Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-05-02

After Willet Hicks family began TO visit him
hch as not long previous to his death-they
being near neghbors at Greenwich-be was
much engaged in wiring, " hich he performed
with difficulty. boIstered up in his bed, with
something placed to rest his paper on. his
shoulders also being stiff SO that he could not
move them, which. together with what Mary
Roscow saw convinced her beyond a doubt
that he was spending his little remaining
strength to leave behind him a proof of those
princl pies he had much of his time been endeav'
ofing to inculcate-this circuh- stance occasion.
ed Mary Roscow to be less careful tn preserve
" hat she saw aud heard What become OF
the manusc, ipt has not been fully ascertalned
but it is reported and believed that 1t was sent
TO certain printer in this city,(N since de
ceased, and while preparing Tor the press, was
purchased at a considerable price, by some OF
Panes former friends, and suppressed.
The first time Mary Roscow saw him, she
was returning from meeting; and when nearly
opposite the house where he resided, person
" ho was also passing, observed with thought
les vugarity that Paine looked like the Devil
He was not then in sight; but a voice from the
door replied. "Ifhe looked like him he would
do;" She then perceived that the identical
person was at the door which before was hid
fr m their view by the trees, and overheard
their conversation.
During the time of Pnine's illness Mary Ros
cow was unwelI & the Physician who at ended
him was called To her She asked how Pane
was. The doctor replied Every Ill, we (mean-
the physicians, think we have never seen such
suffering object; but he tells me TO day. ad'
ded he, that his bodily distress was nothing
compared tn that of his mind. When she had
reco cred, she went to see hun In another
apartment she found French woman, who
had accompanied him from France, wrlnglng
her hands and amentlng thlt she had farsakcn
her husband, friends and religion, to embrace
the principles Of Paine-that she had spent
three years in following hnm-but now he told
her those principles would not stand: aud now,
said she, have none 10 look to.
There was a statement In one OF the news
papers, d few Weeks previous to his death,that
Two clergymen came to see him. aud that he
treated them very roughly. Mary Roscow
asked him if il was correct; he told her II was
not, but hat he bad sent for clergyman, who
came attended by deacon or elder and sup
posing Paine wished him to proceed In the u
sual manner proposed prayer. PANE told INN
he did not send fer hi to pray, as he did not
co slider any form of prayer invented by man
would avail; but that his motive IN sending tor
him was the relefof bis own mind--to correct
an error which he supposed him (the prlest')
to be in-and then asked him il he was author
sed by Christ to preach This offended the
priest, and he withdrew. Paine remarked "he
much preferred the priest to himself, but tear
ing his being in error might be an injury TO
others"
The late visit she made him, on entering
the door she perceived him to be in supplca.
ton. (she usually found him in prayer OF wrl'
ing) aud turned to go out, when his nurse
spoke to him. and said there was friend
from Mr.. Hicks come to see him. He paused
and asked her to walk in and come near him
saying, 81 hope you are friend to God and
Christ" and after another pause asked her 1t
she had ever read any of Panes writings. She
replied she had, when she was very young -
He querricd hat she thought OF them. She
replied, "Dost thou really wish to know what
thoughtl' He replied, Il trust you are one
who has bought the truth and would not sell
it 10 please such a vagabond as am.' She
then told him that some days alter peruslng
them, she could not think good thought but
some of his reasoning would twine around
and repel it. aud seciLg the other children OF
the family eager to take ii up, she could hnd
no peace until she committed 1t TO the Hames
He made an exclamation denoting the horror
OF his mind, saying, at had been better for,
my soul atthe present day if all the world
had, like you, destroyed them-but the world
was glad to haveit so-additg, "ifever oa'
taa had an instrument upon earth TO lead into
the ways of darkness, l have been one, have
passed rn0ny many slecpless nights IN endeav-
oring to prevent the right way" When she
took leave ofhim he requested her TO ask WI
let Hicks 10 come ana see him, saying. Il love
TO have him by me for when he sits by my
side, although he says but little, it seems as
thou gh the devil himself was seneed' II, and d, :!
feel as though do nothing butPour out my
cries and tears before God"
At another time when some OF Wflet HICKS
family were there, one of Palne's former ad-
hearers came and opened the door, but on see
ins them he called out roughly PANE
have heard FIVE lies about you; one Is that you
are dead; another, that you have reean'en anu
n..l..- A. yau have lived ike