Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-02-27

There was no confusion III his thoughts or |
character His mind moved with the precision |
of a clocl-uf one of those antique time pieces, /
which at the same time it keeps the hours, can
also tell the changes of the years and days and |
months and the revolutions Of the moon, per- /
forming many operations at once, and all with /.
wonderful case, beauty and accuracy.
lie had seemingly opposite qualities. lie
possessed the independence and self-reancc of
man, and yet the dillidence and modcsty of
woman He had great courage, and yet he
sometimes appeared timid. lie was very poll
tic, and yet he never sacrificed principle. He
had discriminating and praciced intellect,
united with guilrless simplicity and an un-
spotted character. lie was without malice and
would not have injured his worst enemy. Hewas
frank, generous, and yet reserved and prudent.
lie had perfect honesty, and yet being crafty.
he has caught many witness with guile. His
opposing legal counsel always dreaded his cross
examinations.
Though absorbed in political life, or in the
cares of his profession, he had general liter
ary culture. lie read and studied the books
which are to be found only in the libraries of
scholars. He nev r had collegiate training
yet | have an old edition of Horace filled with
marginal notes in his hand writing. lie lived
within his means, and yet died poor, having re-
ceivcd as sacred trust the debts Of his father
and the care of his widowed mother and or
phane1 brother and sister. He had great re-
inemeut of taste, delighted in the beauties Of
art and nature, and was always wonderfully
moved by sweet and touching music, as by the
very melodies of heaven, and yet was one of
keenest antagoni is in legal case game of
chess that it often falls to the lot of lawyers or
chess players to meet. lie worked better for
other men than he did for himself, and one of
his host friends rhnt,, ho nilpI m oup Of the
most important civil offices in the country, has
freely said "that he never acted in any public
matter without his advice, and never would act
against it,"
He was a very hospitable and courteous gem
tleman, the first to show attention to strangers,
and he had a marvellous facility as a hostin his
own house. There a c but few public men in
the State who cannot testify to his remarkable
urbanity and to his dignifed and general hos
pitality.
Mr.. Merrill was neither a fortune seeker nor
fortune maker. Very few in his profession
are. No one was more generous than he,
though perhaps he did not show his gem
erosity in some of the usual methods of his le-
ga. friends. He was not at all convva man,
and consequently spent very little in social pleas
ures or on convivial occasions. His generosity
was felt in all those public interests that build
up the life Of society. Here he gave sympathy,
labor and money He might have been rich il
he had given his life to money making, for he
was industrious, temperate and frugal. But he
died poor, because in the first place he began at
the rough end of life, with inherited obliga-
tions resting upon him that he felt it honorable
to discharge, and also because he had SO much
confidence in human nature that he more than
once lost large sums by the too generous use o
his name. 1t was venial fault, but it reaped
very bitter fruits and penalties.
But all his other eXcelept qualities were en-
nobed by his Christian principles. These pen
etratel all his habi and modes of thought
and should do him but little justice if failed
to speak of them. From his earliest childhood
he could hardly tell what it was not to be sus-
tained and strengthened by practical faith il
the truths of the gospel. His manhood ant
his religion developed pari paSSU. They Leaned
| ono upon ouotlIvi, and they blended hnr
moniousy to YOU could scarce tell whether HI
was most the clear headed, sagacous lawyer, Of
the contestent Christian gentleman. His re
ligion penetrated his worldly life, and yet neve
was obscure or doubtful. Those who only fel
the sharpness of his professional acumen, nigh
question the carnestnCss Of h 5 religious char
accr, but TO one who knew him in both rela
tons, and never at fault in ether he seemed t.
be no one-sided unSymmetrcal man, but well
| O"""'" ca" WIN i'N'O ~ a., P"i''' ~ w"
hones'' ana therefore dlslikea os'eh'a'loh' can
ana pletISm. lie was truthful as inc SUM- ana s.
had no reilGlous slnSulartIes or ahecta'lcn. II
the GENIAL good humored, atiaolG ana nooi
qu9IitieS OF gentleman, ne auueu the slmpl
ahd uevout piihclpieS ana sentiments Oh chiis
nan hcn he leIi' IN the prime OF me, IN IN
mlust oil MS years. suddenly as ny hghthinS
stroke there was struck from the Church L
which II Is my fortune to be pastor, one ot II
strongest and most beautiful columns. lie dle
on the second day OF May, IN the year 1898
Early on the morning OF that day ne partoo
as usual with his las.ly their hrst meal, LED theI
as was his wont IN Their social worship lett nj
house tor his office, but immediately returned
complained to his wife OF iNntness and Illness
and as she put to his lips the quickly prepare
cordial, he tell forward, without tasting Il, upo
his couch, and with bu: single sigh bid fare
well to the bleak regions where lie The bones
the iather, and entered into a better conntr.
t pass "a the gates OF heavenly city and wa
ushed INTO the glory OF the Divine presehc
above.
Ills neiShbors buried him with great ,gre'
and universal sorrow. His departure bere
them of thousand sympathes, and LETT va
cancy IN the very streets, houses, oihces an
hearts OF his native village. For days alter n
death meA kept hanging the thought OF nm o
all things around them, and they ielt now ION
habit and service had endeared nm TO All the
y n NNNa