The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-04-06
MnppLEnuRY. March %.

MIDDLEBuRY, March %.
Died in this village, on Monday evening,
March 2lst, very suddenly, RUFUS VAIN
WRIGHT, Esq aged 81 years.
This notice l copy from the Middle
bury Register of this morning. and it
will hardly be asking more than may
fairly be conceded to the emulation Of
Boston merit, that 1 express the senti.
mcnt of friendly regard, which the loss
Of a liberal private citizen awakens.
The visitor at Middlebury will have
noticed an ample mansion, in summer
nearly uncovered with trees, standing
at the centre of the village, a command
ing object in its position, and having a
view beyond the central common below
it, and at the east, of the distant noun
tains in either direction, that give such
peculiar attraction to the valley of the
Otter Creek. 1t was the dwelling of
the original proprietor and founder of
the village, the late Judge Painter, who
died in 1919; but in 1923 the mansion
became the property of X. Wainwright,
Esq a successful and active business
man, in the care of whose family the
taste of the orioinal nronrietor was moro
than perpetuotcd and rho bonors If hos.
p%italitv in its nosition from voor ~ roar
preserved.
In 1888, Mr. Wainwright ~relinquish-
ed his share in the business of r e 7
Wainwright, and retired to the care of
his sufficient not excessive property, the
education and establishment Of b;s fam.
liz. and the patronage of those objects
which were designed for the benefit of
the place. and the diffusion of useful in.
Auence literally abroad. In this latter
aspect his character became more and
more a public property. m example of
what liberality and bcneyol,nce conld
be. while economy and the ahsencc Of
parade were COMBINED with a thorouqh-
ness and completeness in whatever he
undertook. the most remote from mar.
rowness of convention and sordid Mo.
g~ardliness of habit. True renorosity
seemed to have made him an olmonor nj
bepevolence for the public good while
there still remained unimnaircd with
him the features of decision nersonol
Judgment and self.puidancc which had
given him efficiency and character in
business life. No object Of libcralitv at
Middlebury solicited him ~yainlv. large
or small the Female Seminary and
the College Owned him as among Their
most liberal benefactors. and the rail
road. in which he had no occasion to loop
for a profitable investment. he had rerar
9ed from first to last rs an object of III,
highest public ADVANTAGE. and he move,
had failed to lend it in any exirencv hi,
heartiest support.
The fame which solicits the emulation
of the young in the most valuable pri
vatc positions of life. is more limited ano
lacrard ,ban it should be. and too an
10 linger about the cood doeds of ;ts re-
!, c%ipicnt. and sink and perish with him
, But the interest of society is iden,i6e,
with the truest individual merit that q
the private man or oma who. regard
} less of the common allurements of sta
ton and eclat exerts the noblest facultie
of our nature in all circumstances 70
the best common benefit. Such wa
the peculiar merit of him whom we la
ment. No IMPULSE of mere ambitio,
ever influenced him. He disdaincd III,
motive. as. looking with modest sensibil
lty. vet with firm personal respect. upor
his W qualifications. he would have dis
dained to degrade the public distinction,
of society from the purcst patriotic idea
in which he regarded them. But a.
! one born for usefulness in the mobiles
sphere. he was content to cast in his ait
at the foundation of useful public enter
prizes. and leave it TO others to fill GU