Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-10-11

'JcaF QuixcT AnAn..-rhepo poetic ei-
enent which Was NOT wanting IN Mr..
AAsm's asssre. though his own sttempt,
20 ssesss are nseh.aicAa and prosaic 10
the la.t desree. 6sds fseqsees expres-
sion IN bis journal, besraying q vein Of
Tenderness and sentiment that affords q
resseshtsg cootfastd 10 the prevailing
AaRsAuess md mt,gouisus of his puddle
lite, Thas afase his return kvo Wssh-
ington o,Quincy,, IN June. ,lsl5, be
whites: 81 saw the sun rise and set
clear from Charles's house On the hin.
The pleasure that take in witness
ing these maguiacsnt pAeaomena Of ma
turs - 1aiatelligible to others end D
suppose. singularity which I sheuld
suppIess o. fenounce. The eensat;ons
which affect me Il the rising and setting
sun are, first, Of adoration 10 the pow.
er and goodness Of the Creator Of this
wonderful universe, mingled in the
morning with thanksgiving for the re-
turn OF the great luminary Of Heaven,
the source Of light and OF life, in the
evening, with sadness at the departure
of this greatest 81 blessings, with q con-
sc,ous sense of the dependence Of all
animated nature upon the constant ben
efcence Of the Creator, and with hum
bic supplication for forgiveness Of my
own errors aud iufirmities, and for the
continuance Of the never ceasing boun-
ties OF the omnipotent and sll-see,ng
God. These sentiments are always the
same, and are rather quickened than
deadened by repetition. / take pleas
ure in iHdulging them, and wish that
my conscience could testify TO the in
fiuence Of these sentiments on my con-
duet in life." Again, a few weeks al
ter, referring to his married life, which
had always been Of . singularly affcc.
t,onate and happy character, he writes
anniversary Of my marriage. Forty.
eight years have since passed away
A small remnant only can be before us.
A merciful Providence has hitherto con-
ducted Us along the path OF life. We
have enjoyed much. We have suffered
not little. Good and evil have fol-
lowed Us alternately. The thread has
been Of checkered yarn. Altogether my
lot has been a happy one on earth, and
every feeling of my heart ought to be
a sentiment Of gratitude to Him who is
the disposer Of events. ! have me,
with bitter disappointments. Heavy
calamities have befallen me. All nv
children, with one exception, have been
taken from me-one in infancy y two in the
prime of life; and this bereavement ha,
once been extended to the second gen.
Grafton. The successive decease Of my
brother Charles, Of my sister, Of my
mother, Of my father and Of my brother
Thomas, have for the last IA year.
lett me the only member of the famil,
of the past and the present generation
surviving on this earth. The commou
theme OF reason is death OF fathers, anc
it is one Of the fatalities of old age tc
follow to the tomb all the joys OF cotem.
porary kindred and friendship.
As those we love decay we die in part:
String after string is severed from the heart.
with regard to what is callthe wheel
Of fortune, my career in life has been
with severe vicissitudes, on the whole
highly ausricious. With advantages o
education perhaps unparalleled, with
principles Of integrity. Of benevolence
Of industry and frugality, and the lofty
spirit of patriotism and independence
taught me from the cradle, with the
love Of letters and the arts, useful and
ornamental, and with aspirations o1
science, limited only by the scanty
spark Of ethereal fire in my soul, my
intercourse with nv cotemporares ha,
in all its fluctuations been more success.
ful than | deserved. My life has been
spent in the public service. Washing.
ton. Madison, Monroe, were nv friend.
and benefac.ors: Jefferson, a hollow and
treachcrous friend: Jackson, Charles J
Ingersoll, George w. Erv,ng, Jonathan
Russell. base, malignant, and lying en-
emies-a list to which | might, but will
not, add other names. have enjoyed
a portion Of the favor Of my country a,
least equal TO my desert, but have suf.
fered, and yet suffer, much from that
slander which outvenoms all the worms
of Nile -