The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-21
Where is Thy Sting?

'~"Ao WIZ H"Nc "cIrHlpcN "i'n
u ut sumter, ). & have been az
tractcd by the voice Of our tenor sing.
or, Bro. Flowers. Whcn came to
Sumter, he was boy in his round
about, and | have never known hin,
otherwise than as Gilbert. | must be
pardoncd, then. if | now speak Of him
only as Gilbert
About ten Or eleven years ago, there
came sweet girl to Sumtcr-Katc
Team-who made her home with
lady, member Of our choir, and
within three years afterwards, Kate
and Gilbert became man and wife.
Kate was a member Of the Methodist
Church, but for full seven years
regularly attended the Baptist. When
the Methodist set up a mission church,
she began to work in that, and in that
fellowship she lived to the cnd. If
by her church relationship she ever
gave Gilbert an hours trouble, have
not heard Of it. She had a swee. and
quiet manner, and seemed always 10
be in the best sort Of humor. Her
smile was peculiar, and Lighted up her
face in never to- be forgotten way.
l have never been thrown with her for
an hour but that / was compelled to
feel the charm Of her old-;lme smile
and merry manner
After 4 sc' us spell Of illness, Kate
lost her voice, and for three years
spoke only in whisper. tcased her
a good deal about it, thinking, as
others did, that it was only a tempo
rary trouble with her vocal cords, and
would soon pass away. But alas this
was not the case. During the summer
June, l believe she was taken
down with fever which baffled all
treatment, and for four months she
lay in her bed, tortured with the
burning. When l was by tho water
side in August, enjoying the breeze
that gave me comfort and vi9or, l
thought many times of Kate, racked
on her bed with the fires of fever.
When 1 saw her, after my return
home, l perceived that she was going
away. Some phase of tubcrculous
disease had seized her about the
throat, and it was manifest that she
could not tarry with US. kneclcd by
her bed n,d prayed, and when she
gave me parting hand, that same old
smile seemed to run along it down
from her face, and come over to me.
| Two weeks ago, on my way from
church, having missed Gilbert from
the choir, | heard that Kate was
sinking. l hurried to his home, and,
sure enough, it was but too true.
The girl 8 round face was worn down,
and her fingers were long and attenua-
ted. Her eyes seemed dreamy, full
Of q far away look, and her poor voice
was weaker than ever. But tic smile
was there just the same. She said
must pray with her just word or
Two. When that was over, went
away till after the evening service,
when I returned to her home. She
was alive and fully conscious Of our
presence; but one could see that life s
cleaning timo had come, and the
shadows Of the paling sunset were
long and dense. About ten o'clock
she had a sort Of collapse or fainting
spell, but when she rallied, the smile
that had strayed away came back, and
she said, as if in surprise, 30, I
thought I was dying!' That death
had any horrors was nowhere mani
| fest. We oil stood or sat around,
awed into silence. DR.. Clifton, the
beloved pastor of our Methodist breth
rem, held Kate's hand, hand that
lay white as broken lily upon his
palm. Some one-you might know it
was mother-brought hcr q sip Of
matted milk, but she never got it to
her lips. What need had she for
water from rock in the desert, when
she was so near to the true springs of
God, a taste whereof was qucuchipg
her souls thirst forever. Her head
lay back in perfect composure, her
breath grew longer like sigh of one
who was weary. We had now to
watch her closely to know that she
was breathing at all and to know that
she was living. The line of demar-
cation between life and death seemed
wiped out forever, nor could we tell
which was life and which was death.
The last breath was long and soft and
gentle, like the breathing Of little
baby that half awakcs in the night.
DR.. Clifton, dropping her hand, turn
ed to me. and said. "Brown. she is