The Portland daily press., 1863-11-12

ness than for anything else. | have never
known man whose benevolent regard for
Others comfort and happiness was more natu-
rally and If / may so speak, more unconscious
ly manifested on all occasions, than his He
was as polite rs q Frenchman and rs hearty in
it all as an Irishman. His politeness was not
an acquired art but the outfowing Of a benev-
olent nature, the visible smile of tender and
loving heart. Such man could not but
make most atiectionate husband and
parent. He was twice married. His first
vile was daughter Of Hon. John Holmes,
widely known for her beauty and accom-
plishments. She had four children. the
youngest of whom died in infancy. The
eldest is the wife of Rev. Wm. H.
Wilcox, of Reading Mass. The other two
are young lawyers in our own State - Hon.
John Holmes Goodenow, at present residing
in Alfred, and Henry Clay Goodenow, of Lew
iston. The mother of these children died in
1910. The second wife OF Judge Goodenow
twhom he married in 1s4s), is daughter of
the late Judge Dana, of Fryeburg, and was
the widow of Henry B. Osgood ESQ.,, of
Portland. They had one daughter, who is
still living. As might be expected of one pos
sessing SO much child-likc transparency and
af1ectionateness, Judge Goodenow was very
fond Of children and always won his way at
once to their discriminating little hearts. His
o"n euiiaien "h'ie reveriiig MIN as ialher,
at the-same time conhdingly loved him as a
companion and friend.
As lawyer and judge he was character
lied by the clesrness and promptness with
which he looked through all side issues upon
the main point in the controversy. He had
an emlnentiy practical mind. He always re-
garded his profession and the entire machinery
oi jurisprudence not as an end but simply as
means ior the attainment OF public justice
anu the promotion oil the public welfare; and
always Keeping these ends in view he was
much more disposed than are some of his pro-
iession TO sacrifice the letter of the law rather
than the spirit, when, as will sometimes hap
pen, there was an evident collision between
them. lie believed that law was made-for
man and not man for the law. When in any
doubt IN regard to the application OF inter-
probation oil statute his mind would at once
lail back not merely upon verbal niceties or
even Judicial precedent, but especially upon
the broad principles OF justice which underlie
all human legislation. He was not theorist
nor an sbstractionst but eminently COM
nonsense lawyer and judge.
As christian he was humble and trustful.
In early life he united with the church in
Brownfield, and after his removal to Alfred,
though prevented by certain phraseology of
the creed from uniting with the church there,
he was yet wont as long as the bylaws of the
church would allow, to testify his love for the
Savior by meeting with bis people around
the sacramcntal table. He was not a specu-
lative, but as might be expected from the
cast OF his mind, practical christian. He
cared little, less perhaps than he ought, for
theological formulas. His child-like nature
gave character to his feelings toward his
Maker; for with an immovable assurance of
the universal providence Of God, he cheer
fully and trustfully recognised himself and all
his interests as in the hand OF Him "who
doeth all things wcll.' Faithfully conscien-
tious in conforming to his own convictions oc