The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-09-03
A Day of Despair.

,hooting. All hope was al one tune
abandoned, even by the attending
surgeons and Mrs. Garfield. The
morning bulletin was anxiously look
ed fer. 1t was strictly non-commlt-
tai, and gave no indication of the
doctors opinion as to the length OF
time the President could survive. 1t
said that he had slept some; that he
had taken food at intervals that the
enemata had been administered at
intervals, but the pulse was more
frequent, and that he was feebler. In
the last two facts the story OF the
ebbing life was told. The temper
allure going down and the pulse going
up were the sure precursors of disso-
luton.
Mrs. Garfield knew that, and she
asked DR.. Boynton, who stood in the
library, if it was not the unmistak-
able sign.
SIT usually is" was his reply.
as it near at hand ?" she asked
again.
II fear it is" he answered.
within few hours ?" she persis-
ted.
perhaps not to-day"
AT this moment Miss Mollie Gar
field. the only daughter, drew near
Accompanying her was Miss Rock
well, Miss Mollie's constant friend.
The conversation was dropped, DIR.
Boynton speaking of some irrelevant
matter. But Miss Mollie wanted to
know then and there the facts. She
asked her mother, who said:
"We hope for the best; your father
still lives"
The girl broke forth with tears and
sobs. Her mothers sad tones, if not
her words, told the story and con-
yeyed the terrible truth to her young
mind. Her companion tried to COM
fort her with kind words and caresses,
but the child was almost hysterical
and DIR. Boynton came forward and
led her away.
Before 7 O'Clock bulletins of the
Presidents condition had been con-
yeyed to the members of tine cabinet,
and half an hour later all of them
had come to the executive mansion.
1t then seemed as if the President
would pass away within few hours.
There was nothing in his condition
to lead any one to suppose he might
not. DIR. Reyburn said he thought
the end was near at hand, and DIR.
Barnes believed that death must
come in a little while. The cabinet
was told that the end was fast ap-
preaching and there was no room for
hope. For an hour the doctors hung
over the bed and watched their
natinnt- He did not speak to thouI,
but his mind was clearing. 1t seemed
to be the last effort of nature to give
deaths victim one moment of con-
troll over his fast fading faculties.
Swain and Rockwell came into the
room and stood at the foot of the bed.
Mrs. Garfield stood over it, near his
head, and spoke to him. He under
stood her and smiled and replied in
whispers. He recognized Rockwell
first and then Swain, and over his
distorted face, swollen out of all rec
egnition of its handsome lines and
proportions, came smile. The eyes
lighted with intelligence, and he
moved his head SO as to see who else
was there.
AT that moment the pulse was
taken. 1t was stronger than before
and more regular. 1t was at this
hour that Blaine's O'Clock dispatch
to Minister Lowell was sent. The
crowd about the gate and in the
streets had heard nothing foran hour,
and the closing words of the dispatch,
1.-THE symptoms are of the most
alarming character" gave color to a
rumor actively circulated in the
streets that the President could not
survive the next hour. When it was
found that he was not losing ground
word of encouragement went out
that death was not likely to occur
during the forenoon. But an even
more alarming change took place
soon afterward, and the hope that
had sprung up by the appearance of
a favorable change barely percep-
tible, 1t is true-disappeared with the
recurrence of the fiuttering pulse,
that at one time was up to 148. Every
time the President moved the pulse
changed. If he turned his head it
Jumped from 40 to 1870. If he shifted
his shoulders and moved his arms it
sprang to 140. 1t was responsive to
the slightest movement and quick to
answer the effect of any exertion.
All the time the word was given out
that there was no change.
For hours Mrs. Garfield sat In tba