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Charles
Elias Webb Dorris
Biographical Sketch On The Life Of C.E.W. Dorris C.E.W. Dorris was born in Portland, Tennessee April 7, 1871. He was married to Lula Kerr. They had one child. He was baptized by J. W. Grant in 1889. He began preaching near Portland, Tennessee in 1890. He attended Nashville Bible School. He wrote for the Gospel Advocate. He did radio work on WLAC, Nashville, Tennessee and in Gallatin, Tennessee. A report in Preachers Of Today said that he spent thirty-five years evangelizing under many and varied conditions in eighteen states. Support in early years for a two weeks meeting was usually $25.00 or less. Has preached for one congregation monthly for the past fifty-four years, except when in meetings. The first person whom he baptized was his mother. He held a number of debates, some of which were printed. After his first sermon, a Cumberland Presbyterian challenged him for a debate. He accepted, went home with the man, debated, and the man refused to continue his side of the debate. He wrote commentaries on Matthew and Mark. He had up to 3,500 volumes in his library, among which was a complete set of the Gospel Advocate, which he valued above everything else except the Bible. David Lipscomb and James A Harding were his Bible teachers." He said, “Lipscomb had the best insight of the principles of Christianity of any man I have ever known.” —From Preachers of Today, Ed. B.B. Baxter & M. Norvel Young, The Christian Press, Nashville, TN, c.1952 page 102
Our Little Darling The Bible Student “THE MOST OF FAME GOES UNDER THE GRASS WITH THE OTHER WREATHS
PLACED UPON THE COFFIN.”
On Friday, May 19, 1899, our home was made brighter and
happier by the birth of our little darling, Carrie Louis[1]
Dorris, but on Monday, Aug. 13, 1900 at 12:45 P.M. the angel of death brought
much darkness and gloom into this home by entering into and claiming our darling
daughter as his victim. She was permitted to live with us only 14 months
and 24 days. During this time she threw much happiness and sunshine in our
home. Her stay with us was short, and we may not be able, during this
life, to understand the motives and purposes of God in making our hearts sad by
sending his divine sickle into our home and plucking this young and tender bud,
but we believe that she stayed with us long enough to accomplish the purpose for
which God placed her in out home. Her accomplishment her on earth will be
revealed “over on the other shore.” During her short stay here, she
suffered many pains. Her health was never good, and consequently was a
little sufferer all her life. During the latter part of Spring and the
first part of Summer her health began to fail more rapidly and she became
nervous and could not occupy one position long at a time before expressing to
us, by her sign, that she was tired and wished a new position. God, not
willing that she should occupy temporal positions, provided better things for
her and removed all pains and scorching fevers, and placed her little sinless
body in a place of final rest and took her little spirit and transplanted it
among the angels of God in the beautiful city above. She is now quiet and
sleeping a sweet sleep in a silent tomb in the family burying place. She
and grandmother are sleeping side by side only a short distance from their
temporal home.[2]
Yes, sleeping where papa and mamma, can, with sad hearts, visit the little mound
during the cool of the evening and water it with their tears.
The disease that took her from us was Cholera Infantum. On Sunday, August
5, she had some fever, but on Monday (next day) the fearful disease began to
show itself. Physician and medical aid were sought, but no relief
obtained. She died, seemingly, in perfect ease. She passed slowly
away just as a light goes out for the want of oil. She recognized
everything to the end. She took her medicines dose by dose as she was
called upon without murmuring. After seeing that medical aid could give no
relief, and after the last ray of hope was gone, yea, even after she had closed
those little beautiful brown eyes never to open them again until the morning of
the Resurrection, she knew and recognized the meaning of the touch of a cool
spoon upon her parching lips, open her mouth, receive, and swallow cold water.
She knew papa, mamma and grandpapa and would turn her little head to keep her
eyes upon them until the finger of death’s cold hand bore upon her eyelids so
strong that she was compelled to surrender to its wish, close her eyes and pass
under the sheltering wings of the good Shepherd. It seemed that she knew
that she was going to leave us and that she wanted to tell us about the journey
she was going to take but nature forbade. Peace, sweet peace. But oh
how hard to give her up. Have you lost a darling babe? Then you
understand the grief. Have you not lost one? Then you cannot
understand it. Our darling is dead. She is gone never to return.
We put away her playthings and things used by and for her in memories drawer
where they will be safe. We would not have them broken or lost for worlds
like this. Her clothes, we lay away. We shall often look them over.
