Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-03-01
Death of ofWashington.

tl0n Ol Inc ueatu VI ''iSgu''''S.o"' !" w
York Courier and EnqtHrer, of the 9th Inst
which even at this distaat day cannot fail t.
be of interest to the reader:
Proceeding still farther over very ba
road. we came suddenlysin view of the Poto
mac and Mount Vernon, with its mansion
house and snoth green lawn, was before us
Having sent in our address we received per
mission from the courteous branch of tn
family, who now held 5the estate, to ente
and survey the interiof. We were strucl
with its extreme simplicity the lowness o
the walls and ceilings, sand the bare floor
Which were waxed not as with US, carpeted
passing through tile, great hall, orna
mented with pictures Of English hunting
scenes, we ascended the oaken staircase
with it,, carved aud antique balustrande; we
stood at the dnor--we pressed the handle
the room and the bed where he died, wer,
before us. Nothing ilI,lle lofty drama o
his existence surpassedtlie grandeur Of tha
final scene; the cold which he had takel
from exposure, in overseeing some part o
| his grounds, and which had resisted the
earlier domestic remedies that were applied
! advanced in the course Of two short days in
to that frightful form of the disease of che
throat, larVngilis. 1t became necessary fol
hin, to take his bed. His valued friend, DR.
Craik. was Instantly summoned, and assisted
by the best m. dical skillaof the surrounding
country. exhausted all tie neaus Of his art
but without affording him relief. He pa
tiently submitted, though in grea: distress
to the various remedies proposed, but it be-
came evident from the deep gloom setting
upon the countenances of the medical gen.
temen, that the case was hopeless; a1van.
cling insidiously, the disease had;fasiencd it.
self with deadly certainty. Looking with
perfect calmness upon the sobbing group
around him he said-"G Grieve not my friends
it is as anticipated from the first; the debt
which we all owe, is now about to be paid
| an resigned to the event." Requesting
Mrs. Washington to bring two wills from
his escrtoire, he directed one to be burnt
and placed the other in her hands, as his
last testament, and then gave some final in.
structions to Mr.. Lear, his secretary and re,
latve, as to the adjustment OF his business
affairs. He soon after became greatly dis
tressed; aud as. in the paroxysms which
became more frequentandyiolent, Mr.. Lear
who was at his side, assisted him to turn, he
with kindness but with,ditficulty, ariculated
-. Iefear give you great trouble, sir--but
perhaps it is a duty which VIC all owe to
one another-I trust that you may receive
the same attention when you shall re-
quire il"
Gas the night waned, The fatal symptoms
become more imnlinent-his breath more
labored and sufloca!ing, and his voice soon
failed bin. Perceiving his end approaching
he Strengthened himself to his full length, he
folded his own hands in tue necessary atti-
tude upon his chest-placing his finger up
on the pulse of his left wrist, and thus calm
! ly prepared, aud watching his own dissolu
ton, he awaited the summons Of his Maker
The last faint hope of his friends had disap'
pcared Mrs. Washington, Supplied with
grief, sat at the foot of the bed, her eyes fix,
ed steadfastly upon him; DR.. Craik, in deer
gloom, stood with his face buried in his
. hands at the fire his faithful black servant
Christopher, the tears, uncontrolled, trinkling
down his face, on one side, took the last
look of his dying master; while MIR. Lear
in spcechless grirf, with folded hands, bent
over his pillow on the other.
Noug ght broke the stiffness Of his last
moments, but the suppressed sobs Of the at
fcctionate servants collected OH the stair
case the tick of the large clock in the hal
as it measured off with painful distlnctness
the last heetlng moments Of his existence
aud tho low moan Of the winter wind, as y
swept through the leafless snow.coveree
trees. The aboring and wearied spirit drew
nearer and nearer to its goal; the blood Ian
guidly cursed slowly through its channels
the noble heart stopped-slrugeled-s
= hu,tered-lhe right hand slowly slid from
the wrist, upon which its. finger had beef
placed-it fell at the side--and the manly
etfigy of Washington was all that remained
extended upon the death couch" 5. :.
A P1cruRE FOR BACnELoRs.--lfin in tha
chair yonder-not the one your feetyie upon
but the other beside yoa--closer yet--wer'
seated swcet.laced girl, with pretty littl
foot lying out upon the hearth, bit of lac
running round The throat, the hair parted t
a Charm over forehead fair as any in you
dreams, and if you could reach an arm
around that chair.back without fear oi CIV
ing offence, and suffer your fingers to pla..