The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-05-12
LITTLE JOE'S CHURCH."
A Beautiful Memorial of An Orphan Boy. A Real
"StOry of a Short Life

The longest life is not the completest |
life Often the short life OF little
child is q greater blessing 70 the world
than the career of one TO whom is al
From the Barum Springs, \. C.. or
phanage presbyterian comes a real
story of short life that is more beau
tiful than anything in fiction. 1t is
story of how an orphan boy, by reason
| OF great idea, though dead yet speak
| ethan humble child for whom me-
mortal is to be erected that viii endure
| The memorial is one which the oldest
saint might covet-an honor that would
| give fame TO the greatest divine in the
church 1t is reserved, however, not for
the great and the famous, but for Lit
| tie Joe" because a reat and good idea
dominated his young life. How great a
thing is a noble ambition-even though
to human eye, seem impossible of
achievement.
THE STORY OF LITTLE JOE'S LIFE.
Our Fatherless Ones" published
monthly by the Barium Springs Orphan
age, for February, gives the story of
| Little Joe's life, follows:
| "On Sunday morning the first day OF
February, God took our little Joe home
to Himself. In all the history of the
Home We have never had a greater
shock.
''He had not been we'll for several
| hnt ba had bri ipht
and happy and able to sit up most of the
time, we did not feel uneasy about him.
On Saturday he seemed better and sat up
all day.
Sunday morning when the other boys
were getting up he begged to get up too
but as he didn't seem quite so strong as
the day before we thought it best not &c
let him get up, but told him that place
would be fixed for him down stairs.
"One of the big brothers was waitinf
! with him to carry him down when TIL,
j place should be ready. He noticed tha
Joe closed his eyes and seemed to be go
ing to sleep. He took him up and car
ried him down, but it was our dear lit
| tie boys last sleep. In less than three
minutes his heart was still and hi
| breathing hushed. Nothing We could d
would bring the little soul back and th'
awful hush of a great sorrow settled
down over the Home
Eve feel sure that many of our friend
| in different parts Of the State have learn
ed to know and love our little Joe.
The letter he wrote Santa Slaus a
Christmas reached so many lovinj
| hearts. We want to thank them again
! for making his last Christmas here sucl
a glorious one.
"Joes disposition was lovely one am
| his little life a beautiful lesson to II
all. One day not long ago of the biz
sisters was teaching Joe his catechism
she told him to say, The Devil tcmptet
Eve and she gave the fruit to Adam (ll
answer to the question Who tempte'
| them to eat the forbidden frut?), bu
Joe refused to say it. She insisted bu
Joe was not to be persuaded. nnen sh
: asked him why he wouldn't say it h
G said because it is a bad word To hi
t pure little soul, devil sounded profane
:. and so it couldn't pass his lips. Whel
3 she told him to say Satan he did so an
5 went on with his catechism
q "As we came back from the dining hal
after supper Joe nearly always talke
about the stars. He never could under
stand where they staid IN day time. AM
f All how we'll we remember his turnin
/ his little face up to the stars and saying
z when us gets dead us'll go up there
# We didn t know how soon he was reall
# going up there.
|, I'm Joe's death a musical genius wa
s taken from the world. He could sin
y anything he heard His little baby tongi.
d couldn't say the words but he alWay
u caught the music. He would sing usin
y just any words that sounded right t
: him.
t He sang not only easy songs an
) hymns but classical songs that he ha
L heard only once or twice He wOul
I stand by the piano while the girls playe
N Instrumental music and sing that witt
e out making a mistake and sometime
9 would sit listening for an hour at tn
time while they practiced exercises.
d Sometimes when he had been to seryic
we would ask him to sing the hymn
= he heard and he would DO it.
u Gust before Christmas the piano Z
Rumple Hall was tuned. The next tim
? Joe heard it he came and listened for
little while and then be asked il it wa
the same piano When he was told tina
= il was, he said: Who sounded it? II
: knew there was a difference in the soun'
:. | Possibly there were not five other peop
"a in the Homo who noticed the diherenc
20 The one thing Jco talked about mo:
= was being a man and building chdrcl
q He always said he was going to make
70 porch to his church
j.; I'VE laid his little body away IN
at | pretty spot near the place We have celec
"A cd for our church He is the first gay
is in burying ground.
p Cant those of US who love little Jf
In carry out the dream of his short II
by putting the church there by h
grave? Are there fathers and mother
who have laid away in Gods acre not on
le the body of a precious child but ii
o- brightest dreams of their life, who wou
like to build the little church? Are the
others who listen with swelling hear
while their own wee laddie tells what
oil will do when he is man, who would To-
to make a thank Offering Of this kind