BORN: April 16, 1854 – Beverly Township, Wentworth County, Ontario, Canada
DIED: April 17, 1902 – Antrim Farm, Underwood, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada

Author Unknown

Her birth & early life | Mother dies  & she leaves school | Working around Galt | Consecrated herself | Father remarries | Engagement & religion | Marriage & married life | Strong in character | Church affiliation | Final days & final say

In writing a memoir of an individual it is mostly of someone who has filled foremost place in the public eye, whose name has been on every lip, and is placed in such a light as to appear a great deal better than the bulk of humanity and such memoir, instead of being a help to others by example or precept, is passed by with the remark: “What a beautiful life! I can never live like that”, and so fails to help the great bulk of common people. But this simple memoir is of one who was little known or heard of outside her own circle and who never did anything extraordinary, but who tried to make her home a Bethel which every woman should do, and it is hoped some lonely faint-heart may take fresh courage and reach upward and onward to a higher life, that all may see that others have find difficulties and discouragements as well as themselves and see just as great heroism and faithful service of the wife and mother in this memoir, as of any who have been more prominent in the public eye.

Her birth & early life

The subject of this sketch was born in Beverley Township, Wentworth County, near Clyde, on the 16th day of April, 1854. She was the 5th child and 3rd daughter of the late John Jamieson and his wife, Mary Moffat, who immediately after their marriage emigrated to Canada in some of the forties from that part of Scotland known as the Tweed side, all adherents of the Presbyterian form of church government, and mostly settled in Beverley Township and North Dumfries near Galt. Their descendants are numerous in that part of Ontario today, although a number have gone west. These emigrants were splendid representatives of Scottish character, strong in mind, with deep settled religious convictions. The Shorter Catechism and Confession of Faith were standard works. Very tenacious in their opinions of church doctrine, they could argue and did to a hair’s breadth, and each individual or family had their special branch of the Presbyterian Church. The branch that the parents of this subject belonged to was the U.P. church at Kirkwall, Pastor Rev. John Porteous. There was a large family born to Mr and Mrs Jamieson, four sons and seven daughters.

At 12: Mother Dies  & Leaves School

In the year 1866 Mrs Jamieson died, one week after the birth of a baby boy (George Moffat Jamieson), now a prosperous farmer in Saugeen Township) and left a houseful of growing children, the eldest being a girl, Janet, in her 21st year, then two boys James and John (James is now a large farmer near Gladstone, Man. and John on the old homestead in Beverley near Isabella Henderson.

Then the subject of this memoir, in her 12th year. It was quite a loss to Mr Jamieson and his family, the death of Mrs Jamieson, as anyone can readily see. In three years the eldest girl Janet sickened and died. One might almost say a second bereavement. The eldest then left was Isabella Henderson, only seventeen then. Mary, the subject of this sketch fifteen.

We might follow this Isabella. She married the late Wm. Tait by whom she had three sons and two daughters. These daughters died quite close to each other when three and one years of age. Then after some years Mr Tait died. Mrs Tait had been ailing for some years and she died thirteen days after the subject of this sketch. Neither of the sisters knew that the other was worse than usual, so their meeting on the other side would be a sweet surprise.)

About this time Mr. Jamieson was made an elder in the Kirkwall church, and taught in the Sabbath school so the subject of this sketch, Mary, received her early training in the Orthodox creed of strict Presbyterian principles. When her mother died Mary had to leave school, which was a great disappointment to her. She was very clever at learning and her father was very proud of her ability and often said if Mary had been a boy he would have tried to give him an education. Such was the idea thirty-five years ago, and even their minister, Rev J Porteous, thought it useless, finishing up with the remark “It’s only stepping stone to matrimony”, so instead of going anymore to school she had to go to service.

At 13: Working Around Galt

Mr and Mrs Jamieson had not much of this world’s goods when they came to Canada. Mr Jamieson hired around Galt, then rented some land, and finally bought the old Allan farm and carried a heavy mortgage-a thing too many farmers know more about to their sorrow than they would like.

It was mostly among friends that Mary hired at first, but as she grew older she worked more with strangers. Her service was eagerly sought after, as she was strong, faithful, clever, bright and pleasant girl, and here was laid the seed of trouble for her in the future.

She never spared herself but often did the work of two girls. She had no snap like what some girls have today and the Sabbath was no rest only a change while at service on the farm.

Her Sabbath was something of this style.

