{"id":23804,"date":"2024-12-23T00:07:16","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T00:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/?p=23804"},"modified":"2024-12-23T00:07:59","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T00:07:59","slug":"the-life-and-testimony-of-mrs-charles-graham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/2024\/12\/the-life-and-testimony-of-mrs-charles-graham\/","title":{"rendered":"The Life And Testimony Of Mrs. Charles Graham"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earthen Vessel 1893<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Brother Winters,\u2014This is the most sorrowful letter I have ever written to you or any one else for publication. I lost my dearly beloved wife on the morning of March 12th<\/sup>, 1893, at twenty-five minutes past five, through pluero-pneumonia, after six days of great suffering. I fondly hoped the Lord had given her to me to smooth my steps to the place appointed for all living. She was a model minister\u2019s wife, and one who adored the doctrines of God her Savior in her walk, like, and conversation. The morning she died I telegraphed to brother James Etheridge that she was dead and at our meeting it gave every one of them quite a shock. They all knew they had lost a kind and sympathizing friend, one ever ready to assist in distress or affliction and to encourage me in my work and labor of love. She was called by grace when seventeen years of age, and truly her path through life was one of tribulation. Her first husband\u2014a Baptist minister\u2014died suddenly on the 23rd<\/sup> of December, 1880. I had known him many years, and conducted his funeral sermon. When she was first taken sick, we all thought it was only a cold, but had a trained nurse, an excellent young woman, with my grand-daughter. Everything that human skill could do for her was done. We had not idea within a few hours that she was likely to die. The fever was so great and when that subsided, her weakness was so extreme no one was allowed to speak to her or go near her except her nurse. On one occasion I went in and asked if her mind was staid upon the Lord. She complained that she had no access in prayer, but her sufferings were very great. On Saturday morning she whispered to her sister for me to come and take her hand, which I did, and began to repeat Ps. 23, but the nurse promptly stopped me. She then went into a nervous chill. On Saturday night I slept very little. I heard someone stir. I put my head out and saw her sister in the passage, and asked if she was any worse. She said, \u201cNo; you go and have some rest.\u201d I said, \u201cI can\u2019t sleep while she suffers.\u201d At ten minutes to five I heard someone stir again. I opened the door, and asked how she was. Nurse said, \u201cShe is no better, she\u2019s a very sick woman.\u201d In less that twenty minutes the nurse opened the door and said, \u201cYour wife is dying,\u201d and just as I entered the bedroom she breathed out her soul to God who gave it. Thus passed away the dearest companion of my later days. She was as dear to me as life itself. Nearly three years we lived together; it was to me like an oasis in the desert. We never had an angry word pass between us. Thus died a jewel of the Lord\u2019s making and choosing. She was born in Somersetshire, England, not from from Bath, on January 6, 1844. Her maiden name was Louisa S. Stevens. I found out last December that Miss Fanny Crosby, the blind poetess, lived near us. I sent to her; wished to see her, but found she had been very sick, and was afraid of pneumonia. I afterwards called at her house and saw her amanuensis. I set a day for her to visit us. On March 22nd<\/sup> she and her amanuensis called, but had not heard of my wife\u2019s death. She was greatly moved, and said before leaving that she would come on Saturday and bring me a peace of potty on her death. She came at the appointed time, and I had two or three hours conversation with her. Whatever may be her creed, she is well taught of the Lord. She is a small woman, and you had a good likeness of her in the Cheering Words for May, 1892. She was 73 years of age 23rd<\/sup> of March last. She thinks the Lord did wisely in taking her sight from her when a babe. She said the Lord had taken her natural sight from her, but He had given her a far better sight into the heaven of heavens, and a good hope in Jesus Christ the world could not take away.\u2014Charles Graham, 1,236, Madison-avenue, New York.<\/p>\n[Line dedicated to my friend Mr. Charles Graham, on the Death of his Beloved Wife:\u2014<\/p>\n

Through a path of deep affliction,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That we cannot understand,<\/p>\n

God is leading thee, my brother,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet His mercy holds thy hand;<\/p>\n

Why the silver cord is broken,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And thy dear one called away,<\/p>\n

Thou wilt know when thou shalt meet her<\/p>\n

In the cloudless realms of day.<\/p>\n

It was hard for thee to lose her,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And to feel her parting breath<\/p>\n

On thy lips with sorrow trembling\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As she neared the stream of death;<\/p>\n

It was hard for her to leave thee\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With her heart so linked to thine,<\/p>\n

That you clung around each other\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like the ivy and the pine.<\/p>\n