Each of the colors that she wore will remind us of her as she looked when she
was here. The little wagon, we place away. It reminds us of the many happy
rides that papa, mamma and grandpapa has given here in the beautiful shade of
the yard in the cool of the evening, and of those tender little hands that would
grasp and hold to the sides of the little wagon bed, of those sweet brown eyes
gazing through the tree tops into the heavens, and of those sweet beautiful
little smiles which expressed her joy. The old rocking chair is another
monument erected to her memory. We will often think of her as she sat in
the old chair, watching papa and mamma while they were setting type. The
lap-board, that was formerly used by papa for writing purposes, is placed with
the other relics. This does not recall any pleasure or sunshine during the
life of our darling. It recalls one of the saddest pictures, but we desire
to keep it. It causes us to think of the pains and scorching fevers that
snatched our darling from us. A pillow was placed upon the board, our
darling upon the pillow. Upon this pillow and board the little doll
suffered and died. Here she fell asleep in the arms of Jesus while in
grandpapa’s lap. Last, but not least, the lock of curls, clipped from the
little head of brown hair, when looked upon, will cause our minds to run back to
her first existence in this world, to happy hours, beautiful smiles and
sunshine, to sufferings and burning fevers, to the sad dark hour in which the
angel of death took our darling from us; as well as to the facts that she is
dead, that her eye has lost its luster, that her hands are still and cold, that
her body is decaying and mouldering in the tomb and that her spirit is in heaven
to welcome papa and mamma into the beautiful home of the soul.
The first Lord’s day in August was the last time that a smile was seen upon our
darling’s face until breathing the last breath a smile appeared, which she wore
upon her face to the grave. Little Carrie was the idol of a loving
mother’s heart, and may this idol be a beacon light in the city of God to assist
papa and mamma to the home of the soul, and to take comfort in the hope of that
country where there is no sorrow and separations. The blossom which
withered here upon its stalk, has been transplanted in the sweet paradise of
God. “We live in the past by a knowledge of its history; and in the future
by hope and anticipation.” God often calls the little ones home.
This, viewed from a human standpoint, is the bitter cup God gives us to drink.
But we, if children of God, must trust our Father. He chastens for our
profit that we may be partakers of his holiness. God’s cup may seem
bitter, and we may be long in draining it but at the bottom lies a precious
blessing. We realize this as our Father’s cup and we drink it,
unhesitatingly, uncomplainingly and with the spirit of Him, who said: “Not my
will, but thine, be done.” God allures to brighter worlds, by removing our
brightest objects of affection here. He cuts the ties which bind us down,
that our affections may be free to aspire upward to things above. Heaven
seems nearer when we know that our loved ones have passed in at the beautiful
gate and are sleeping upon the bosom of Jesus. The ties which bound our
hearts to earth, will henceforth bind them to heaven. Methinks I hear our
darling saying: “Dear Parents, the King of kings has sent for your ‘little pet’
to confer a blessing upon her. He has taken her from a dark vale of sin
and transplanted here in that land where redeemed spirits serve God, having all
tears wiped from their eyes. As well as you love me, I would not be with
you again. Weep not for me, but for yourselves, and count not yourselves at home
till you come to be, as I am, forever with the Lord.” Darling, we know
that you would not thank us, should we wish you degraded to earth again.
It would not be the part of a wise parent to call you down from a sphere of such
exalted pleasure, to our low lives here upon earth. We hope that we shall
shortly leave this world of tears, and be free from all sorrows, pains,
temptations and anxieties and dwell with you in the city of our God.
Darling, we bid you good night, and say farewell once more, hoping to meet you
in that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
[1]
It appears that Louis is a misprint; her middle name was probably
Louise, after her mother Mary Louise Merritt Dorris. Mary Louise
Dorris died April 21, 1904. See E. A. Elam, “Mary Louise Merritt
Dorris,” Gospel Advocate, 1904:250 and a handwritten note in the
front endpaper of C.E.W. Dorris’ copy of The Bible Student.
[2]
Mary Dorris’ mother died when she was six years old. The family
cemetery was six miles south of Franklin, Tennessee. —This from the
pen of Charles Elias Webb Dorris, not yet aged 30 years, upon the death of his
daughter Carrie. Published in The Bible Student in September 1900; two
years later he would suspend publication of the paper to devote more time to
evangelistic preaching and teaching. In another two years, in the spring
of 1904, less than four years after young Dorris buried his daughter, he buries
his wife. This is a long post; I have added a couple comments. Mac
The Life Of
C.E.W. Dorris
The Christmas break has afforded me some time to devote to bro.
Dorris. Below is a sketchy timeline. The basic structure comes from
the various Lists of Preachers of the Churches of Christ, published from 1906 on
by McQuiddy, Firm Foundation, Rowe, etc. in which CEW Dorris appears and lists
his address. I took these addresses and built from there.
Location Of The Final Resting Place Of C.E.W. & Louisa Kerr Dorris Directions: Woodlawn Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee, is located behind the 100 Oaks Shopping Center that faces I-65 just south of the I-440 Interchange. From 100 Oaks travel east on Thompson Lane and turn right at the first entrance to Woodlawn's South Side Park (across from main part of cemetery). Continue down the drive. On your left you will pass Resthaven, then Graceland. On the right you will see a special section called Family Heritage Estates. Go directly across the road from the walk, in two rows and to your left (North) six or eight stones, near the edge of Terrace Garden is the grave of C.E.W. and Louisa Dorris. GPS:
N 36º06'33.5" x WO 86º45'40.7" To see cemetery map click
on blinking button!
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