Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-12-08
The Death of Washington Irving.

more. lie died on Monday, November zoSh, a'
his residence at Sunnyside, on the banks OF the
Hudson, aged seventy-scyen years and seven
months He retired to his room about ten
clock feeling more languid than usual, and
complaining of pain in hs side, but apparently
not more unwel than he had been for several
months past Just us he reached Lis room, and
while lis niece was near him, he suddenly fell,
and in a moment wills gene. y physician was
som with Linn, but , NOR al ii could avail To
bring him back. HIS fam rals1vice took place
m Wednesday, in the I. p cupaI Church Of lar
rytuwn. of which Mr.. Iiym4 was a orMmtni
ant. All busin 81 wa s.sIo t'ed, and pc4l
noted in the highest prof Sslon, lron New Yrrk.
Puilad,llhia, Boston ard othfr cities, together
with large cupcourse OF thoSr in humber life,
were there t., sp,c the last remains Of The Fathe:
OF American Lat ratCre.
Tie day was clear and warm, the landscape
melluwcd with tho haz' Of the lingering Indian
summer, aud the broad f,lpan Ire, the west
ern uplands, and the runllnc businesses of the
" WoIicrts kuust, never III n,hd in more pic
turesquo harmony But the Magician, who
had dwclt amid and loved tic scene, was silent
foreyer-thc charm was broken. and the wand
snapped in twain
The remains Were, on Wednesday morning,
for the fist tme placed in Il coffin, and while
lying in the north wtst parlor of the quantity
gablcd cottage, familiar to those who have low
ed to read of Irving, to all was granted long,
Inst lank of thn dust il Left fnrpVpr
the spot where his years We're so ripe and lus-
trous. Very few were present, except the i'm
mediate family connections, it being under
stood that no services were to be held at the
house. Js sss es.-.
The body was robed in, plain black suit
with white cravat and collar and as the light
struck the features of the deceased, it seemed
almost as if he were sleeping--so calm and
smooth had the touch of death left them. The
face was thinner, but there was the same re-
pose, and the same imaginative noble brow
At the left of the coffin ing the celebrated por
trait by Jarvis; by its side were the centre ta-
ble-as be left it, covered with books-and his
favorite chair, standing in the position where
he occupied it last. 1t seemed as if the grief of
the bereaved ones was tempered even there and
then by the thought of his wel-rounded life,
and the euthanasy that was his lot.
At about IL NJ. the family procession left
Sunnyside, with the body, winding through the
lovely grounds to the east, and then two miles
nortI, over the road lined with beautiful trees
and mansions, to the Church in the village of
Tarrytown,
The body was received at the church porch
by DR.. Creighton and Rev. Mr. Spencer-the
latter, as the procession moved up the aisle re-
citing the intiatory verces of the Episcopal SER
vice for the Burial of the Dead 81 am the
resurrection and the life, &c." DR.. Creighton
read the remaining portion of the service, APP
pointed by the ritual to be read within the
walls of the church, the choir chanting the last
three verses of the Goth hymn 60 Behold til
innumerable host" and the anthem, " Lord
let me tnow my end
AT the entrance of the funeral cortege into
the church, the coffin was placed on a stand
Immediately before the rails of the altar 1t
was made of newly polished rosewood, with
massive silver mountings. On the plate was
the simple inscription. " WASHINGTON IRVING,
born April Is, 1888. Died November %, Is
So On the lid were laid three large chap
let's of camelias and iaponicas, intertwined with
ivy and white and cloth of gold roses. At the
close of that portion of the service which took
place within the church, Dr. Creighton an,
nounced that the lid would be opened to enable
all who were so disposed to take final look at
the face of the deceased. For nearly an hour
did the stream of mourners flow by, each lnger-
ing but an instant at the coffin, and passing
down the north aisle out of the church, while
continually those who before were unable tc
obtain admittance, entered by the south door
and in their turn took their farewell glance al
the countenance of the dead. At the least es
timaton over five thousand persons thus passed
through the church.
The relatives of Washington Irving who
were present, were his elder brother Mr. Ebe
nezer Irving, nine years his senior; his nephews
Rev. Theodore Irving, Mr.. Pierre M. Irving
Rev. Pierre P, Irving Mr.. Moses H Grinnell
Mr. Irving Grinnel, Mr.. Irving Van Writ, Mr.
Sanders irving Mr.. Oscar Irving, Mr.. Edgar
Irving and the three neces Of the deceased.
The Cemetery of Tarlytown adioins the ole
burying ground and is situated about mile
from the Episcopal Church. About half way
stands the monument to Paulding, Williams
and Van Writ, the captors of Andre. But q
short distance from the entrance is the stream
Pocantico, which lcabod Crane was wont tc
cross, on his counting visits to the blooming
| idi uIuHItc1, DclOlG DTUul DOIltS, PERSONA
ting the Hcadless Hessian, hurled at him The
immortal pumpkin Sleepy Hollow is within
IL stoues cast, and the spot where the old bridge
was and now is not, where the spectral trooper
decapltated himself lies, not very many rod
away The new bridge yesterday was over arch
ed with mourning drapery and branches of yew
AT the entrance of the old graveyard is thu
small, quaint, memorable Dutch church, about
which the genius of Irving will linger as long
as one stone remains upon another. 1t bears
on stone above the porch the inscription
" Erected by Frederick Phillips and Catharn,
Van Cortland, his wife, in l609." very no
ticeable church indeed. Generation after gen
Grafton have worshiped there. There IchaboC
Crane performed noticeable tunes on very print
tive instruments. Around its porch did til,
denizens of Sleep hollow, en- the Sabbath follow
ing his ride with the Hessian spectre, discuss
with many shakings of the head, the mystery
of his disappearance.
Adjoining this old ground is Tarrytown Gem
etery, in which is the enclosure belonging tt
the Irving family. 1t isabout forty feet square
and is surrounded bya private hedge. Their,
are ten graves in it.
Next to the graves of William Irving, 1907
Sarah Sanders Irving, 1917, the mother anC
father Of Washington Irving. There renowned
son was yestaday buried. Only nine days ago
he visited the spot, and looking on the grave o
his mother, pointed to the then vacant space
adjoining her grave, and said to his companion
l." shall soon be there"
The services at the grave, consisting of tina
portion of the Episcopal ritual commencing
. Man, that is born of woman was recitec
by Rev. DR.. Creighton, all the clergy joined il
the Lords Prayer, and the Christ Church choi,
chanting the verse, heard a voice from Heav
en-. The scene was an affecting one, an(
their grief is sacred.
l01 po' woI h D"rrH Sa rs H On tn
River, overlooking Sleepy Hollow and othel
places. which touched by his magical pen, will
be forever famous. AS the earth was bein,
cast upon the coffin, the sun was sinking imme
ldiately in the view of the spectnto tors IT. wa