order and will, and has said
so often. ''I'm so glad I'm here. - Sun
day p. M, as he looked out upon the
lovely mountain view and waving palms,
he said Beautiful Africa, so beautiful,
yet SO deadly. I'm so glad Pm here -
His work here was short, but who shall
say he did not fulfill his mission Goods
ways are not our ways" and He doeth
all things well.
He had every possible care and atten-
ton even a trained nurse (Sister Drew
to minister to him, and the dear ones
here are like Town folks in their love
and sympathy. Brother Smith has been
to us in ''Christ's own stead" minister
ing to both body and soul. My heart is
greatly comforted by the thought of SO
many sympathizing friends to bear my
self and poor fatherless boy up to the
throne of grace ALI through the dread
full hours of his delirium / was so con-
sciously upheld, and l realized the value
of the words in Matt. 2S. 20, as never be-
fore. Praise His dear name
EDNA j. LUSCOMB.