The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-03-05
From the Inlependsnt.
Deaths dO1ngs at Mystic

between New LONDON auo Ctou'"S""
there is = very thriving village Of about
twenty-five hundred Inhabitants, situated
upon the Mystic river.
The past year was one OF more than
usual good health generally. 1t ltopened
and closed with sternness and rigor.-
Our river, navigable by ships, was froz-
en- over for several weeks, aud the earth
wore the snow-white mantle Of winter
much longer than is usual for our village
which looks out upon the broad Allan
tic No deadly contagion or wasting
epidemic visited this region.
Still disease, whose name may we'll.
be called Legion, was constantly invad-
ing some in our midst ), cutting down
our fellow citizens upon the tight and
the left.
In'the brief space of twelvemonth,
eight were cut down ;n infancy, four in
childhood, 1--WE 10 youth, eight in man
hood, four in advanced age in all, 6f-
teen males and fourteen females.
Soma died by accident; some died
by protracted, but more died by sudden
illness.
Three were drowned. One was in
stantly killed in the cotton factory which
he supcrintended by being caught in the
belt Of a rapidly revolving shaft. One
retired to rest we'll but in the silent
watches Of the night she experienced
the palsyiDg shock which soon closed
her life. A young mother was taken i'll
one day, and died the next. One in the
vigor of his manhood was hurried to the ,
tomb by violent disease, being out the =,
day preceding bis death. Another, in =
the tenderness of its years, was we'll in :
the morning, bat dead at evening. An !
other in the evening Of her days, died T
before medical aid could be procured =
Another in its earliest childhood, died in :
ten hours afterits attack. The last one .
died in his chair almost without intima- ;,
tion. Thus we seen verified the Ian +
guage Of Scripture, In the morning it =
aourishes and groweth up; in the even .
ing it is cut down, and withereth. Man =
that is born of a woman is Of few days 5
aud full of trouble. He eometh forth
like flower and is cut down. One d.
eth in his full strength, being wholly at
ease and quiet. There is but step be-
tween me aud death. The days of our
years are threescore years and ten; aud
If by reason Of strength they be four
score years, yet is their strength labor
aud sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we
fly away"
The last one that died it our vicinity
during the year was Deacon Ebeneser
Denison, December Goth, aged eighty
two years FIVE months and ten days.
II was born in Stonington, July 10th
l774, anterior to the Revolution, and
lived during one of the most interesting
periods in the history Of our country and
Of the world he was characterized for in
dustry in his calling as husbandman
and worked truly while the day and life
lasted. For quite a number Of years he
was deacon in the First Congregational
church of Stonington for the past FIVE
years be ofhciatcd in that capacity in
the Mystic Bridge Congregational
Church.
His Christian life is identified with the
origin and progress of Sabbath schools in
this region.
He loved the ordinances of Gods
house and reverenced the sanctuary, and
was conscientious attendant upon the
prayer-meeting. He was friend and
promoter Of revivals. He spent the late
evening of his days, during leisure hours
in causing to be reared monument in
the Elm Grove Cemetery to the memo
.oy Of Col. Georgs Denson, pious an
'cestor, and founder of the Denison fam
ily; also'in re burying two wives and
four grand children in the lot on which
the monument is erected. lie had but
recently chosen the spot where be would
be- bnried betwixt the graves of his de-
ceased companions. At the last inter-
view the writer had with him, he talked
freely in reference to burial, and read
at considerable length some genealogical
statistics which he had gathered, which
he greatly priced lie spoke of attend.
ing the prayer-meeting the next Satur-
day evening Saturday morning came,
and he was unable to rise as usual. His
only surviving son and child helped him
to the chair be usually occupied, and !
where he read and prayed, but bis
stre1gth was gone, and bis head fell back
aud in few minutes he expired without
manifest disease or pain.
Many die as sudden, bu. few as
safe" I
Blessed are the dead which die in 6
the Lord. The rightcou, hath hope in +
bis DEATH" $
II =. -. q