The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-05
IN MEMORIAM.
DIR. KEMP BATTLE BATchELoE

Kemp Battle Batchclur WASH horn Il,
I,a'eigh. \. G. on The 18th ,,av IL March.
1867. He was educated there add ut the
University Of North Carolina.i and in
1887 began the study of medicine, his
choice from childhood ut the University
of Maryland In his second term he was
for time disabled by severe illness.
yet in spite of this disadvantage in 1889
he was ut the head of an able class gold
medalst and winner of the Mittenberger
prize.
He at once began the practice of med.
cine in Baltimore Theindustry and fidcl.
ty of his academic career had attracted
the notice of one of the foremost of his
late instructors, DIR. j. L. Atkinson. who
associated with himself the young ply
stefan. became his strong helper. his life
long friend and the devoted and beloved
attendant of his last illness. With such
help, facing his work with the unfinch-
ing. unvaunting courage which was one
of his chief qualities. DR.. Bachelor en-
tered almost ut once on carer of rare
success. He gained the confidence of his
patients by his personal attraction and
held it by his skill and devotion.
In 1891 he married his first his only
love- Fitting mate for so rare soul,
rejoicing in his success and cheering his
adversties. the wife he chose so well
was the best treasure he asked or could
receive. To them were born three chill
dren, lovely like themselves. now best
comforters and dearest responsibilities of
her widowed life.
DR.. Bachelor was man Of g"eat
strength. physical and mental. Confiding
IN, ho h. n
tice increased too hard for even such a
frame as his. Driven by his sense of
duty and his intense personal interest
in his patients he continued this work
after his skill had detected the Fremont
tory symptoms of illness in himself, and
finally, on Saturday the 18th of Deem
Der, after completing a round of visits !
where few were as sick as the ply
stefan, The was Frustrated with pncu-
monia.
lever man had better, more skillfu or
more unremitting care. Night and day
those who were his loving friends b, fore
became his doctos and nurses,
watched by his bedside sparing nothing
that talent, study and devotion could
suggest for comfort and for cure. But
the days of his working were done. and
on the oath of December the Master he
had served gave him rest.
So the strong man died. A short rec
ord? Nay. how shall we call it short
Shall we measure men by the days they
have lived or by the work which they
have done? From the radiant soul which
has passed away a light has shone in
dark places From contact W.T. that
pure brave life which hos o~dod here
no man or woman ever caught Il stain.
and many. touching it. have been Taught
the beauty of good against evil Who
knows the record as it is read today by
the angels?
In all his lfe--in his thinking. his
speaking and his acting-he walked pure
from hs mothers arms to the arms of
his God. The faults and the follics in
we shall hear no more and draw comfort
from the sound Women in the peril Of
childbirth have heard in his footstep the
forerunner Of help and of strength to give
life and to live Tiny lips, tense in I'M
childish pain. have dimpled into child
hoods smile as his words went warm to
childhood's heart. These are the harvest
he gamers: and be goes not empty-hGnd-
cd 70 Heaven.
that untiring industry that made UP his
mentality? Or how shall any merely
human pencil draw a picture of him
who laughed with his fellows, worked
strenuously day by day among men,
studied deeply the most materialistic OF
professions, yet never wandered one mo-
ment from his God? A sincere and hum
BILE Christian who smiles but the sweet
or and jests but the merrier because he
carries Christ in his heart-who shall tell
the value of such Il man or compute the
influence Of his life? He goeth homeward
bea airing his sheaves. As we look with
mere human eyes it might Seem that to
such a worker Il longer day should have
been given; that so great a mind. so
strong and pure Il soul, granted so short
Il term, were but wasted. With longer
fine we believe that he would have
done so much more: gained so much more
of success already begun: been counted
so much higher among the great ones
of the earth. 1t may well be SO; but
there is another computation. lie who
was born near 1900 years ago in Beth
lehem, whose birthday even now the
babies celebrate, had one title. full of
tenderness which our dear one here de-
parted emulated. He was the good
physician. In this life which seems so
short. the disciple followed where the
mister leu ana the MINUS Unit were cru
Gifted have worked through the hands
we folded yesterday. Gone, bearing his
sheaves-and these are they: He has
healed the sick and brought comfort to
misery. The dying clinging to his strong
helping hand have found courage to face
the great secret The dull ear of an
guish has heard that strong gentle voice
which so many feet of the young men
q 70 fpmnfnl
they did he but leaned the more on
tL1. ..trorrth ,ln1.o n md 40 GOD 20 cd