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CHAPTER XVI.

A sudden and severe Stroke.-Woes cluster.-Effect of these Bereavements.-One Labor more.-Sketches, etc.

EVENING SHADOWS.

By his sojourn in America, Dr. Scudder's health, although much improved, was not re-established. On resuming his labors he found that he was soon fatigued, and that his power of endurance was much impaired. His eyesight also began to fail, and it is affecting to read from his journal the reflections which this new calamity suggested.

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My eyesight has begun to fail; but, though I should become blind, if spared, I trust that I shall be able to preach. My voice is good, and though, under equal circumstances, I should much prefer losing my voice to my eyesight, still, under my circumstances, I would sooner lose my eyesight than my voice. I could do nothing without the latter."

A SUDDEN AND SEVERE STROKE.

Next to God, his strongest prop was his beloved wife. When his children died, he exclaimed, with a sort of prophetic agony, "What if it had been their mother!" The idea of losing her was insupportable. If such a cold shadow crossed his mind, it made him shudder far more than if his own death-knell had sounded in his ear. Every thing seemed to indicate that he should first pass over

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Jordan. How terrible, then, to see her suddenly seized and prostrated, and in a few short hours brought face to face with death! Medical skill is vain. Man can do nothing but bow before the fiat of God. "I was dumb, because Thou didst it." However agitated other bosoms were, his was perfect peace. Life's labors were ended. It was simply entering into rest. But the following tribute will better describe the event and its immediate consequences than any thing which the writer can say.

DEATH OF MY DEAR WIFE.

“November 29th, 1849. On Monday night, last week, the dear companion of my youth and of my later years fell asleep in Jesus. This event called forth the following communications to Dr. Anderson and others:

"Madras, Nov. 22d, 1849.

“REV. DR. ANDERSON: MY DEAR BROTHER,-My precious wife has entered into her rest. On Thursday last she was taken seriously ill, and on Friday was attacked with severe cramps, which were followed by extreme exhaustion of her whole system. All the means that were used to cause her to rally failed, and on Monday evening last she left the world for that "house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." It was not until after midday on Monday that I became much alarmed about her. I called in Dr. Shaw, one of our most able surgeons, who very kindly rendered all the assistance in his power; but death was at hand. After we found that her disease was about to terminate fatally, we assembled around her dying couch and heard her last words. The righteousness of Jehovah Jesus, which had been her joy and sup

port in life, was her only trust in death. She retained her senses nearly or quite to the last, and, although very weak, she conversed with us till within a few minutes of her departure. The same ardent love for Christ and for dying souls which she exemplified in her life, shone forth brightly during her last hours. When asked what message she had to send to her son Silas, she replied, "Tell him that I have written to him all that I would wish to say in my last letter. I spent half of his last birthday in prayer for him." This birthday had occurred about two weeks before.

"When I asked her whether she wished all her sons to become missionaries, she said, "Yes; it has been my constant prayer that they might all come to this land to preach the Gospel. I do not desire that they should come unless they are prepared; but I wish them to be fitted for this work.

"On being asked what message she had for her son William (who is a missionary in Ceylon), she answered, "Tell him I shall soon meet his beloved Kate. Tell him to be faithful, and to live to win souls. Tell him not to seek for comfort from any thing in this world, but to look to Jesus."

"In addition to the messages of love which she sent to her own relations and to her connections on her husband's side, she added a message to such of them as are still out of Christ, exhorting them to seek him.

"She said, “My only burden in dying is the thought that three* of my children are yet in an impenitent state;" and she besought her daughter Louisa, in the most affectionate and impressive manner, to yield her

* These three have since professed their faith in Christ.

heart to the Saviour; adding, "This is my dying request. I have done all that I can for you." She also told her to read the twenty-seventh Psalm. Seven out of her ten children have made a profession of their faith in Christ. "Again she said, "I hope my being taken away will stir you all up to greater activity in the Lord's service."

"In respect to herself, she remarked, “I am a poor, miserable sinner, full of imperfections. Heaven will be glorious, because there will be neither sin nor imperfection there."

"Twice with great emphasis she said, "What a wretched place is a death-bed to prepare for eternity! What a miserable being should I now be if I had not Jesus to rest upon !" and then added," Precious Saviour!"

"Again she said, "I have had seasons when I felt that I knew I loved the Saviour that he was very precious to me."

"Again and again she exclaimed, "Precious Saviour!" and on one occasion, "Thou knowest all things -thou knowest that I have desired to love thee."

"By a repetition of the four following lines, she showed where the place of her refuge was:

"Jesus, lover of my soul,

Let me to thy bosom fly;
While the billows near me roll,

While the tempest still is nigh.'

"She repeated also the following verses of Scripture: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Surely goodness and mercy (have) followed me all the days of my life." --Psa. xxiii., 4, 6.

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"Just before she died she opened her eyes and exclaimed, with peculiar energy, "Glorious heaven! Glorious salvation !"

"Soon after this she voluntarily closed her eyes and sweetly fell asleep in Jesus.

"When gazing upon her, as she lay a corpse before me, I exclaimed, "How many prayers have come out of those lips!" She literally prayed her children into the kingdom.

"And now what shall I say about my loss? I must sum it all up in one sentence-it is irreparable! In the prayer which was made at her funeral by Brother Spaulding, after Bro. Winslow's address, he used the expression that she had been to me "emphatically a helpmeet.” Thirty years have we been permitted to travel together and to labor for the salvation of souls. Now I am left to travel and labor alone, so far as this beloved help-meet is concerned. But all is well. Christ lives. I told her, when dying, that we should not be long separated.

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May it be my lot, my precious companion, to meet thee on those happy shores, where

“ ́ ́ ́ ́ Adieus and farewells are a sound unknown,"

and where

"""These parting sounds shall pass our lips no more!"

"Your affectionate brother,

J. SCUDDER."

"Madras, Nov. 23d, 1849.

"MY PRECIOUS CHILDREN, SILAS AND JOHN,-Oh, how will your hearts be torn in pieces to learn that your dear, dear mother is no more! She has gone; yes, gone and left me alone; and left you too-left off her tears and

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