The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-02-17

Alice Crawford, by whom he had fou1
. children-Freelove c. and John c., botI
of whom died in childhood, and Freelovt
c., born p March, 1856, and another
about December, 1889. From this last
date Mrs. Arnold slowly declined, till she
! died 8 April, 1890 He was tenderly at.
. tached to her, am mourned her loss with
} sincere grief In about four months, how
ever, he began to seek consolation for his
!, sorrows, in the method practiced by wild
overs, " from time whereof the memory
of man runneth not to the contrary.
He writes to friend in Winchester, n.
H., under date of 10 August, 1885,
"1ime begins to hang heavy on my hands
in this lonely place, in lonely circumstan-
ces, and l must be down with you as soon
as may be to provide a remedy for part of
the evil" Enos Stevens of Barnet was
in similar g lonely circumstances" and
they made arrangements together for a
reconnaissance IN force among the marriage
able women of Southern New HAMPSHIRE.
| Their object, however, was accomplish
ed without going any farther than Charles
town, n. II. There they called upon
Samuel Stevens, who advised them that
Cynthia Hastings and Sophia Grout were
the very women they were in quest Of
Mrs. Stevens accordingly invited the Ia
dies to tea, leaving it for the gentlemen to
accompany them home and make the
needful proposals. They came, as unsus-
picious of the snare that was set for them
as the Sabine virgins of the plot of the
Roman citizens. The evening sped swift
ly away and the gentlemen became fully
persuaded that their host had said no more
than the truth when he assured him that
Sophia and Cynthia were the very women
for them-eSpecially Cynthia, for The su-
perior charms had captivated both In
view of such a contingency, however, it
had been wisely provided tha! Mrs West,
neighbor who had also been invited to
tea, should be the arbitrator and that from
her decision there should be no appeal
Her Judgment was accordingly put in re-
QUESTION, and she decided that DIR. Arnold
should accompany Miss Hastings home,
while Mr.. Stevens should perform escort
duty to Miss Grout. The gentlemen.
cheeriully acquiesced in her decision DR..
Arnold somewhat the more cheerfully of
the two and such proceedings were there
upon had that Miss Grout soon became
Mrs. Stevens, and Miss Hastings. Mrs.
Arnold. 1t may safely be presumed that
time hung less heavily upon the doctor
hands than ii had done before
In 1890 Dr. Arnold WAS elected Il
member of Gov. Chittcndcn's council and
reelected in l19l and 1902 In 1892 he
was elected chief justice of Orange county
court under the law 10y which county
courts were held by the chief justice and
two assistant Jjud ges, all living in the conn
ty. In l79l he was chosen one of the
original trustees of the university of Yer.
mont. He was then i'll the state of his
adoption. as he had been in the state o
his nativity, Il man of position and intiu,
ence, and bein. still in the prime of life
he mi sht reasonably have expected to st.
tain yet greater honors and more extern
slve usefulness. Whatever hopes h(
might have had in this regard were de
feated by death, which took place Feb.
1893, when he was but little more thar
tifty-onc years of age.
DIR. Arnold was of robust form, o
rather more than medium stature. and O
a sangulne temperament. His manners
had been polished by much intercous,
, with the world, and he was frank. socia
and accessible, but courtly and dignified
he had moreover an intexiblc will of hi.
own, to which all around him had to yield
In the little settlement of st. .Johnsbury
he was monarch of all he surveyed. Tn
less tradition does him injustice, he some
times exercised his authority unduly. 1
is related AS one instance of this. tha
when the first bridge over the Passumpsi,
was building, he caused the workman t,
$ $ carry the plank over the string g-pieces an,
begin laying them on the opposite side o
the river, instead of allowing them t,
commence on the side where the plank
: were.
Il cannot tell how the truth may be;
say the tale as twas said to me-
In regard to Mr. Arnold's intellectual
ability and requirements, there is almos
no evidence except what is furnished 10y
his letters. He was not a literally edu
Gated man, but had strong mind, was
clear thinker and ready writer His styl
was neat and forceable, and his writing
!, were occasionally adorned with quotation
e which showed familiarity with the bes
d authors of his day. lie appreciated tn
$ advantages of liberal education for hi
children; two of whom were graduated
n and attained to eminence. one in lteratur
It and the other in political life.
s Mr.. Arnold was a religious man. @
l. this there is no lack of evidence in his let
}, ters. The pecuniary reverses he encoun
0 tered, and the many domestic affections h
y suffered were doubtless among the mean
it of refining and elevating his religious char
n acter. The Divine sovereignty and tn
:, duty of his submission of the Divine wi
e seem frequently to have been the subjec
G of his thoughts. In letter announcin
70 IL, l.a4l, .f Ii: coaonl ..z:l> L.