• In early morning she brought up the cows not less than eight, sometimes more, and milked
• took hasty breakfast
• left it all ready on the table for the family as none of them would be up
• then walked four miles to Sabbath School at Kirkwall held at 9 o’clock
• stay for church
• walked home with her sisters 1-1/2 miles by the field or 2-1/4 by the road
• then after tea walk to her place and do up all the work that had been left
• and cows to milk again.

It was generally 11 or 12 o’clock before she could go to rest, and wages then were only one-half what they are today. It was the cows that seemed to always want attending to and let me just say here, there is no Sabbath on a dairy farm, and a hired girl on one is little better off than a white slave.

This was one of her failings, she never quit anything, no matter how hard, if she could do it at all. She was very careless of her own health. She often spoke of that in after life and we can all say “How foolish for any one to be careless on oneself” and yet is it not that quality that everyone admires? No lazy selfishness or slinking out of a tough job. While her wages were small she and her sisters saved enough to educate a younger sister (Maggie) who taught school for some time, now Mrs James Clark Dixon (California).

Mary was very fond of music and a fine singer, especially of Scotch songs of which she had good supply. At that time her brother James taught singing school in several localities and being often irritated with the slowness of his pupils to pick up a tune he always tried to have Mary to lead them through. She never had an organ of her own until after her marriage and was a fairly good player though she never took any lessons from a teacher understanding the notes. It was no trouble for her to play any tune, no fancy stylish playing but splendid to sing with.

At 15: Consecrated Herself

It was about this time that two evangelists came to Galt, namely Russell and Carrol. Then began a spiritual awakening in the end of ’68, ’69, and ’70. the centre being Knox Church, Rev JK Smith, pastor.

Hundreds of souls were born again and hundred were quickened into new zeal. These evangelists made quite a stir in Galt and vicinity. Mary, being at service in Galt part of the time attended most of the meetings and while no special time or sermon can be given as the time of her conversion, before her 16th birthday she had written a paper consecrating herself to Christ for time and eternity. This was found with others that will be mentioned again.

This paper is dated January 22, 1870: 2nd Cor 8:5

“They first gave their own selves to the Lord”

Encouraged by this example and by Thy gracious promise, “I will be your God, and ye shall be My people,”

I desire now to devote myself to Thee wholly, to Thee alone, and to Thee forever. Thine O Lord, I am by creation, and by Thy providential care; and I desire, from this time forth, to be Thine by redeeming grace, and Thine by my own cordial and unreserved dedication. Though by nature I am a child of wrath, and by my practice have too long and too obstinately sinned against Heaven and in Thy sight; yet now I desire to return to Thee from whom I have revolted, to renounce forever the slavery of sin, and to surrender myself to Thy service. I give myself to Thee, O Father, and beseech Thee to put me among Thy regenerated and adopted children. I give myself to Thee, O Lord Jesus and entreat Thee to be my Saviour, Instructor, Governor, and Intercessor, I give myself to Thee O Holy Spirit, and implore Thee to be my Sanctifier, Quickener, and Comforter. I give myself to Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, resolved to be Thine in soul and body, in time and through eternity, and to employ all that I am and all that I possess in obeying Thy will and promoting Thy glory. I give myself to Thee resolved to take Thy Word as my guide. Thy people as my companions, an Thy ordinances as the means of my spiritual refreshment and progressive edification; and sensible of the weakness of my resolutions, I desire to do all this in the strength of Thy promised grace. O make Thy grace sufficient for me; and accept through Christ this dedication. Help me daily to keep in mind that I have thus devoted myself to Thee a living sacrifice, and that I am bound to glorify Thee with my body and spirit which are Thine. May the consideration of this be my guard in the hour of temptation, and my joy in affliction and death. Now, Lord, I call heaven and earth to witness that I am willingly Thine. Lord, save Thou me.

At 16: Father Remarries

No particular event occurred during these years, only the marriage of her father the second time.

Mary being the only one of the family to attend the marriage; the second Mrs Jamieson not being looked on as a suitable person to take the place of mother. But while Mary held these sentiments as well as the rest of the children, she had respect for her father’s feelings.

While Mr Jamieson’s first marriage was a success, his second was most unfortunate. Mr and Mrs Jamieson separated and remained so until his death which occurred in 1894.

Mary had now grown up to be s splendid specimen of a Scotch-Canadian maiden and while never called pretty, she was a handsome, interesting girl and had a peculiar, fascinating manner especially in conversation.

