The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-04-30
THURSDAY NIGHT.

Manchester is in tears. \ great sorrow
lies upon the public heart. Every eye is
red with weeping, and every heart is sick
with anguish. Faces once radiant with
hope are now Shroudcd with despair
Houses once alive with song and mirth are
now silent. or else Cchoing with sad Ia
mcntS. Offices where once gathered the
sons OF power and wit are now as huShcd
and lonely as the "dcScrtcd banquet hall"
The venerable guardians of our property and
peace who once strobe our streets with the
sccptrc of power in their hands are now
piming under the weight of Il mighty grief.
Alas, the Grape of mourning hangs at the
door of every heart. How can | essay To
make known the story of this peoples ca
lamity! Would that the task had fallen
into worthicr hands. My binding tears
and riYen heart will plead for mercy i'll my
behalf if my duty as IN historian is poorly
done.
For some time it has been whispered that
the health of our Board of Trustees was
failing. Those who vcnturcd To inquire
into this matter. returned from the invcsti-
cation with troubled looks, but said nothing.
The Official Board, ignorant OF the near
approach of death, mcrrily chidcd the anX-
icties of their friends.
How inSidiouS is disease and how brittle
the thread of human existence
During last week decided change for
the worse was observable in the condition
of the Board. In fact it became manifest
10 all that the case was an exceedingly
critical one. and would require the prompt
est and most Skiltul treatment. Accord
ingly. q celebrated physician, DR.. "ln No
Ccncc," was engaged to undertake the
ease. He recommended Il heavy dose Of .Tted
iron (ch y To be given i'll the greatest dis
patch Unfortunately, the metal selected
for this purpose was touched with rust, and
gave the patient considerable trouble.
Notwithstanding this mistake, the Symp-
toms were regarded as more favorable.
Indeed, the recovery of the failing Board
was confidently spoken of by lis friends.
The physician lit his pipe with the match
of triumph, and gailv informed those who
called that the puZzling question, to be
or not to be-" so long agitatcd by the
noble patient, was finally settled in favor
of being. Alas, how tranSciCnt is human
JOY. During the same day, the Board cX-
hibitcd the most unmistakable signs of de-
lirium. That tickle reason had unccrcmo-
niouSly taken its flight was diStressingly
plain. The rawlings of the diseased func-
tionary filled the heart of the sympathetic
people with unusual emotion. 1t is a we'll
known fact that a common form of deli
rum is that in which the imagination is
active while the other faculties Of the
mind are apparently suspended. This was
the case with the lamcnted subject of this
article. The suffering Board was possessed
with the queer intatuation that conspi-
racy had been organized for its dcStruc-
ton, and nothing but taxation could avert
the impending danger. Very frequently
would the heroic patient burst into Il wild,
rattlng laugh, and incohcrently cxclaim,
" Ha they would stab their venerable and
invisible fathers, and have never paid their
taxes" This hallucination was said TO
have been encouraged, il not originated,
by distinguished conjuror from the myS-
teriouS region of Skin-quarter. 1t is sad
to say that it lasted the groaning func-
tionary to the day of death.
On Saturday the patient was declared
to be gradually sinking. Sleep was i'm
possible, and the hopes Of recovery aban-
doncd. Several relatives and friends came
in from the piney bowers of Chesterfield
to assure the stricken power OF their un-
abated admiration and sympathy. Ap-
pearances were so disheartcning to them
that they left in tears, and returned no
more.
The Sabbath, designed as day of rest,
was a restless day with the noble sufferer.
Those who loved them, despite the claims
OF religion, the popularity of our minis
tiers, and the superior church going quality
Of our community, forgot their sanctuary
privileges, and passed the day in nursing
and comforting the object of their concern.
Now comes the saddest part of my duty.
Monday came. As is often the case when
death is approaching, the victim on that
morning grew stronger aud more cheerful.
At sunrise, a number of esteemed friends
repaired to the Town Hall and recorded
their conviction that death ought not, and
they sincerely hoped would not, take their
dear friend away. This touching eXhibi-
tion cheered the patient unspeakably. 1t
is believed that at that moment there was
some chances in favor of recovery. Just
then an untoward event occurred which
turned the scale of destiny against the
rcyiying sufferer. An old quack. in at
tempting to remove all misapprehcnsion
on the tax question, oyer-taxed the energy
of the Board and brought on the sweat OF
death.
AT 5 o'clock the mournful news was
whispered abroad that the Board was