Last kiss - 1845
Sarah Boardman Judson represented on the cover of her biography.
Introduction
Adoniram Judson was a missionary to Burma. He buried his wife Ann and their daughter Maria in 1826 and 1827 respectively. He remarried in 1835, to Sarah Boardman, widow of the missionary George Boardman. A decade later, her health began to fail. He determined to take her back to the United States for medical treatment but her decline was so swift it appeared he would have to bury her at sea. However, she was still alive when they reached the island of St. Helena, a stopover island in the Atlantic. Taken ashore, she lingered for three days. On the evening of the 31st of August, 1845, Judson sent their young children to bed and sat alone by Sarah, nursing her and speaking of spiritual considerations. Her mind wandered, but a word or two was sufficient to recall her attention. Midnight passed. It was now near 2 AM on this day 1 September, 1845. Wishing to “obtain one more token of recognition,” Adoniram roused her attention and said:
Quote
“ ‘Do you still love the Saviour?’
‘O yes,’ she replied, ‘I ever love the Lord Jesus Christ.’
I said again, ‘Do you still love me?’
She replied in the affirmative, by a peculiar expression of her own. ‘Then give me one more kiss;’ and we exchanged that token of love for the last time. Another hour passed,—and she ceased to breathe.”
Stuart, Arabella W. Lives of the Three Mrs. Judsons. Miller, Orton & Mulligan, 1855.