The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-01

BcsntisuI and Remarkable Incidents
Connected With the Recent Death
Of Little Kate Barber. NJ Monroe,
Graphically Narrated by Her sister
In n Letter to- n kin.v ou,an.

In n Letter 10 n kinsx oulan.
, Reader or The Messenger and Intel
igencer Sill remember that about
four weeks ago there appeared in the
paper an Of the death Of Kate
the IL year old daughter % Mrs L. g.
Barber. OF Monroe. and or Ia late
Walter Barber. CT this county. Kate
was u good and lovely child and her
death a glorious enc. from the stand
point OF The Christian. The beautiful
and remarkable incidents that took
place at her bedside are graphically
described BY an older sister in 4 letter
10 q kinswoman. II would be impos-
sible for any one TO read this letter
without becoming a better man or
n because OF the good il
may do the IF. and /. is permitted to
print that part OF the letter directly
relating to the sickness and death OF
the child. The letter Is given below:
kate woke up sick on Sunday
morning, but We did not think she
Was seriously sick. She sat up in bed
and read and on Monday she played
with her dolls. On Monday night
Mama gave her some sinna tea. and she
woke Up in the night complaining K
such = pain in her side, but we Dug
n iAGA "a ~
All day tuesday she was very sick.
ana Tuesday night We called in the
doctor. Wednesday he pronounced IL
appendicitis and said II she was not
better by Thursday he would take her
10 Charlotte for an operation. But
death struck her Thursday morning
and she died at noon.
Aunt SaIlie, know YOU ar. br.ke
hearted over her death, but If YOU had
been here and had seen her die IL
would be a great comfort to You. | will
try To tell something about IL. but pen
can never portray the beautiful scene
We witnessed.
Mr.. Atkinson. the presbvtarian
minister, came in and began talking 10
her and had prayer with her. But We
had not old her that she was very
sick, or going 10 die, for the doctor
said not TO. But after Mr.. Atkinson
had prayed he left the room TO speak
TO the doctor, and while he was gone
she said TO Mama: Mama, open the
gate and let me go" Mama asked her
what gate and she said, The Heavenly
Gates Mama asked her IL she saw
them and h said, yes and they are
SO pretty and 1t is all gold Then at
ter a few moments she clapped her
hands and said. Papa Ernest And
just as she uttered the words We heard
a slight sound or rustic and. looking
up, we saw a light flash on the wall
right over her bed. Now, Aunt Sallie,
this was not Imagination or excite
ment. 1t was there, Rob. Mama and |
all saw 1t at the same time, and Just
as the light appeared she held out her
little arms and said, They are wav-
ing for me: let me GO She told
Mama that she and Papa were going
10 build a house for her To come.
When Mr.. Atkinson came back into
tho l. at
saw Papa. You know / was only eight
months old when he died. but / sup
pose it was him In a little while she
closed her eyes and clasped her hands
on her breast and prayed the sweetest
prayer | nave ever heard. Then she
prayed for each member OF the family
making a separate prayer for each
one. She called for MI. -- and
when he entered the room she aid
Mr.. -, are you saved? p He shook
his head and then she said. are you
a Christian? He told her mo- and she
aid well get down on your knees and
let us pray.'
MI. Atkinson gave her three violets
and she said: L am going TO press
these in the hands OF Jesus Christ: /
am going to press them in the hands
of the Heavenly Father Calling for
more viOlets she divided them and
handing a part Of them to me she said,
sister, take these and scatter them
over the pathway Of life Then raising
III in bed she took the others and
scattered them all over the bed and
pillow. oh it was the prettiest sight
I ever saw Then she asked Mr.. At
kinson TO lets sing, and he asked her
what she wanted to sing she said, sing
Simply Trust Him And when they
sang that she asked to sing, What a
Friend We lave in Jesus and then
stand Up For Jesus and she sang
each piece as clearly and distinctly as
If she had been we'll.
She asked the preacher IL she was
one of the sheep and he told her she
one of the lambs. She said I want
to make all the Christians / can as l
go on the way
One Of the last things she said was,
If Will Barber Is in this room let him
hold up his right hand Some one
told her he was not here and she smil-
ed the most heavenly smile n said:
That is all right. I'll find him.; I'll
look for him until 1 do find him and
I'll save him. '"-Wadesboro Messen-
ger and Intelligencer.