Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-06-30
"A Sad Story.
DEATH OF A PAGE AT THE NATIONAL
CAPITOL" TRUTH STRANGER THAN
FICTION"

tltnde that the last victim OF death at
the Capitol fell, but the simple story Of
the hard struggles and beautifully sad
end of a poor young life is nevertheless
full of meaning. Frederick Peck has
been for number of years riding
page at the Senate. His father,
Frenchman of uncommon mental quail
ties, was educated for the priesthood,
but becoming skeptical in religion he
turned his attention to botany, became
eminent in his profession, travelled in
foreign countries, and, it is said, gather
ed the rare plants and shrubs which first
formed the nucleus of what is now the
Botanical Gardens. In later life, be-
coming unfortunate, he lost his property
and also became blind. Fred's mother,
to whom he was devotedly attached, and
who was an earnest Christian, died four
years ago, and he was left upon the cold
charities of the world. Through the
kind intervention of ex-senator Drake
he was appointed page to the Senate,
where, though always obliging and faith
ful in the discharge of duties, he drifted.
just as boy charged with his own re-
sponsibility naturally would. For
while his salary supported his blind faith
er, but then came the long recess of Con-
gress, during which he was unemployed,
and could rarely get outside work, and,
becoming involved in debt, he was final
ly obliged to let his father 60 to the hos
pital. Last summer our waif was found
by lad who kept picture stand at the
Capitol, without money, without food or
where to lay his head and in forlorn
and desperate mood. In his helpless
and almost hopeless agony ne communi-
Gated to another page the idea of self
destruction, but was by him persuaded
to +" trust in Providence little longer"
His condition so touched the heart of
the lad that he took him home and with
tears besought his mother to take him
in. At the widows house he found
home, friends and the best of counsel,
and it was perhaps as much through his
appreciation of her hospitality, and the
great desire he evinced to do everything
in return that he was led to the Sabbath
School and to attend the Hammond re-
viyal meetings, which after weighing the
skepticism with which he had been as
socated on the one hand, and his moth
er's faith on the other, he decided for the
latter and took firm stand for the
right. When Congress assembled last
fall Mr.. French reappointed him riding
page, and though in apparent health, a
few weeks ago, while in the saddle, he
was attacked with violent hemorrhage
of the lungs. A physician was called
who seemed to think little could be done
for him, and he fingered for eight weeks,
carefully nursed and tenderly cared for
by his foster mother, who eagerly sought
every remedy and every relief for him
as slowly but with given certainty his
/, young feet tottered down the dark val
| ley of the mystic river Last Saturday
night he called to her " Mother, come to
me, | feel so queer; am dying just
stay here beside me-" then came the
prolonged agony of terrible night, and
on Sunday morning, just as the chimes
were resounding over the city, calling
thousands of children to Sabbath School,
the poor boy peacefully and quietly
breathed his last-not alone, not friend
less for in his last hours he had many
friends, and there clung to him one who,
with all the devotion of mothers heart,
held the cold hand to the last, bathed
the pale brow with tears, and oh, SO ten
derly, as only woman could, closed the
dying eye. She had befriended him in
health, watched him night and day in
sickness, received the last message to
absent friends, and yesterday, according
to his wish, they laid him in her family
burial place at Glenwood.
The officers of the Senate, and pages,
his former associates. attended the fu-
neral, in body, three of them who
were his most intimate friends, and three
young men from his church WESLEY
Chapel, acting as pail bearers. We are
obliged to omit a great many interesting
and touching details in the history Of
the case, much of which transpired un-
der our own observation, but sufficient
is given to illustrate the want and strug-
Cling often existing in our midst, and
the Good Samaritans occasionally to be
found. 1t was of such befrienders of
the helpless that the Master said, "In-
asmuch as ye have done it unto the least
of these, he have done it unto Me-"
fhanaas Of NIarria0a