The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-03-26
WHOLE NUMBER ga0

4
lieve that a fsith which supportsd him
through trials worse than deatb. did not fsll
him when death itself came. Into tkii lksi
tender scene both religion and deIIcacy alike
forbid that we should too curiously intrnd3.
AfsctiOFwill prize its melancholy, though
sweet, "reminiscences, long after the more
public grief has subsided Enough only 81
the veil may be drawn to admit Us to q prlvi.
legged sympathy, = :.
( The disease BY which DR.. Kane was proc.
trdted, was that terrible scourge Of Arctic
life, some seeds Of which be retained in bic
system on his return, but afterwards devei-
opsd and enhanced BY the exhsustina lites-
sry labors incident to tie Narratives 81 The
expedition. Entirely under estimating thuss
labOrs (of which butfew Of US are prepared
To Iorm an adequate eonception). be waf
quite too thoughtless Of the claims q BODY.
he had so long been accustomed to subject
to his purpose, and only awoke to a diseovl
cry OF the error when it was to late. With
this mela Dcholy conviction. he announced
the completion Of the work to friend in
the modest and tonching sentence. aThs
book, poor as It is, has been my coffin"
. He left the country under preseptiment
that he should never return. For the fifst
time in his life, departure is shaded with fore
boding. Itwds, indeed, an alarming symp.
tom to find that iron nerve, which hitherto
had sustained him under shocks apparently
not less severe, thus beginning to falter. Yet
il will enhance the interest that now. gath
,ers around his memory to learn thar eved
then the great purpose of his life he had not
wholly abandoned, but in spite of the most
serious entreaties was already projecting an
other Arctic expedition OF research and res
cue. This object Of his visit, he was not
destined to mature. Neither was Il to be
his privilege to enjoy the honors that awaited
him: Successive and more virulent atacEa
of disease oblige him to recur to the last re-.
sorts Of the invalid. In hope ofrepairine
the wounds inflicted oy the savage rigors OF
the North, he is borne to the more genial
South. where, atlength, beneath its sunny
| skies. and amidst its belmy airs, supported
by the ministries Of lore and the consolations
ofreligion, his life drew gently to a close. =
In the near approach of death he was
tranquil aud composed. With too littie
strength either to support or indicate any
thing of rapture, he was yet sufficiently con-
cious of his condition to perform some last
acts BETTING the solemn emergency. In
reference to those whom he conceived to
have deeply injured him. he expressed his
cordial forgiveness. To each one OF the
\ watching group around him, his hand 10
4 given in the fond pressure Of final parting;
i and then, as if sensible that his ties to earth
|. are 1oosening, he seeks consolation from the
requested reading ofsucb Scripture scnten.
ces as had been the fayorite theme of his
thoughtful hours. ',Atf i
i Now, he hears those soothing beatitudes
whichfell from the lips Of the Man Of Sorrows,
in successive benediction. Then, he Wilt
have repeated to him that sweet, sacred pas.
| toral-- :.
"The Lord is my shepherd; shall nog
4 want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures: he leadeth me beside the still wa,
ters. Yea, though I walk through the yal-
! ley of the shadow Of death, | fear no evil:,
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff.
they comfort me. s. s8'
! Al length are recited the consoldtory words
with which the Saviour took leave Of his
weeping disciples.
'Let not your heart be troubled; ye be-
licve in God, believe also in me. In my
i Fathers house are many mansions; il it
were not SO, ! would have told you. / 90
to prepare place for you." n. ' "a
And at last, in the midst Of this comfor..
ting rectal, he is seen to expire--so gently.
that the reading still proceeds some moments
after other watchers have become awafe
that he is already beyond the reach of any
mortal voice. Thus, in charity with all man.
kind. and with words Of the Redeemer in his
ear, conveyed by tones most familiar and be-
owed on earth, his spirit passed from the
/ lworld Of men. , =
The heart refuses to deal with such q re-,
ality. Death never seems SO much usurper
on the domain Of life as at the grave of the
young and the gifted. In fancy, we strive to
complste that brilliant fragment Of history
SO abruptly ended. We are carried forward
into the future, in an effort to picture all that
he might have been to his country and the
world, until drawn back again by these sad
shows Of our loss and sorrow, nothing seems
to US 50 visionary as this feeting life, and
nothing so empty as human greatness. Alasl
the hand Of the victor drops il death At the
moment il is extended to gasp the laurel,
4 GrAlohzo Lombard, celebrated sculd
t4r Of the Emperor Charles ". was . grsa-