Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1869-11-13
LAST WORDS OF GREAT MEN.

There was Chesterfield. Lord Ches
terheld had labored ell his life TO build up
the most shining reputation for adabiiity
and elegance Of speech and manner the
world had ever seen. And could you
suppose he failed to appreciate the Ell
cheney of characteristic last words" in
tae matter of seizing the successfully
driven nail of such o reputation and
ciinching it toreYerf Not be. He had
prepared himself. Re kept bis eye on
the clock and his finger on his pulse
He awaited hig chance. And at last,
when he knew his time wac come, be
pretended to think a new visitor had en-
tered, and 50, with the rattle in his throat,
emphasized for dramatic effect, he said to
the servant, "SpiD around, John, and get
the gentleman a chair" And then be
died amid thunders Of applause.
Next we have Benjamin Franklin /;
franklin, the author Of poor Richards
quaint sayings /; Franklin, the immortal
axiom builder, who used to sit up nights
reducing the rankest old threadbare plat
itudes to crisp and snsppy maxims that
had q nice, vanished, original look IN
their new regimentaIs who said Vir,
tue ia its " reward = who said Pro
c~rastination is the thief Of time !" who
said thine aud tide wait for no man."
and Necessity is the mother OF invent
ION y good old franklin, the Josh Billings
of the eighteenth century though sootb
to say the latter transcends him in the
proverbial originality rs much as be falls
short of him 10 correctness of orthogra-
ply. What sort Of tactics did Franklin
pursue He pondeFed over bis last
words for as much as two weeks, and
then when the time came he said, None
but the brave deserve the fair and died
happy. He could not have said a sweeter
thing if had lived ill be was an idiot.
Byron made g poor business OF il, and
could not thilk Of anything 20 say at the
last moment bat "hugusta-sister-Lady
Byron-tell Harriet Beecher Stowe,p etc;
but Shakespeare was ready. and said.
England expects every man to do his
Duty and then went Of with splendid
eclat.
And there aie other instances of saga
cious preparation for q felicitous closirg
xemark. For instance
Joan of Arc s~aid-"Tramp, tramp,
tramp, the boys are marching"
Alexander the Great" Another Of
those Santa Cruz punches, if you please"
The Empress Josephine said-"N Not
for To-" and could get 20 further.
Cleopatra said" The Old Guard dies,
but never surrenders."
Sir Walter Raleigh said" Execution.
er, can [ take your Wholesome a moment,
please p
John Smith said" Alas, / am the last
of my race"
Queen Elizabeth said-"Ob, I would
give my kingdom for one moment more.
| have forgotten my last words"
And Red Jacket, the noblest Indian
brave that ever welded tomahawk in de
fence of a friendless and prosecuted race,
expired with these touching words upon
his --"Wawkawanwapoosac, WHINE
observation-disclosures saskatchewan
There was not a dry eye in the wigwam.
Let not this lesson be lost upon our
public men. Let them take a healthy
moment for preparation, and contrive
some Last words that viii be neat and TO
the point. Let Louis Napoleon say
am content to follow my uncle !;
stili / do not desire to improve on his
last words, Put me down for 'Tete
d'arme.'"
And Garrett Davis "Let me tecite the
unabridged dictionary"
And Il. G.. " | desire, now. to say a
few words CD political economy
And Mr.. Bergh "Only take part of
me at a time, if the load viii be fatiguing
to the hearse horses"
And Andrew johnson 81 have been
ar alderman, member Of Congress, Gov
ernor, Senator. Pres adieu, you
know the rest" -
And Seward Alaska
And Grant: 60"
All of which is submitted RESPECTFULLY
with the most honorable Intentions
Mark T0ain.
MEAN MEN.-I've known some very
mean men in my time. There was Dea-
con Overreach, now, be was SO mean that
he always carried q hen in his gig box
when he travelled, to pick up the oats his
horse wasted in the manger, and lay an
egg for his breakfast in the morning
Aud then there was Hugo Himmelmau,