METTA BRISTOL
MRS. OSCAR BABCOCK

 

Marietta Amanda, born March 24, 1835, in Jamestown, New York married Oscar Babcock, September 15th, 1858, in Dakota, Wisconsin where she died of typhoid fever October 19th, 1872.

Her name was written Maryett in the Bible record but by all the family as first above written. Soon however her pet name became Metty, Mettie or Metta and the full name was virtually discarded. She was taken to Bristol, Wisconsin when the family went west in 1839, and remained there several years, or until the family removed to a new home. In the meantime she attended school, beginning at about six years of age. She was petite but lithe, active and reasonably health. She was very pretty, unusually bright, and as a little girl the pet and best-loved of all the pupils of a large school. At the several schools she attended, consequent upon a number of removals, as well as at Appleton while a student at the Lawrence University, she was the same conscientious painstaking pupil, bright ambitious, and among the foremost always. After the family settled in Dakota she regularly attended the village school taught by Elder George C. Babcock, until she herself began teaching in the winter of 1855-56, in a district southwest of the village of Dakota and a few miles west of where her brother, Cicero, was teaching. She taught about ?---? terms in surrounding districts always meeting with fine success and the esteem of her patrons. It was not long after the family settled in Dakota before Oscar Babcock and Metty Bristol became acquainted. From the first they were friends, then ardent friends, then lovers; and such they remained until her untimely death, fourteen years after their marriage. Seldom has there been seen a more perfect union of more perfect lives than was theirs. It must have been a gratification to them to know that their names were always coupled together in the community and that all agreed that the anticipated marriage would be ideal in every sense. And so indeed it was. For both were deeply religious, both were highly intellectual, both were ambitious to do something for humanity and each had an unbounded faith in and love for the other.

In her adult years Metty was rather below the average height for women; she was slight, weighing less than one hundred pounds, but straight, lithe and active; she was delicate yet capable of enduring considerable work and fatigue. Her mother and sisters endeavored to shield her from the hard tasks of housekeeping, sometimes by subterfuges, sometimes by coaxing her to do lighter work, sometimes by insistent persuasion. She was handsome to us of the family, beautiful. Her hair was jet black, fine, soft and wavy, her eyes were dark hazel, her completion white, her brow perfect in contour. Her expression was captivating, her manners charming in simplicity and naturalness. While she was so dainty and winsome she yet possessed sterling, forceful qualities not often blended with the tenderest sentiments. Her wonderful courage was shown as she lay dying, surrounded by her distracted husband, mother and sisters, when she said in gentle reproof; "Why I have to have courage for you all". And so as she lay there in the peril of death she calmly gave directions for the disposal of her personal belongings, her little treasures, told how she wanted her children cared for; and then gave her parting advice and her benediction to her beloved and agonized husband. As the rays of the setting sun streamed in through the partly shaded window she raised the fingers of her hand and said faintly but clearly "Oh what heavenly light." These were her last words.

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