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Chapter XX
EVENING
Two years ago I became ill with the
"flu." In fact, I
thought my time had come to cross the dark river of Death. But I guess God still has some more work for me to do and I
recuperated remarkably well for one of my age, then eighty-five.
However, I have not been quite as strong
since then, and as the years go by it is a little harder for me to get
around, but the help of my little old pal, my cane, we cover
considerable ground, and still make frequent visits to the hospital,
taking papers to read or pretty flowers--a bit of outside to the
shut-ins.
One of the nurses said to me one day,
"Mrs. Dopps, I wouldn't be surprised if you lived to be a
hundred years old."
I replied that I had not set my time, but
had left that to the decision of my Lord.
If he had work for me to do all that time, I'd try to stay to do
it, but that I was ready any time He decided to call me.
I still find lots of pleasure in life.
Every summer when Jessie and Walter take their vacation
trip they take me along.
Last summer we made a one thousand, four
hundred mile trip by auto, all through eastern Oregon and Washington.
It didn't seem to tire me in the least, and I enjoyed it so much
seeing many beautiful places and visiting friends and about seventy-five
relatives.
In 1936 we made a trip to Sequim, Port
Angeles, through Deception Pass and all around that country. It was a beautiful trip and we had a wonderful time visiting
relatives, eating fried chicken, etc.
In the late summer of 1935 we made a
wonderful trip to the Skagit River Project.
I shall never forget the beauties of nature and the man-made
wonders we saw on that trip. I
even crossed over the Skagit River on a swinging suspension bridge
without fear. This trip included the auto, train and boats up the Skagit
River.
In the summer of 1934, a very dear friend, Jimmy
Tostevin, who has been like a son to me, my daughter Jessie,
and I, took an airplane trip from Bremerton to Seattle.
A far cry from the mode of traveling in a prairie schooner or
covered wagon.
I shall never forget the thrill of being in
the clouds or of looking down and seeing great forests like patches of
moss, ships at sea like toys, highways mere ribbons on which cars looked
like ants scurrying along.
The windows in the airplane were almost too
high for me to see out of, so Jimmy said, "Mother, you can't
see anything there," and he just picked me up and set me on his
knee. I did two things that
day I had never before done in my life.
One was to ride in an airplane and the other was to sit on the
lap of a man who was not my husband.
From Seattle Jessie and I took the
bus and went on to Sequim and Port Angeles visiting relatives for a week
and returning by steamer--an all-day trip.
This summer Jessie and Walter are
planning another auto trip to Sequim and Port Angeles and through
Deception Pass. They are
determined that I shall go with them.
I shall be eighty-seven then.
I am wondering if I shall make thirteen
more trips the next succeeding thirteen summers.
If I do I will have lived my hundred years.
I am not worrying about this, though.
If I am still here on this earth then, well and. good, but if my
Master calls me in the meantime, I shall be ready to go.
I love to sit at my window in the evening
and watch the setting of the sun. The
colors of the rainbow flaming up in the west, the gold of the sun in
shades of yellow and orange, the crimson sky, the blue of the distant
Olympics with their shadows of purple and violet, and the green of the
nearby woodlands--all the rainbow colors are there, seeming to make a
promise. A promise that
night is near bringing sweet rest and peace.
To me it seems to be a symbol of my life--the day is done, 'tis
evening and night is near at hand.
Now
my days on earth are ending,
Like the setting of the sun.
Heavenly ways I’ll soon be wending
Beside my dear beloved one.
Soon I'll hear my Master calling,
"Come, my dear.
You've earned your rest."
I'll be glad when night is falling,
Yes, my Lord, my life You've blest.
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