Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-12-13
Charles James FOX.

1t was at the time of our visit that
the symptoms of dropsy, the disease of
which Fox died a few months later, be-
gan TO show themselves. His legs were
so swollen that he could not walk he
used to wheel himself about i'm what
was called a "'Merlin chair" indeed
out of this chair | never remember to
have seen him. In many respects his
personal appearance at this time differed
little from that assigned to him i'm the
many prints and pictures still extant
of him. There were still the we'll
formed nose and mouth, and the same
manly, open, and benevolent counte-
nance. But his face had lost that
swarthy appearance, which in the char
acters of the day had obtained for him
the name of ''Nigger"-it was very
pale. His eyes, though watery, twink
eled with fun and good humor. The
thick black beard of true British stuff, ,
had become like that of Hdmlet's father,
ga marbled silvered." He wore a sim
gle breasted coat of light gray color,
with plated buttons as large as half
crowns; thick linsey-wOOlsey waist
coat, sage-colored breeches, dark worst
ed stockings, and gouty shoes coming
over the ankles. Fox was not visible
of a morning. He either transacted
the business of his office, or was occu-
pied in it, or reading Greek Plays, or
French fairy tales, of which last species
of literature l have heard my father
say he was particularly fond. At onc
O'Clock was the children's dinner. We
used to assemble in the dining room !;
Fox was wheeled i'm at the same moment
for his daily basin of foup. That meal
dispatched, he was for the rest of the
day the exclusive property of us child
rem, and we adjourned to the garden
for our game of trap ball. All was now
noise and merriment. Our host, the
Youngest among us, laughed, chaffed,
and chatted the whole time. As he
could not walk, he of course had the
innings, we the bowling and tagging
out; with what glee would he send the
ball in the bushes in order to add to his
score, and how shamelessly would he
wrangle with us whenever we fairly
bowled him out. Fox had been a veIy
keen sportsman-too keen to be sue
cessful one. In his eagerness he would
not unfrequently put the shot into the
gun before the powder. Bob Jeffs, the
Elden gamekeeper, (an heirloom Of the
Admiralty was fond of telling me how
he once marked down a woodcock, and
went 10 the hall with the intelligence.
IL was breakfast time. Up started Fox
from the untasted meal, and gun in
hand followed the keeper. A hat
thrown into the bush flushed the game,
the bird escaped scot free, but Jefi's hat
was blown to pieces. One hot Septem-
ber morning Fox set out from Holk.
ham, fully anticipating good days
snort at Egmere. Mr.. Coke's best part
ridge beat. As was usual with sports
men in those days he started at day
LIGHT. Just as the family was sitting
down to breakfast Fox was sten stag
gering home. Not i'll, l hope, CharlesI'
manfred his host. f.No," was the re-
ply, "only little tipsy." Being thirsty,
he had asked the tenant Of Egmere for a
bowl of milk and was too easily persna-
ded to add thereto certain, or rather
an uncertain, quantity of rum. As a
consequence he passed the rest of the
day in bed instead of the turnip field.
HoIkham shooters were one day driven
home by heavy rain Fox did not ar
rive until some time after the rest; he
had fallen in with one Of Mr.. Coke's
laboring men, who had come for shelf
er under the same tree. The statesman
became so interested in the society OF
the plowman, who gave him an account
of the system of "turnip husbandry'