MRS. N. D. MERRIMAN.
On the 1st of October, 1895, on the anniversary of her entering upon work as a teacher in Burrell School, at Selma, Ala., we buried Mrs. Narcissa Dorsey Merriman, wife of Professor James A. Merriman, of the class of '91, Talladega. Mrs. Merriman took the full college course at Fisk University, graduating in 1891. Professor Spence was for four years her instructor in Greek and leader of the Mozart Society, in which she was soprano soloist. He writes: "Let us thank God it was light with her at the evening of life." This was indeed true. A few hours before the end, when seemingly at the very brink, strength was given to sing in her remarkably clear, flute-like tones the verse, "God moves in a mysterious way." We sang this at her funeral; also by her request, "O mother, dear Jerusalem." These constituted a part of the memorial service at Fisk also.
Miss Dorsey taught in '91-2 at Beaumont, Texas; '92-3-4 in Birmingham, Ala., and '94-5 in Burrell. In all these places she will long be remembered for her gift of song, scholarly attainment and genial bearing—a lovely woman. Besides a sorrowing husband she left a widowed mother, bereft of her only child, and a helpless infant three weeks old, thus seeming to lay down her work at the very dawn of great usefulness in home and society.