Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-01-21

= Again has the Angel of Death invaded
our parish and made desolate another
home! Indeed has been an unweicome
vistor in many homes in our parish with
in the past twelve months and crepe has
hung on not few doors!
1t is onr unhappy duty this week to
chronicle the death of Mrs. Clara Skinner,
beloved wife OF Mr.. A. J. Gibson, which
occurred at her home at lockwood"
plantation Tuesday morning at clock,
following long and painful illness, which
=sl,e bore as stole and with that Christian
!, fortitude that has ever been character
E.istic virtue of her long and useful life
Mrs. Gibson was born in Tensas par
ish January 18th, 1855, to William Skin
ner and Nancy Henderson. In 1881 she
was married to Andrew j. Gibson and
has live,l her entire life in Tensas parish.
She is survived by her husband and one
child, Mrs. Lucille Gibson, wife OF Mr..
Nee. Hopkins, also of this parish, and
fonr sisters, viz: Mrs. +. A. CIarkson,
Mr.. W. g. Fulton, Mrs. Chas. Good
rich. Of this parish, and Miss Matte
Skinner, of Cannonsburg, Miss.
The entire life OF deceased was spent in
Tensas parish; here she was born and
reared, here she married and here her
children were born and one at least she
had the happiness to see grow up to
lovely womanhood. Indeed citing eli
max to happy and well spent life that
her call from labor to rest SHOULD find
her in the home she has blessed so
long in her own native Tensas which she
loved 80 well, and where the flowers are
sweetest and the birds MARBLE their most
melosiious songs. For many long and
weary months she lay on bed of pain,
comforted by her faith in God and the de-
voted ministration of husband and
daughter. Her end came peacefully and
gently; even as the sunshine of day gives
place to the silent shadows of night, her
soul, released from its tenement Of clay,
passed quietly beyond the realms of life
and entered into the Life Eternal.
The remains were inferred in the Nat
chez cemetery, followed by train Of
sorrowing friends. The bier was covered
with profusion OF flowers, emblematic
Of her own beautiful life, and evidencing
the love with which she was held by her
neighbors and friends.
None but those who have sat in the
shadow If great bereavement can justly
weigh such q sorrow as this. Those who
have gone down into the valley of suffer-
ing and stood for months by the side of
loved one, as hope after hope dropped
away as the petals fall from fading
flower, know that such anguish cannot
find solace in the renderest words. She
who has gone forth could not be supported
on. her solitary path BY any earthly friend.
The husband with devotion few men are
capable Of, whose strength was given
sweetly. tenderly to this precious invalid,
whose heroic devotion never faltered,
could not detain her by the clasp of
earthly love; but after the last word had
been spoken, the last sign of recognition
was gone, look of peace settled on her
face which proclaimed victory, and he
knew she was resting on mighty arm.
May God comfort and sustain him is our
prayer.
Poet nor artist has ever been able to
portray the grave in colors OF brightness
and beauty. Bryant, in the "Hymn of
Death" could not make the subject beam
tiful; and yet the cemetery with its mar
BILE and its dead, the chair that has no
occupant, the fancied echo of the silent
voice, are mellowing and uplifting in
their influence. They bring the best of
human nature into the fullness OF vigor,
crowding back the selfishness and imper-
inusness OF men, and impressing them
with the duty of recognition of the value
Of friendship. 1t is the gloom of the
church-yard that reveals to us more
clearly the beauty OF life. 1t is the brok-
en- ties at the grave that prompt us to
a fuller appreciation of the tenderness of
the ties that are not yet.broken; and go
while we mourn the loss of our dead we
may rejoice that there is no cloud so
dark that there is no light behind it, no
SORROW go poignant that there is not balm
for the wound it inflicts.