Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-05-09
How Senator Linn's Life was Saved.

lHOS6 VIII uIe IdlLltldT WIFI Tie pOllIlcal |
history of our country twenty years ago, re-
member well DIR. Linn, of Missouri. Dis
tinguished for talent and professional ability,
and yet more for the excellence ofhis heart,
he receiyedby a distinction as rare as it was
honorable, the unanimous vote of the Leg
~islature for the office of Senator Of the Uni
ted States.
In the discharge ofhis Congressional du-
ties he was residing with his family in
Washington City during the spring and sum-
mer Of 1910, the last year of Mr.. Van Blu
ren's administration
One day during the month of May of that
year, DIR. and Mrs. Linn received an invita-
ton to a large and formal dinner party, Civ
en- by q public functionary, and to which
the most prominent member of the admin
~istration party, including the President him.
self, and our chief Magistrate, Mr.. Buchan-
an, were invited guests. DR.. Linn was very
anxious to be present, but when the day
came, finding himself suffering from an at
tack of Indigestion, he begged his wife to bear
his apology in person, and make one of the
dinner party, leaving him at home. To this
she somewhat reluctantly consented. She
was accompanied to the door Of their host
by a friend, Gen. Jones, who promised to re-
turn and remain with DR.. Lin during the
evening.
At the table, Mrs. Linn sat next to Gener-
al Macomb, who had conducted her to dinner,
fundamentally opposite her sat Silas Wright,
Senator from New York, the most intimate
friend of her husband, and a man by whose
death, shortly after, the country sustained an
irreparable loss.
Even during the early part of the din
ner, Mrs. Linn felt very uneasy about her
husband. She tried to reason herself out of
fhic nc cha Inau~ that bic p1icnoritiou yra
not at all serious, but in vain. She men-
toned her u~neasiness to General Macomb
but he reminded her of what she herself had
! previously told him-that Gen. Jones had
: promised to remain with DR.. Linn, and that
in the very contingency of any sudden i'll
ness, he would be sure to apprise her OF 1t.
Notwithstanding these representations, as
dinner drew near to a close, this unaccoun-
: table un%easiness increased to such IN un-
comfortable impulse to return home, that as
n she expressed it to me, she felt she could not
! sit there a moment longer. Her sudden pal
: lor was noticed by Senator Wright, and ex-
cited his alarm.
ss 81 an sure you are i'll, Mrs. Linn" he
a said, "what is the matter ?
!" She replied she was quite well, but thai
4 she must return to her husband.
Mr.. Wright sought, as General Maeomt
y bad done, to calm her fears; but she replied
!. to him
"a eIf you wish to do me a favor, for which
~ shall be grateful while I live, make some OK
W cuse to our host so that we can leave the table
- Seeing her so greatly excited, he complies
" with her request, though they were but the
serving the dessert, and Mr.. Wright accom-
~ ~ panied Mrs. Linn home.
"a AS he was taking leave of her. at tn
~ door of her lodgings, Senator Wright sand
o' 81 shall call tomorrow morningssan and hay
=. a good laugh with the doctor and yesrse
over your panic apprehension
,mt As Mrs. Linn passed hastily up stairs, 81
met the landladyand inquired
oon ssHow is Dr. Linng !"
every well, j believe . was the reply; Il
took a bath more than an hour ago, and
Inu dare say Is sound aslee8 b this time &c
vac eral Jones saidhe was dgibg extremely well
toI THE GeneraTls with Him, is he not ?
81 believe not 1fh5nk I~saw him pa
=, out about half an iopeago.n
In a measure FeaSs Rfeds MysFLtan haste
.in, ed to her husbandss c1aHlber, the door
which was closed. Aksehesopened it a der
smoke burst out upon her in such stiff
e1H', quantity that she staggered and fell on
threshold Recovering herself, after a
an seconds, she rushed into the room. I
ihA bolster was on fire, and the feathers burr
hose with a bright glow, and a suffocating cd
rse She threw herself upon the bed; but
.aso fire, half smothered till that moment, v
Very nnd L;njyinn NO s7ddon aame canobt
each - 1T 49, - go - Tsza ;1 .
slant. AT the same time, her eye fell
the large bath-tub, which had been used
her husband She sprang into it, ex
oom- gushing her burning dress; then return
hin to the bed, she caught up a pillow and
:. sheet that were on fire, seorching her ar
"a in so doing, and plunged both into the b
hon Finally, exerting her utmost strength,
! ~ drew from the bed her insensible husbs
4 NJ " 1t was then only that she called to the
iata pie of the house for aid
Io DIR. Sewall was instantly summoned,
it was full half an hour before the suff
th;nt gave any signs whatever of returning
nation. He did not leave his bed for ne
a week, and it was three months before
s"n fully recovered from the effects of this accid
h1%ays "How fortunate it was" said DR.. Sc
~: to Mrs. Linn, "that that you arrived at
very moment you did Five minutes I
tb.t may, three minutes, and in all hu
Now, Pulo - ~i,,
with NJ w. an,. sSsmad ., h had 80
.,e T the next morning. "Well, Mrs Linn"
: he, smiling, syou have found out by this
.,.,, how foolish that strange presentimer
rate. yours was"
,yself, lad him 70 p h;s fr;end scarcaIy yet ali
- speak; and then she showed him the ren
h of the half consumed bolster, and part
- burned bedlinen. Whether the sight cl
49, ed his opinion on the subject of presentim,
al;4abs cannot tell; put Mrs. Linn said he tt
oamo as pale as a corpse, and did not utter a '
oahle had all of the above particulars from
I. i Linn herself, together with permissi'
- u ~. publish them in illustration of the sub
rs A'ps an treating, attesting by dates and ma
At the moment that Mrs. Linn was
= ihaNe impressed, no condition of things e1
..,:. which, to human perception, could int
"a n danger, and unless we refer the Wit
@a 1sO' chance coincidence, the case is oneinvol,
warning presentiment.-From Queens
az ake; tiaHs on. the Boundaries Of Another Wol
tie, the
in no Young Men.