DEATHS OF MOTHER'S BOY AND W.K.G.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 83

DEATHS OF MOTHER'S BOY AND W.K.G.

Death has come twice during the past two weeks, and called away, very gently and very > lovingly, two of - the younger member© of our band— Mother's Boy and 1 W. X G. In each case the childish spirit has been called from a pain-racked body to assume the "more glorious body" of the promise. Each of these young children has suffered much, and* yet, through all our compassion, ■we can be glad that even their young lives have taught us over again that magnificent lesson of courage under suffering that helps to ennoble our race. Those who axe left mounting must yet h*ve this great gladness in- their hearts— that these young children have been- worthy servants, and tbat even so early in the day they have accomplished their task; I .want to offer the bereaved ■afflilies, - on behalf of all D.L.F. and my- j •elf, our deep sympathy with them in their j loss, and to tell them that we are proud! j to have counted among us eucb little sol-dier-servants as the two boys who ore gone. ' I am publishing the letters of Mifanwy | (sister of Mother's Boy), Ursula, and J. L. H., . because I think you will be glad to hear j all they can tell you of the two brave little I lives just laid down. 1 Jlifanwy writes:— I Dear Dot,— You will all be sorry, I believe, to lose .the letters of Mother's Boy. He passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on Sunday night. His birthday was on Monday, when he was 15 years. I know he ■war. ted to write to you, but in his last days here he was too weak. I can scarcely wish him back— he suffered enough, and is indeed •* **-*«" MIFANWY. Dear Dot,— lt is with deep regret that X write to tell you of the death of one of your Little Folk, whose npm de pume wag W. K. G. (William Kerr Gordon). It was only within this year that Willie started ■writing to you, and I remember bow pleased ' he mas when bis first letter appeared in print. For the fatst few years fie ha* nob been in good health, and the doctor advised his parents to keep him away from school. It was surprising how he worked himself up in arithmetic, etc.. while at home., and toeing a bright, intelligent boy, and fond of teading,, he never seemed to weary. Although at tunes he seemed to suffer pain •nd gradually got weaker and weaker till he waa hardly ab!e to walk, he was always in good spirits, and I never heard him complain. All that medioal skill could do «v done for him, but a few weeks ago he caught a chill, which accelerated* his trouble and caused him to keep to his bed. After . patient suffering for about 10 days he passed . Ijgsy in hia fourteenth year. If Wfjilk had

I been spared I think he would have proved a bright and useful member of your band, but none of us will grudge him his release from pain. I am sure all the Little Folk will join me in expressing deepest sympathy with bis parents in their sad bereavement. I should ba pleased if you could find room to mention his death in your issue this week. — Yours truly, J. L. B. Dear Dot, — Just a few lines to tell yon 'that I am unable to send a letter to O.W.W. this time, aa I had intended. I have to inform you of the illness and death of one of our band, little W. K. G. It is nearly a year since I helped him to write his first Utter to your page., and it gave him much ple&s-az'-e -wliesi it appeared In. print, He was a little cripple, dear D^t, and had tc deny himself rcany of ihb pleasures that boys delight in ; but he never complained. 1 He was one of thoee bright, cheery little fellows one seldom rceets, and though often in pain, I never heard him murmur. He woa in usual health up till a week before he died,- when he took suddenly ill and gradually ..wasted away. He suffered terribly I before his death, and we were all thankful when the end oam<s to leave him. pa fe in the arms of Jesus. lam telling you this, dear Dot, because I know that you take on interest in all your Little Folk; and if it . is any encouragement to you in your work to know it, he spent many happy hours over the Little Folk's Page, and it TTelped greatly to lighten the burden of his life. He was a near neighbour of ours, and I miss him greatly. — Yours truly, P.S. — It was because I was helping his mother that I could not write to O.W.W. as I had promised.