O, how lovely her example,<\/p>\n

And how pure her every thought;<\/p>\n

How impressive are the lessons<\/p>\n

That her Christian life has taught:<\/p>\n

Still their hallowed light will linger\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the smile on evening’s breast<\/p>\n

Is reflected in its beauty<\/p>\n

When the sun has gone to rest.<\/p>\n

She has gathered in the harvest,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And has gone to her reward;<\/p>\n

She has laid her sheaves in triumph\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the feet of Christ her Lord.<\/p>\n

She has followed out her mission,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now her work on earth is done;<\/p>\n

She has run her race with patience,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And the promised crown has won.<\/p>\n

O, the veil will soon be lifted<\/p>\n

That divides her from Thy sight;<\/p>\n

Thou wilt clasp her hand for ever\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a land where all is bright.<\/p>\n

Look beyond the clouds, my brother!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There no waves of trouble roll,<\/p>\n

But eternal joys await thee\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the homeland of the soul.<\/p>\n

Fanny Crosby<\/p>\n

March 25, 1893<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Brother Winters,\u2014This is the most sorrowful letter I have ever written to you or any one else for publication. I lost my dearly beloved wife on the morning of March 12th, 1893, at twenty-five minutes past five, through pluero-pneumonia, after six days of great suffering. I fondly hoped the Lord had given her to me to smooth my steps to the place appointed for all living. She was a model minister\u2019s wife, and one who adored the doctrines of God her Savior in her walk, like, and conversation. The morning she died I telegraphed to brother James Etheridge that she was dead and at our meeting it gave every one of them quite a shock. They all knew they had lost a kind and sympathizing friend, one ever ready to assist in distress or affliction and to encourage me in my work and labor of love. She was called by grace when seventeen years of age, and truly her path through life was one of tribulation. Her first husband\u2014a Baptist minister\u2014died suddenly on the 23rd of December, 1880. I had known him many years, and conducted his funeral sermon. When she was first taken sick, we all thought it was only a cold, but had a trained nurse, an excellent young woman, with my grand-daughter. Everything that human skill could do for her was done. We had not idea within a few hours that she was likely to die. The fever was so great and when that subsided, her weakness was so extreme no one was allowed to speak to her or go near her except her nurse. On one occasion I went in and asked if her mind was staid upon the Lord. She complained that she had no access in prayer, but her sufferings were very great. On Saturday morning she whispered to her sister for me to come and take her hand, which I did, and began to repeat Ps. 23, but the nurse promptly stopped me. She then went into a nervous chill. On Saturday night I slept very little. I heard someone stir. I put my head out and saw her sister in the passage, and asked if she was any worse. She said, \u201cNo; you go and have some rest.\u201d I said, \u201cI can\u2019t sleep while she suffers.\u201d At ten minutes to five I heard someone stir again. I opened the door, and asked how she was. Nurse said, \u201cShe is no better, she\u2019s a very sick woman.\u201d In less that twenty minutes the nurse opened the door and said, \u201cYour wife is dying,\u201d and just as I entered the bedroom she breathed out her soul to God who gave it. Thus passed away the dearest companion of my later days. She was as dear to me as life itself. Nearly three years we lived together; it was to me like an oasis in the desert. We never had an angry word pass between us. Thus died a jewel of the Lord\u2019s making and choosing. She was born in Somersetshire, England, not from from Bath, on January 6, 1844. Her maiden name was Louisa S. Stevens. I found out last December that Miss Fanny Crosby, the blind poetess, lived near us. I sent to her; wished to see her, but found she had been very sick, and was afraid of pneumonia. I afterwards called at her house and saw her amanuensis. I set a day for her to visit us. On March 22nd she and her amanuensis called, but had not heard of my wife\u2019s death. She was greatly moved, and said before leaving that she would come on Saturday and bring me a peace of potty on her death. She came at the appointed time, and I had two or three hours conversation with her. Whatever may be her creed, she is well taught of the Lord. She is a small woman, and you had a good likeness of her in the Cheering Words for May, 1892. She was 73 years of age 23rd of March last. She thinks the Lord did wisely in taking her sight from her when a babe. She said the Lord had taken her natural sight from her, but He had given her a far better sight into the heaven of heavens, and a good hope in Jesus Christ the world could not take away.\u2014Charles Graham, 1,236, Madison-avenue, New York.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":527,"featured_media":23803,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1776],"tags":[1232],"class_list":["post-23804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mrs-charles-graham","tag-baptist-history"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/527"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23805,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23804\/revisions\/23805"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}