She was a great reader and had a splendid memory to retain what she did read. She had no lack of admirers and suitors for her hand. She was determined to marry no man who was not in full sympathy with her religious views, which all girl readers of this memoir should follow.

Marrying a man to reform him is a risky affair and if a sparrow falleth not to the ground without our Heavenly Father’s notice, surely a life’s companion is of far more consequence. It is a fit subject to take to the throne of grace for girls and widows. Just such a course did our subject pursue.

She had no mother to guide her, but she took it to Jesus who never fails. The time came that is one of the most important in a young woman’s life, when she felt her heart beat faster and her breath comes quicker, with a certain glow in her cheeks, when she meets a particular individual or hears the sound of his voice.

At 20: Engagement & Religion

At twenty years of age she became engaged to one whom she had known from her early girlhood, who was no stranger to her father’s family, having been a schoolmate of her older brothers and sisters.

That engagement ended two years later in marriage with Wm Hunter, by their beloved pastor, Rev James Kidd Smithe, MA on the 27th of June, 1876. Rev JK Smith has been made a D.D. and served as Moderator of the Assembly since that time, but is now retired and is living in Galt. Dr. Smith was at that time in his pulpit prime and the foremost minister in the church in evangelical preaching, with the largest membership on the church roll. She had a privilege while living in Galt that not many young women enjoy, namely, to sit under such preaching as Dr Smith’s. His sermons were as if one were up on Pisgah peak.

The writer remembers when uniting with Knox church Mr Smith invited any one who wished to join to meet him in the lecture room and extended the invitation to all who would like to ask questions, for fuller information on the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, to pray together, to read the scriptures and week after week, for four weeks, the lecture room was full (63 joined at that time) as Mr Smith explained that simple sign on the one hand and its deep meaning on the other, and the personal privilege each believer could have in commemorating Christ’s death. Communion Sabbath, Mr Smith’s text was Eze 16 from the 2nd to the 14th verses, our vileness, our sinfulness, our pollution, and then what Christ did for us; cleansing, forgiving, sanctification, eternal salvation, nearly 1200 communicants; it was a view from Mount Pisgah.

Again, the late Professor Young and Mr Smith were very close and next to Mr. Smith the congregation liked him best to preach to them. On one occasion the Professor preached from the text John 15:5 I am the vine; ye are the branches” so homely, so plain so rich his Scotch pronunciation, “Branches” he always call “brenches”.

This was in old Knox, on Market Square, afterwards sold to the Methodists.

Just one more view:

Mr Smith preached from 1 Tim 3:16 the whole verse. I can see him now, note paper about two inches square lying on the desk beside the Bible or in his hand, looking for a second at it, I see him wiping his brow, throwing back his gown from near his neck, I hear the light stamp of his foot on the carpeted floor; JK completely forgot, and Christ and the Cross only could be seen.

At 22: Marriage & Married Life

She was married June 27th and reached her future home in Bruce on Saturday night, and Sabbath being wet and raining, did not get to church as the Bruce mud was different to Galt sidewalks, and she cried as she felt what she had left. Her husband had no intention of making his home in Bruce, as he only come to work his brother Samuel’s farm while his brother went to New Zealand to attend to some property that he had there.

The Underwood congregation was in a chaotic state, so, not intending to remain long in Bruce, they united with the Tiverton congregation, Rev John Anderson, Pastor, and attended there for some years.

When Samuel came back from New Zealand he sold the farm to her husband who thought by making improvements it would sell at a profit, but they paid too high a price and land fell in value for a number of years and so could not sell for what it cost them, but they held on and wondered why they were kept in Bruce. They could not see any Glory to God or help to their fellow men. They withdrew from the Tiverton church and united with the Underwood congregation as circumstances seemed to shape their stay to be permanent in Bruce. One thing there was no lack of work; the farm was a rough one when they got it, but for years before her death she had the nicest and cosiest home in the county.

Her marriage proved a very happy union. And what helped to make it so? Let us look into her room the evening of her marriage. Before retiring to rest we see her husband and her kneeling at their bedside hand in hand, asking God to bless them in their new relationship to each other, that Jesus would dwell in their home, that they might Honor His name by their lives, that they bear and forebear with each other, that they might keep the morning and evening fire burning on the family altar, and no day was ever too busy in all her 26 years of married life to neglect family worship.

