Litchfield enquirer., 1859-01-13
THE LATE BENJAMIN F. BUTLER

RECOLLECTION OF HIS LAST DAYS. The American Presbyterian contains an in teresting letter from passenger who went out in the steamer Arago in company with the late Benjamin E. Butler, which we subjoin. It is dated,
 PARIS Nov. 13.
 Before this reaches you, you will doubtless have heard of the death of the Hon. B. F. Butler, who has occupied one of the highest offices which our nation can bestow. Mr. But Ter sailed from New York in the Arago on tlle 18th of October the steamer in which we en- parked. Up to this time, and for several days afterward, we were personally entire strangers to each other. His honorable posi- tion of course made him conspicuous yet he was first brought particularly to our notice on the second Sabbath after we sailed, by taking part in the religious services held in the cabin, and conducted in the Episcopal form.
 An honorable gentleman from New York read prayers, an estimable citizen of Philadel- phia the lessons for the day, and Mir Butler sermon by Dr. Stevens of St. Andrews Church, Philadelphia, upon the text " A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind Q cov- ert from the tempest as rivers of water in dry place as the shadow of great rock in a weary land" (Isaiah 32: 2.) knew mo- thing of his religious character, and the mere fact of his being willing to read sermon un- der such circumstances, was in itself no proof of his piety. Yet there was an earnestness in his manner, especially in the closing appeal to sinners, that inspired the belief that he had al- ready obtained for himself the shelter of this promise. ~..t think it was on the following Tuesday that we were sitting in the bow of the vessel, i'm medately after diuner, when he joined us and commenced conversation. We were nearing 1 the Isle of Wight, and it's well-known beauty suggested ready topic In an instant he turned it to religious account by complaining of the littleaess of an author, who, while pro- fessing to write for the public, had described elaborately every earPs seat upon the island, | and yet had totally failed to make the slight est allusion to what was of infinitely more inl- portance to mankind-the church where Leigh Richmond preached, and the house where the Dairyman's daughter lived and died re- beating that the literary ability of Leigh Richmond should have entitled him to q con sricuous position in the annals of the Isle of 1 Wight, even from those who might not be able to appreciate his religious power. He spoke with regret of the alterations and omissions which the Tract Society had deemed it neces- sary to make in their small edition of the Dairyman's Daughter" from dread Of the frequent mention of the church prayer-book and liturgy being misconstrued into sectarian- ism.
 When denominations are mentioned in the course of conversation between those who are comparatively strangers, there is generally a hesitation in speaking out the mind freely, lest unwittingly some i-timed remark may wound
 the feelings, and be regarded as personal
 Under this impression, and wishing to have a perfect understanding, said, "We are Pres
 byterans." To my great surprise, he answer ed quickly, So am l." He then continued the subject by stating that, under God he ow- ed his conversion to the tract of which we
 were speaking. From Leigh Richmond we
 branched off to other wrters-Milton and l Cowper Of the past. and Bryant and Irving
 among those of the present time. He quoted
 various extracts from these, which he consid- T cred as especially worthy of notice, mention
 ing particularly Milton's sonnet,
 T {" When consider how nay life is spent &c.
 and Bryants Thanatopsis," y the closing lines 2 Of which he repeated with solemn earnest
 ness: = So live that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan that moves ,ds1 ?. 10 that mysterious realm where each shall take ], His chamber in the silent halls of death, 2s 1 They go, not like the quarry slave at night,
 Scou'ged to his dungeon, but sustained an' soothed .FeH By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave z Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch $ About him and lies down to pleasant dreams
 The author of these last be alluded to as on