West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-01-25

MISS sErrrE sMALLEY

There are few deaths that have come 1,
kingwood homes that have so deeply STREE
the fountains Of feeling as the visit Of IN,
Angel to the Home of the Smalley Family
The visit was not unexpected but ih= glorious
and glowing welcome which the Messenger
from Heaven received was Indeed yer,
unusual. II has come 10 the people with all
the greater surprise aud pleasure in that the
Dear One VIM has Gone was no yrneislly
thought If rs very cemnn,,ratvv dispOsi
,ion. /, Is telling illuspsipn of The fsei
thai !, !. from the plaius>, lives tina, the
'iehes, eolpts of i'vaui, aud Grace come.
Miss Netiie Snalley was bnn in King
wood about IS wears siucr go The 77nd Of
May !" the year 1880. and departed This life
on the Ioih of the resen, month Apart
from the period while she vas q nurse in the
| AsY lum for the Insane ut Weston ami bnef
period during which the family resided a,
Rerdsviile, she spent her brief life in this
community. She was general fayOriie
with all Il was known some Yeas ago that
she was sadly hardened fpf the Battle Of
life and the noble effort She made in spite Of
her week.-mrs. to do her iull duty as well as
though she were fully cquiPpei for IL won
for her The admiration Of all her friends,
young aud old.
IL was however in The las, hours of her
dwelling upon earth that the life rose to it's
brightest. II was as though The flower made
up for The weakness of the stalk in IN.
fragrance of it's bloom God in His amaz-
ing grace gave to her such an experience
toward the last as though her life were but
for that end and that all should he brought
to IFS fulilment in the final intense hours of
Joy. One should not indeed seek suffer ring
for it's own sake and yet one might be
willing to endure II the rewards would in
every case be so great. lie knows very
little of the true worth aud meaning of life
who thinks of such life as hers as being a
failure because of its early ending. Better
far, IS years of Life ending IN such bliss as
that in which she fell asleep than 100 years
of life .endin in Physical. Mental and
Spiritual distress. There are indeed many
expressions which have been gathered from
her lips the past week but they bear so much
the SAVIOUR OF the realms to winch she has
gone that we cannot repeat them here.
They will sink into the minds and memories
of Christian friends and neighbors and will
no doubt make many cloudy day bright
for some hard pressed soul in the future
/ Little do we know how much good she did
in fighting the great Zoe the past week so
manfullY aud carrying the standard of faith
IN Christ right onward into the very Jaws
of death. No wonder Christians are en-.
Outraged by such death. They are more
than ever ready 10 MAINTAIN that the great
test of The reality and power of Christ is
seen ia tn dying hour. This is also made
more evident from the fact that the deceased
is not Christian of many,years experience,
but one lately come TO the faith. But the
proof is SO good and valid that IN spite of
the rewness of her religious experience and
as though but babe in Christ and then
brought face 10 face with the greatest foe the
but went right into the battle without blench-
ing, and gave such proof of her strength and
courage as might adorn any Cray haired
Christian. From such an experience one
can readily see what Paul meant when he
said, "we are more than Conquerors through
Him that Loved U.s." go Death where is
Thy sting! o Grave Where is Thy Victory"
Yes, Where is it1 The Victory Is all on the
side of The one who IS dying and no; one
whit on the side of Death. 1t is said that
she actually reioiced at the prospect of
death One is reminded 10y such a death of
the noble lines of Alexander Pope in that
famous ooe
"THE DYING CHRISTIAN TO HIS SOUL"
"Vlal spark of Heavenly flame!
Quit, oh quit this mortal frame;
Trembling, Hoping, Lingering, Flying,
oh, the pam, the bliss of dying!
Cease, fond nature, cease thy strife,
And let me lnger into life.
Hank! they whisper; angels say,
Sister spirit, come away.
What is this absorbs me quite?
Steals my senses, shuts my sight.
browns My spirits. draws my breathe
Tell me, My soul, can this be death?
The world recedes; il disappears!
Heaven opens on INV eyes! my ears
With sounds seraphic ring:
/ Lend, lend your wings! | mounu fly!
o Grave! where is thy victory
y Death! where is thy sting1'
a Friend