Like a character in the “Bonnie Brier Bush”, they were more than man and wife, they were sweethearts all the time and though they had their little tiffs they were of the nature of lover’s quarrels, a kiss would make all right again. And here again we might say she solved the question that is often in the public press, namely, How to retain a husband’s love. There are so many ways a wife can help her husband she was always ready with head or hand or foot. She saw the tastes of her husband and satisfied them as far as she could. She make his home the sweetest spot on earth, always a cheery word and bright smile, always sat up for him no matter how late, for she knew he would come home as soon as he could. The later he was the more cheer needed and so many things that a loving heart and willing hands can do. She kept no secrets; all was open between them.

Her father-in-law often made a prolonged visit. After one of these visits he went to see his daughter Mrs Hart at Windsor. In the course of their conversation she asked him what he thought of William’s Mary. His answer was “Bill’s Mary is the best balanced woman I have ever come across.”

She lived a quiet, peaceful life, until the death of her little daughter (the eldest being boys) of pneumonia, (named after her mother Mary Moffat). Her sister-in-law Mrs Hart said it was an illustrious name being the name of the great Dr Livingstone’s wife, Mary Moffat. A firm believer in infant salvation she was quiet, resigned, but missed her prattle so much. She had her picture enlarged, framed and hung on the wall of her bedroom so she could look at it and during the years of her illness she looked at it more than formerly.

She was not of a showy, dressy nature, everything plain and comfortable and she often expressed a wonder how Christian women could dress themselves like the bowery girls of New York or the unspeakable damsels of Paris, when Paul clearly laid down the rule of dress of women professing godliness. That she retained the love of her husband in marked degree is clearly shown by the following lines found among her other papers. She was visiting at their old home in Wentworth and her husband wrote on the anniversary of their marriage June 27th and with the letter sent the following:

To Mary:

It’s just ten years ago to-day
Since you and I were wed,
And I have never ceased to pray
For blessings on your head.
You have make my pathway brighter
The upward hill to go
You have made life’s cares feel lighter
Since now ten years ago
We have had our pain my Mary
We have had our gain and loss,
We still have grace to carry
Our sunshine or our cross
Again we’ll clasp each other’s hand
For weal or else for woe
We’ll walk together or we’ll stand
Just as ten years ago.

And if a tear came to her eye or a flush to her cheek no one will think less of her memory for it.

Strong in Business, Giving & Character

AS A BUSINESS WOMAN

She was the treasurer of the family, all had one purse. She never was troubled with very much money. To make a small amount go a long way was the greatest trouble. She was very accurate in her money matters, as any business house can testify that had any dealings with her. If ayone attempted to impose on her, she would be very shy of trusting that one again. She never looked to get a great bargain, but to get what was right and at the same time she wanted others to do the same with her.

GIVING FOR RELIGIOUS OBJECTS

It had been their custom to give what they could at the time called for, but she was not satisfied with that. She read everything she saw on the subject of giving, and what he law of Moses said, and finally concluded that the tenth was the right to give, and ever after it was faithfully given.

Now, let us see how much she has been the means of contributing to the various schemes for the spreading of Christ’s Kingdom, since she came to Bruce. Before and after giving of the tenth, in all $1250 or $50 per year (this includes $125 to the Bible Society) Now, while she would have been the last to claim that she had done it all, the money all passed through her hands and had she wanted to spend it on dress or some other way very little would have been given to Christ and His work and scarcely a year passed but she denied herself something, so that the tenth could be faithfully paid. her creed always in giving to Christ, “Give till you feel it”.

One very simple way of doing good she adopted and carried out, was saving all the religious papers that came into the house. After reading them in the family she would wrap them up and send them through the Post Office to some who did not get any or who were too poor to subscribe for themselves. Some of them were sent to B.C. some to Nipissing and up to the Bruce Peninsula, and some to California, and all to them wrote and said how much they appreciated them.

A WOMAN OF STRONG CHARACTER

She was a woman of strong likes and dislikes. She was not a person that everyone liked, no more than her Master was, and it is difficult to see how anyone living a Christian life can be, as the world and Jesus are always opposed to each other. The statement “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” is just as true today as ever, and the people of the world can no more understand the motives and actions of Christians than in the days of Jesus in the flesh.

A very distasteful thing to her was the general gossip about other people that some, especially some women, so dearly love. And here she was very much misunderstood. She never felt at home in such company and was always stiff and distant, when such talk was going on. But on anything that was good and useful, she was most bright and interesting in her conversation and her face would light up with pleasure and animation as the subject would deepen and broaden.

