|
Chapter
XVII
OUR LIFE IN TACOMA; ELI'S PASSING TO THE GREAT BEYOND
When Eli and I came to Tacoma with Jessie
after Nellie's marriage. Eli again took up carpenter work
and later became quite a successful contractor.
I often nursed the sick.
But time was moving on. Our girls were married and had homes of their own.
We were getting along in years, but we still
enjoyed life together in the quite nice home that papa had built.
In the meantime, his brothers Jake and
Elsworth with their families had come west and located at Yakima. We often went to see them and they came to see us and we had
such lovely visits.
My brother, Charlie, had returned
east, but my brother Tommy and family came west and located at
Sequim.
Sister Stella and family were then
living in Seattle but later moved to Sequim and still later to Port
Angeles where they still live.
So, you see, we had many places to go to
see our own people and we had such nice times visiting back and forth.
There was the G. A. R. that papa enjoyed
and I belonged to the Relief Corps.
We often went to these state reunions and enjoyed them so much.
One time papa went to the National
Convention at San Francisco. He
went by boat and talked of his ocean voyage long afterwards.
I did not go this time, but we had so many good times together.
Brother Jake, papa and I made a trip
back to Norton, Kansas to see our people who remained there and our old
friends. We had such a good
time, Eli's father and mother were gone then, though.
Mother Dopps passed
away in 1900* and father in 1909*. Yes,
we were getting along in life but it was still good.
Then in 1917 papa was stricken with a form
of paralysis. For three
years he was more or less helpless, but I was only too glad to wait on
him. He was always so
patient and cheerful. I do
not know how much he suffered, he never complained, but I think now that
he suffered more than we knew and disguised it with a smile.
When April the second came in 1920, our
forty-ninth wedding anniversary, he figured it was our fiftieth and was
so happy to celebrate his and my golden wedding day.
We were glad he had made the mistake in figures, and did not
correct it. It was
surprising, too, that he should have made this mistake as he was always
so correct in figuring, and his mind was so keen to the very end.
I have wondered if it might be that he so
wished to spend his golden wedding with me, but knew he would not be
here in another year and so took that way.
Who knows? Anyway, I
am glad we celebrated our golden wedding together.
Towards the first of September 1920, Nellie
thought it would be easier on us if we came to their home. Papa gradually grew weaker, though always cheerful.
It seemed as though he could not bear me out of his sight.
The evening of September 16, 1920, Jessie
went to his bedside and said, "Daddy, do you know me?"
He had his eyes closed and did not answer at first.
"This is Jessie, Daddy. You
know Jessie."
"I know Jessie Dopps."
"Well, this is Jessie Dopps,"
and then, "The best, best, Daddy that ever lived!"
With a flickering little mischievous smile
he said, "Guess I'd better go before you change your mind."
He was like that always, ever ready with a
humorous reply.
That night we fed him cream buttermilk, the
buttermilk he loved so well, but only a teaspoonful at a time.
He was sinking fast.
Next morning we knew the Angel of Death was
waiting in the room to carry him to the Great Beyond.
He knew, we were all there with him.
His breathing became a little fainter
gradually and then his face seemed to be illuminated by some strange
inner light, a little sighing breath and he was gone.
No, not gone--just passed on.
"I
cannot say, and I will not say
That he is dead--he is just away.
With a cheery smile and a wave of the hand
He has wandered into an unknown land,
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be, since he lingers there.
And
you, oh, you, who the wildest yearn
For the old-time step and glad return,
Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of There as the love of Here.
Think of him still as the same, I say:
He is not dead--he is just away."
(By James Whitcomb Reilly)
He was beautiful in death, all lines of
suffering had disappeared, and he looked almost like a young man.
He had just passed his seventy-fifth birthday.
His war-time comrades carried him out to the
Oakwood Cemetery and laid him to rest by the side of his comrades who
had gone on before.
Life, after he had gone, seemed to be so
empty, arms empty, hands idle. It
seemed like a different world, such a sad, lonely world. The sunshine
had lost its brightness, flowers their fragrance, song-birds their
happiness. I was just
stunned for days, weeks. After
having had the care of waiting on him for three years, when there was no
more of that, I was lost and bewildered.
But my God did not desert me.
He, Who had given me such a wonderful companion and husband for
nearly fifty years brought comfort to me and pointed out the way for me
to bring happiness to others and in so doing make me happy again.
Many years have passed since that lonely
day. Nearly all the loved
ones of my younger days have gone on before—-father, mother, all my
brothers, and all of Eli's brothers excepting David who is now in
his eighty-fifth year; Ellen, Dave, all these besides my beloved
husband and my three dear babies. Gracie, Jennie and Oscar, have
all gone on.
But I still find happiness in this world
and try to do my Lord's bidding until He calls me, too.
My
life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.
Oft times He weaveth sorrow,
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I, the underside.
Not
till the loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why,
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skilful hand
As the threads of cold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.
*According to her tombstone in the Norton
Cemetery, Susannah Starr Dopps was born 20 March 1820, and died 16
August 1899.
*John P. Dopps married Anna M. Tanner on
16 October 1900 in Norton County, Kansas. According to his
tombstone in the Norton Cemetery, he was born 20 April 1821 and died 11
January 1909. It is unknown at this time where Anna Tanner Dopps
is buried.
|
