Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1849-03-30
GGf@rGgJaMN.
AN INCIDENT.

Not long since lady died in the northern
part of this State, whose years numbered al
most century There is volume Of history
forever lost. What stories she could tell of
the brave old days, few knew, for she lived
in great retirement, and of late the dimness of
age had begun to settle as well on her mind
as on her eyes. What Springs laden with
flowers had been hers what sunny and beau
tlful Summers; what Autumns with their gol-
den fruits! She knew the men of the rerolu-
ton: she was near relative of Jane McCrea,
and saw her just before her murder. She was
relic OF forgotten years. For some years
past her time had beer occupied occasionally
In making every preparation for her funeral.
The most minute arrangements were complet-
ed, and nothing left for her friends but to
close her wearied eyes and bear her to sleep
with her kindred. A more sublime occupa-
tion than that preparation can hardly be ina
gined. mem rial who had passed the AGE
allotted to her fellows by more than twenty
years, loaded down with the weight of recol-
lectlons, heavy whether they be pleasant or
bitter; who had laid one by one, every COM
panion of glorious g1rlhood to rest under the
sod IN whose ears were sounded distantly the
roar of the cannon of 'Seventy-Six, and vet
more distantly the gurgling Of brooks of songs
of birds that gladdened her childhood; before
whose eyes, along with other phantasies, came
often the vision of maiden. fair and welI-be-
loved, murdered by a race of men long extinct
and almost forgotten; such a person. who had
survived the overthrow of nations and chang
es of dynasties and crumbIing of thrones
who had seen Europe rocked by earthquakes
and dazZled by the meteor-like transit of Ma
poleon across her sky,-who had seen France
thrice revolutionized, Spain countless times
who was old when the star of destiny went
down on Waterloo, and vet lived to see the
child n fO Eraroa in oil tn
pomp which can invest death itself with gran
deur,-who had lived and loved, and out-lived
almost all the loved, calmly made ready the
robes IN which her way-worn body should re-
pose until its youth and Yigor return to it
againl
They did not know that she was diving
She was insensible except to the approach of
a child, whom she called by name, and then
closed her eyes. During the brief interval
which succeeded that single expression of in
telligence, and preceded the separation of soul
and body, vision made up of the scenes she
was leaving and the memories connected with
them, must have swept before her. A centu-
ry of companionship had endeared MANY OF
the things of earth to her, and its Joys and
grlefs had been impressed with some degree
of permanency On her mind. The floating
phantisms of the more recent past, must have
mingled strongly with the distant recole
OF early years; and forms OF men and assem-
blies of the old dead, and all the circumstance
and glory of the age of war and arms. passed
triumphantly before her as the deep sleep came
down on her heavy eyelids.
Death is victorious over all. When youth
is crushed by his iron tread, we shrink and
are sad when manhood is broken down, we
tremble; but when old age after long con-
test yields at last, then men may smile.-Jr.
Of Commerce.