She had the faculty of writing most interesting letters to her friends. Mary’s letters were always in demand as her friends said, and she was punctual in all her correspondence. She was quick and droll in her answer when it suited her, and very amusing in her impressions of things she had seen or heard.

A sample will be sufficient.

Her husband always called her “Mary” or “Mary Hunter”. One time in reading Ecc 7 & 28 he said,

Bill: Mary, I am smarter than Solomon Mary: Oh, all Irishmen think they’re smart Bill: Well, I have done something that Solomon could not do Mary: I guess Solomon did something you can’t do Bill: What’s that Mary: He married seven hundred wives Bill: That’s where I’m ahead of him. Solomon could not find one woman, and I found one Mary: Oh Irish blarney, if you had looked in the same place you could not have found one either

Church Affiliation

Though brought up in strict Presbyterian principles her views somewhat altered in after years. When teaching her children the Catechism she would miss those questions about the decrees and foreordination until they grew older, and then always kept God’s foreknowledge more prominent, as she believed God’s foreordination followed His foreknowledge as the light follow the rising sun.

She was quite clear that it is our own fault if we are not saved, and each individual is responsible for rejection of Christ. She believed that everyone who took Jesus as their Saviour, should publicly say so by uniting with some branch of the Christian church and that instead of living as near the world as possible and still be called a Christian, each Christian should live as near Jesus as possible. That an individual that was converted should not be satisfied to live like the the unconverted.

She firmly believed that children were part of the church of God on earth as well as in heaven, that infants should be publicly baptized with water (not in water) as a symbol of the cleansing of the Holy Spirit of each sinful soul, that the mode of baptism had no more virtue than the mode of posture had with the Lord’s Supper, whether standing, sitting, kneeling or reclining.

About the time of her marriage was organized The Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society, or woman’s work for women in heathen lands. She was very much interested in that society. And here we might say the only thing she wished might have been different. She would have liked to have been a Medical Missionary among heathen women.

The churches of Christ have begun to realize the influence of women for good at home and abroad and many of the most efficient and faithful workers in the church today are to be found among women. No pastor can afford to be without their help and no church can dispense with co-operation without greatly paralyzing its usefulness. If anyone has any doubt on the position of women in the church of God, let them read the story of Debra the judge, Anna the prophetess, of Mary in her devoted service to Jesus and of Dorcas in her ministrations to the poor. It was a woman who was last at the cross and first at the Sepulchre. Priscilla could entertain Paul and teach Apollos. Phoebe labored as a deaconess in the church at Cenchera and women always discharged her divine commission with faithfulness and success.

She hoped it would be spread to Bruce, which it did eleven years after, and she was one of the first to join the Underwood Auxiliary and did her best to help on the society, and when the society issued “The Leaflet” she always studied the subjects and made herself acquainted with the main features of the work. A great many women fail right here. They do not study the information given out by the Society or feel themselves responsible for its success. Her usual habit in later years was to look over the Tidings, (it comes in place of the leaflets) before going to bed the night of the meeting, to find out the subject for the next month. Then she was on the watch for anything on that study.

The first Sabbath after the meeting , she read the Tidings carefully through and got into the Spirit of the work, and had the rest of the month to think it out while at her household duties, and could always find something bearing on the subject before the next meeting. The Pastor’s wife was always the President, but as several times there was no Pastor, she filled the President’s place. Then when a Pastor’s wife came she always retired from that position.

Her interest never flagged in the Society, as the last time she was out it was the April meeting of the Auxiliary just two weeks before her death. One habit that she always had was that she made her business or her work take a second place to her religious duties and it always seemed to fit just right, and how much worry does it do away with. Her favorite Sabbath paper was the Christian, of Boston edited by HL Hasting. No religious love story or thrilling romances, but plain gospel truth. She also read The Family Herald and Weekly Star with its wonderful mass in information and useful knowledge.

Final Days & Final Say

Her faculty of reading aloud and knitting at the same time gave her great satisfaction as she could read to interest her children and provide for their comfort too. She always took her children to church, as soon as it was possible, and all except one to keep house; at keeping house they took turns.

