Died in Reedsburgh, Wis., Sept. 23d, 1859, of consumption, our eldest child, Julia Antoinette Towne, aged 22 years. She suffered much from a child, with an affection of the lungs, which she bore with much patience. She became serious at an early age, but never indulged a hope in Christ for herself till June, 1857, when Brn. Hart and Everts held a tent-meeting in Rubicon. She then fully embraced the Sabbath and third angel's message, and ever after endeavored to keep all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Her strict obedience to her parents was marked by all that knew her. She was a peacemaker everywhere she chanced to be; her object always seemed to be to do right. Her health the summer past was much better than usual, until six days before she died. Four days previous to her death an abscess broke in her lungs, which caused much suffering, but not a murmur or
sigh escaped her lips. She was never entirely confined to her bed, but died in her father's arms, without a struggle or groan. Her faith in a resurrection to immortality through Christ, disarmed death of all terror. We feel greatly afflicted, but expect to meet our child soon, if faithful, where sickness, sorrow and death will never be known. Bro. J. Lock preached a very consoling discourse from 1 Cor. xv, showing the Christian's hope, to an attentive congregation.
A., & A. N. TOWNE.
DIED at Rouse's Point, Clinton Co., N. Y., Nov. 16th, 1859, Mrs. Achsah Thurber, in the 78th year of her age.
Sister Thurber was born in Athol, Mass., came to this place in 1804. About forty years of her life she bore the name of Christian. Her religious interest for about thirty years was connected with the Presbyterian Church. When the message of Rev. xiv, 6, 7, was proclaimed, she took no great interest in it. When the doctrine of unconsciousness in death, and utter destruction of the final wicked, was agitated, she remarked that she would be very sorry to have her children believe such a doctrine. When some began to remember the Sabbath, and work on Sunday, she said she would not set so bad an example before her family as to work on Sunday. But for the last ten years she has been a noble Berean in searching the Scriptures daily, whether these things are so, and to her astonishment she found that the Bible taught what she at first opposed, and thought to be great errors. She died in firm faith of all the solemn truths now advocated through the Review, and was often heard to say that she did not believe these unpopular doctrines because man said so, but that she had read them in her Bible.
As she learned the will of her heavenly Father by his revealed word, she moved forward in the path of duty. At the advanced age of seventy she saw that she had never been baptized. She did not wait for the multitude, or for numbers, but with one other she was buried with Christ in the waters of blue Champlain. She kept the Sabbath for the last four or five years, and called it a delight.
Her sickness was short—about nine days—but quite severe. I saw her on Monday evening. She said her mind was not as light as she could wish. We bowed by the bed-side, and asked the Father of lights to let down its rays upon her. I saw her the next evening; she was calm and resigned. She said, Pray that I may be spared from severe pain in my last hours; for she was sinking fast. I saw her the next evening, Wednesday, but she was too far gone to speak or notice much. We bowed again around the dying bed of the saint of God, and was led to thank him for his truth and power that sustained and strengthened in an hour like this, and prepared his child to "lay her head on Jesus' breast, and breathe her life out sweetly there."
At 12 o'clock the breath of life returned to God who gave it; and as we gazed on her face, cold in death, we could still see the calm, resigned and happy state of her mind in the last moments of her life. She was not left to die alone—no, angels were there. During the hours of the holy rest we laid her body in the grave, where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest.
When asked, while her mind was yet clear, Do you expect to go to heaven at death? No, I expect to sleep in Jesus. O that sweet sleep, how I long to enjoy it! was her ready answer. There in the silent tomb she sleeps, and there she will remain until that bright morning of the first resurrection, when she will come forth clad in immortal glory to live forever in the vigor of youth, to have a right to the tree of life, to enter in through the gates into the city, to enjoy the smiles of her Saviour, and the society of the redeemed multitude, during the ceaseless ages of eternity.
We shall miss her from our society, and our prayer circle on the Sabbath, where she always added an interest, by her whole-hearted testimony in favor of the mercy of God, the love of Christ, and the teaching of both. But her work is done, while others are left to finish theirs.