Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-30

wife of the Venerable Minister
Pnsses Away.

Wife OF the
Passes Away.
rverv now and then. in this every
dav world I'm which we live and WORK
ono meets with men and women whose
characters dignity human nature, ano
seem TO lesson the chasm between hu-
nanitv and Divinity. II is not irreveren'
10 sneak thus of them. for souls Of this
urearthly purity and strength and beauty
are but the outcome OF the indweilins
Of the Son of God. In this city yester-
day morning, before II was yet Gay,
such a soul as this quietly exchanged
/ earth for Heaven.
No one who ever knew Mrs. Tryphena
T. Read. wife of Rev. DR.. Charles H.
! Read the most perfect helpnate ever
| youchsafed to a Christian minister, VIII
shrlnR from applying to her character
! and her life the almost immeasurapie
words we have just penned. she came
l.to this CITY nearly half a century ago
with her husband, who, early in Sis,
ysucceeded Rev. Or. stiles as pastor OF
Fwhat was then known as the "Shockoe-
I'm Presbyterian church." situated AT
the corner of Franklin and Eighth
streets. This building was burned at the
evacuation Of the city in 1865, and,
through the determined efforts OF Or.
and Mrs Read and their devoted peo-
ple. aided by the liberality of Christians
all over the land. the handsome church
at the corner of Fourth and Grace
streets was finally erected. No one VINO
took part in the prolonged and tremen-
dous struggle of that noble congrega-
ton can ever forget It: and wherever
and whenever ii is remembered there VIII
be recalled the pale sweet, res0lute face;
the impressive inspiring. all-compelling
will: the dauntless, deathless courage;
the superhuman, contagious energy OF
this marvellous little woman. But her
work was not alone in building churches;
she filled them with people, as well. The
Sunday school, the Dorcas Society, the
poor. the outcast, the wandering. the
tempted, the afflicted all recognized her
as their leader and guide-their helper
and comforter and friend. 1t Is cues
toned whether there have ever been
lived in Richmond fifty years Of grander,
sweeter service than these. Two fea-
lures specially marked them-one
was that Mrs. Read not only thus her
self worked tirelessly for God and man,
but she had the faculty Of setting other
souls on fire with the same unselfsh,
consuming devotion. The other feature
of her life and character which deserves
special mention in this connection is that
devotee who is interested in everything
except her own household. No, indeed,
this many-sided little woman was as
supreme and as supremely devoted with
in her home as without it. She was an
exquisite housekeeper. Her house was
always a model of neataess and comfort,
and as tastefully adorned az the mode
rate means of Christian minister would
allow She was the soul of hospitality.
Her attractive home was often the home
OF the homeless; always the home of
her friends. Busy as she was, she was
never too busy TO minister to their COM
fort or enjoy their society. She was
a peerless wife, a matchless mother. a
wise sympathetic faithful friend. Her
soul was as unsefish. as sincere. as guile
less, as artless as the soul Of lovely
infant; yet she was as wise, as sweet,
as strong as woman ever was.
It is sad beyond expression that the
law of life here below is the law OF
decay and death. Such a soul does not
die; ii does not even grow old; but ii
must eventually wear out the body, as
hers did. To the very last however,
her intellect and will and affections were
what they had ever been; and even after
her physical vitality seemed utterly ex-
hausted, her unselfish anxiety for the
comfort and wellbeing of her husband
and every member of her family and
even for every interest of her every
friend survived up to the very hour of
her departure, undiminished She did not
die--she only ceased to live here.
On Friday evening, after firmly and
wisely dispensing of matter Of some
difficulty and complexity, she took
her nourishment and medicine for
the last time, closed her eyes, and
clasping her daughter hand. gently and
sweetly went to sleep; and, behold, when
they awoke, the daughter was here-but
the mother was there.
$50 He giveth His beloved sleep"
The funeral services will be held at the
Grace-Street Presbyterian church, corner
Fourth and Grace streets at $3.50 o'clock
tomorrow afternoon.
Mrs. Lucy Cooke.
telegram, received in Richmond yes
terday morning, brought the sad intelli- |
gence OF the death of Mrs. Lucy Will
hanson Oliver Cooke, widow of DR.. Cary
Charles Cooke. which occurred at her |
home. at Bremo in Fluvanna county, |
few hours before. Mrs. Cooke was well |
known throughout Virginia. She was a |
type Of the purest southern womanhood, |
and was greatly beloved by wide cir
Gle of friends. Deceased, who was in |
her SD year, was born in Hanover coun- |
~. Her maiden name was Oliver.
Mrs. Cooke leaves two daughters |
Misses Mary and Lelia-who live at Bre- |
mo, and son--Mr. John II. Cooke, of |
Fluvanna county. She has two nieces |
here-Mrs. W. NJ. Bridges and Mrs. S. b. |
Wilson.
The remains win be brought to this |
city this afternoon. and the funeral will |
take place from Grace Episcopal church |
tomorrow morning at II O'clock. The |
interment will be in Hollywood The |
following gentlemen will act as pall-bear-
ers: MessJ's. Joseph Bryan. J. Preston |
Cooke. John b. Young, James II. Ander-
son. p. st. George Barraud. and John +.