The birth of each child was made a special subject of prayer. As soon as she and her child were fit she always had them publicly baptized. It was on Sabbath evenings that she and they enjoyed themselves to the full singing and taking in the twilight when all the evening work was done up and fire in the grate in winter, or on the veranda in the summer. These were pleasant hours. Hours that will never be forgotten. She was a genuine child of nature. She loved it in it’s various forms. Very fond of flowers in all their stages of development. Of these she had a fine assortment. In latter years she loved to hear the sounds of the wind through the evergreens.

She loved to be in the woods and often said if they sold out they would go to some new part of Canada and build a shanty in the unbroken forest. She was a real Briton. She would go anywhere in Canada with her husband but would not go to the United States on any account to live. Her opinion of the great bulk of Yankees was not very complimentary, and as far as making money it was always a secondary consideration.

She believed to seek first the Kingdom of God and it’s righteousness and every thing needful should be added. Naturally of a very impatient temperament it was wonderful how she overcame this tendency in her various sicknesses.

Her first serious illness was after the birth of her third daughter. She caught a cold and it settled in her left breast and assumed a most serious form, at one time her life was despaired of. Poultices or various liniments seemed to have no effect. Dr McKay lanced it in four different places. She improved but it left a weakness that she never fully recovered from.

In her younger days she walked straight, but ever after this she had a stoop, it seemed to hurt to straighten up, and her heart commenced to trouble her. It was only slight but she could feel something was wrong with it. She was still so bright and cheerful that her home was always filled with happiness.

One thing must be a source of comfort to her partner that he did not keep his good opinion of her to himself as many do.

When death takes the loved one away, then a monument is raised to somewhat make up for their coldness to the departed. On the contrary he proved an ardent lover even after twenty years of married life. She had been visiting at her sister’s Mrs JH Stewart this time, it was on her birthday the 16th of April; the following lines were found among other papers.

MARY’S BIRTHDAY APRIL 16TH

Now Job of old did curse the day
That he first saw the light,
And wished that day its brightest ray
Might be covered up in night
While I do bless the day in spring
A little girl was born
And joy and hope which she did bring
Upon that April morn
And o’er that little baby bent
A loving mother’s form
And watched her babe with sweet content
To keep it snug and warm
And time passed on until that babe
Grew up to maidenhood
Then her hand in mine she laid
When at the altar stood
I feel the firm clasp of her hand
Her warm breath on my cheek
As hand in hand we there did stand
And there the words did speak
That made her mine till death should part
And be my joy and care
And twenty years that faithful heart
Has nobly born her share
Whate’er of joy or good is mine
I got it by her side
I bless the eve that she did deign
To say she’d be my bride
My Easter Lily she is still
Though roses may decay
She’s just as precious to her Will
So don’t stay long away

She was a woman of strong likes and dislikes, an ardent prohibitionist and believed that women should have the vote on all social and moral questions as they were often more affected and suffered keener than men. On the general politics she did not think women would want to vote. But on any measure that affected her home life or the welfare of her children, women should demand the right to vote.

She was a firm believer in keeping the Sabbath and believed the Sabbath began on Saturday evening. The Lord said in Gen: “The evening and morning was a day.” Her practices was to wash the children on Saturday evening if possible and see that all clothes were ready for Sabbath, and all papers except Sabbath reading were laid away. On Sabbath all of the family go to church, if it did take a double rig to carry them all. She believed all unnecessary bicycle or buggy driving was a direst violation of the 4th commandment. While the body rested the soul needed spiritual food on the Sabbath and the good seed would be choked by worldly weeds and pleasures, for hearts are gardens that need looking after continually, or evil will completely overrun them. Such was the general idea of her life, and habits and work, a quiet home-loving wife and mother.

Four years before her death she had a very dangerous illness, from which she never recovered, nor was ever well, and yet how bright and cheerful she seemed to be! All these years she could not lie down right, but was always propped up with pillows. She knew that there was little hope of her getting better, and when one organ would be somewhat better another would get worse, and all the time her heart was getting worse.

Dropsy set in in the fall of 1901, and after an all winter of the vapor bath the dropsy was greatly reduced, and as spring was approaching hope was springing that the summer might bring a change for the best. But this hope was soon dashed to the ground for she took a chill and in one week she had passed to that land where no one will say “I am sick”, sweetly as a babe falls asleep in it’s mother’s arms without a twitch or a move of a muscle. A sweet smile lingered on her face as if she had seen something that pleased her well.

Through the night of the 16th and 17th of April just 48 years of age she died, leaving behind her most cherished memory.