Mrs. Eliza Parsons [pp. 263-264]

MRS. ELIZA PARSONS.
pause, she repeated, with joyous animation, the
following lines'When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise,
Than when we first begun.'
And then added,'Yea, though I walk through the
valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for
thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.' Soon after this, she inquired of her husband how the day had passed with him at Rushville, and what reception he met with. On receiving a favorable answer, she manifested strong feelings of gratitude. Finding her strength rapidly
failing, she called for her children, Watson, Ellen,
and Schuyler, and charged each of them in turn
to obey their father, and avoid every thing that is
wrong. After kissing Schuyler, the youngest son,
she raised her trembling voice, and with great emphasis said,'God bless the child!' She then took
leave of her husband. Throwing her arms around
his neck, she said,'Study to be useful-study to
be good-cultivate the higher powers.' She next
called on her sister, and other attendants, and bade
them each an affectionate farewell. Perceiving
that she was almost gone, her husband said,'Ah,
my dear, you are crossing the cold Jordan of death.
Does the grace of God sustain you? Is it sufficient?' She replied,'I'm crossing, I'm crossing
over-I long to gain the port-I long to be gone
and to be with Christ.' Retaining her hand in his,
when signs of life had nearly disappeared, brother
Parsons remarked to those by the bedside,'It is
fourteen years and a day since she gave me this
hand, and she has ever been my faithful, unchangeable friend.' At the moment of saying this, he
was not aware that she heard him, but almost
simultaneously she gently pressed his hand, and
entered the desired haven of eternal rest."
Thus ended the life and labors of our deceased
sister. To the Church and comnmunity, the loss
sustained by her death is great-to her family it is
irreparable.
Among the many admirable traits which adorned
her character, the love of knowledge was conspicuous. This was never checked-perhaps it was
increased-by the difficulties in the way of gratifying it. Few persons, in similar circumstances,
acquired an equal amount of general knowledge,
or made so extensive an acquaintance with the
works of general literature; but, as religion was
her peculiar element, she especially delighted in
such authors as dedicated their talents to the inculcation of the principles and practice of piety. But
cultivated as was her taste for the charms of literary excellence, ardent as was her love of intellectual pursuits, pleasing as the paths of knowledge
were, painful as it must have been for her to quit
them, yet she did not suffer literary pursuits to engross her mind; but, as a wife and mother, she was
ever assiduously attentive to the wants of her family-ever ready to sacrifice her own gratifications
to the benefit of those dear to her. She lived not
to herself-she lived "to please and support, to
comfort and to bless" all connected with her in the
social and domestic relations. She had indeed a
heart formed for love and friendship. No person,
with the same circle and acquaintance, could have
more friends or fewer enemies. It is not known to
those most intimately connected with her, that any
person ever entertained toward her an unkind, unfriendly feeling. It would hardly be exaggeration
to say, that
"None knew her but to love her,
None named her but to praise."
The law of kindness was on her lips; and though
a person of unyielding moral principle, great firmness of character, independence of mind, and freedom in expressing her opinions, she was never
known, by a rash, ill-timed expression, to wound
the feelings of another.
Her language, in regard to the absent, was regulated by the injunction, "Speak evil of no man."
And so great was her charity, that she was slow to
believe evil-always prone to think well of those
whom the world was ready to condemn; and she
seemed naturally disposed to put the best construction on the actions of others that the circumstances of the case would admit.
Humility was another prominent trait in her
character. It was not exhibited with vin show;
but it appeared in forgetfulness of herself, in preferring others to herself, and in her readiness to
rejoice in every display of moral and intellectual
superiority exhibited by another.
Her religious feelings were so woven into the
very texture of her character, as to seem the natural product of her heart. They never broke out
in the transient excitement of enthusiasm, or sunk
into the lukewarmness of formality. Those who
have been accustomed to hear her give utterance
to her feelings in the love feast and prayer meeting,
will remember the peculiar and constant ardency
which characterized her devotions. Religion was,
with her, the prevailing, the ruling principle. This
gave a consistency to her character-a "daily beauty" to her life which nothing else could have imparted; and it has now given her another and a
better existence.
IT is of immense importance that religion be secured in youth. Those years which so easily take
stamp and coloring from surrounding objects, impress their own likeness upon a series of other
years.
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