Gathered to the Lord’s Name
Hymns #132, 174, 195.
Miss Wigram was the daughter of George V. Wigram (see foregoing account), and her date of birth is not known at this time. She traveled with her father, having been brought up under the fullness of the blessings of the gospel of Christ. She took up nursing and devoted her time to nursing the Lord’s people, even when they had the dreaded small pox. While Dr. Jenner had discovered in 1795 that inoculation with the germ could check the disease, the general practice of all persons being so inoculated was not yet in vogue. Mr. G. V. Wigram says of her (March 1871):
“She had taken up nursing, and was quite prepared to lay down her life for the brethren; and it would not have been like her to have retreated, had one known the issue beforehand, but of course that one could not have known. She said lately, ‘I hope I shall not be taken away in small pox.’ On my saying, ‘It is as good a chariot of fire as any other,’ she said, ‘Oh, but for me to know you were sitting at the foot of my bed unable not to loathe the sight of me, would be painful indeed!’ To me it seems as if the Lord were pleased to permit her to go on high through laying down her life in nursing these dear to Himself. Why am I to allow my loss and privation to be of more importance than His pleasure?’
She went home on or about March 4, 1871.
What a high character of worship attaches to her hymn #195!
“Worthy of homage and of praise,
Worthy by all to be adored;
Exhaustless theme of heavenly lays!
Thou, Thou art worthy, Jesus, Lord.
“Yet, Savior, Thou shalt have full praise.
We soon shall meet Thee on the cloud;
We soon shall see Thee face to face,
In glory praising as we would.”