24. Toward morning the poor little sufferer was compelled to struggle hard to get her breath, and it became apparent that unless God miraculously interposed, her suffering must soon end in death. While we sorrowed for her suffering, we felt a calm and sweet resignation to the will of God, to whom the dear child belonged. We could say in truth, "Thy will be done." At five o'clock in the morning her redeemed spirit was freed from its earthly abode and taken away to be with Jesus and holy angels.
Now remained only the poor little emaciated body. As we recalled the large, active, plump, and rosy-cheeked Levilla, we could scarcely help but exclaim as we looked upon the reduced and colorless form, "Is this Levilla? Can it be that this is our child?" Since my return I had anxiously cherished a hope that ere long I should hear those sweet lips utter words again; but they are now silent in death, or rather the sweet and dreamless sleep that shall pass off when the Lord comes to call us forth from our earthly repose.
25. ... Brother Leay conducted services. We looked for the last time upon our beloved child, whose sweet and innocent little form was robed in its little white dress and skirts, with a beautiful little bouquet of flowers protruding from her little hands folded upon her heart. As my dear wife was deeply afflicted with her departure, her sweet little face seemed to speak forth from its little white coffin and say, "Weep not, dear mother, for though your loss seems to be great, my gain is infinitely greater. I have gone to the better land, where sickness, sorrow, pain, and death never, never come."
We laid the dear and only child in the Mission Cemetery at Upper Sandusky, near the road at the west side, between two evergreens. There with sad, yet resigned, hearts we left her to sleep beneath the angels' care until called forth at the last day.
Levilla Modest was born Mar. 18, 1875, near Seward, Nebr. She passed from suffering to the society of angels June 24, 1878, and was therefore three years, three months, and six days of age. She was a child of more than ordinary mental ability. Her organic quality was the very finest. Her temperaments were sanguine and mental. Her brain measured nineteen inches. Though of such great nervous activity, we had by careful diet imparted to her a good, large physical structure. She measured three feet five inches. She was very knowing about all kinds of work, and ever eager to assist. For some months past she would stand upon a chair beside her mother and wipe knives, forks, spoons, saucers, etc., with the utmost care and perfection. She would do the most of her dressing and undressing, and never failed to hang up or put away every garment and everything she handled. She seemed to have very fine taste and perfect order. Her causality was wonderfully developed for a child.... She daily astonished us with questions concerning everything she saw, and her remarkable ability to anticipate what next was wanted, and with what eagerness those little feet ran errands for mother and father, and grandmother and grandfather. Since eighteen months old she would sing parts of familiar tunes and hymns. I believe her first was Happy Day. For some time past she would tread the organ with one foot, place her little fingers upon the keys, and sing loudly, "Halleluiah, 'tis done," "I am washed in the blood of the Lamb," etc. She had a remarkable tendency to imitate all that was pure and religious. She often had her little prayer-meetings by herself, and would teach older children to engage with her in her childish prayers and songs. After attending an ordinance where she paid marked attention to the saints' washing feet, the next day she called for a washbowl of water and washed her feet, then took off her mother's shoes and stockings and washed and wiped her feet and gave her a kiss. Every evening she kneeled at her mother's knee and said her little prayer. At the sight of the picture with raised hands she was sure to say, "Man lift up hands and praise the Lord." In her sickness she would sometimes sigh out, "O, praise the Lord!"... She excelled all other peculiarities in the wonderful depth and fervency of her affections. Her love seemed to possess the purity and strength of one fully renewed in the image of God and yet the innocence and simplicity of a child. As she placed those precious little arms around our necks and gave the warm kiss, we could not help but feel that this was real and not mere child's play; and those embraces were free for all who sought them.... This is my birthday; a sad one: but still in the midst of all the Lord supports me and comforts. Though we can not understand this bereavement, yet God knows all about it and will doubtless bring our highest good and his own glory out of it. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed is the name of the Lord.
26, 27. Spent the time largely in communing with God. Wrote some letters.
29. Wife and I drove to Tiffin. When about one mile from the city our beast, that we thought very safe and quiet, began to make efforts to run off. I held her, when she began to kick desperately. I turned her to the side of the way and got her stopped. Before this I was out. I told Sarah to get out behind if she could. We had a top-buggy. The curtain was rolled up, but she could not get out. The beast was loose from the buggy all but the holdbacks. Sarah got out and stood a moment, when she found that she was hurt. Some friends came up just then. I gave the mare to one to hold and I helped Sarah to the fence, where she sat upon a stone. We found that she had been hit upon both limbs. On one the mare's hoof (she had no shoes) cut through linen duster, dress, skirt, and stocking, and cut a small wound to the bone. She had much pain. Three or four men kindly tendered all the help they could. They took us in a one-horse wagon to Tiffin, having fastened our buggy behind, and one led the mare. We came to Sister Lewis'. A small congregation gathered and I preached a short discourse, of course on holiness.
July 2, 1878. Got a crutch for Sarah. She concluded that she could go home by railroad. Took her to the train and committed her to the care of the Lord. I drove the mare and buggy, trusting in God for his protection from all harm by the way. The Lord preserved me from harm. Found dear Wife had safely made the trip.
4. Spent much of the day picking berries all alone with the Lord. Meditated upon the goodness of God in continuing our national blessings.