Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-08-29
THE DEATH OF GENERAL LEE.
Interesting Letters from the Late
Mrs. Mary Curtis Lee.
Philadelphia Tiwes.l

Philadelphia Tiwes,l
CHARLOTTEvILLE, VA, August 10.
lin the fall of 1870 we went to Lex
ington to visit General and Mrs. Lee.
Perfectly do | recall my impression
of the General as he advanced to
meet me. The preoccupied, care
worn expression that his face had
worn during the war was gone, and he
looked as | remembered him years
before. He had accepted the results
of the war. There was no reserve OF
bitterness, no useless regrets, but the
brave determination to make his life
useful. 1.-THE true indication of ge-
MUS is the power of concentration
upon any given subject, General Lee
demonstrated it in his active, thor
ough interest in his new duties as
President of a college. One felt
that it was not a forced interest, but
a deep solicitude'for the youth of the
country.
Looking better than for several
years, energetic and active, how was it
possible to realize that death was
waiting in the near future-mereiless
death that needed not a peoples cry
that he might be spared to lead in
peace as he had in war. We doubt
not but that he would have moderated
bitterness and counseled wisely. We
babe him farewell on Monday, Sep
TENDER rs, after several DAYS most
pleasantly spent, and on the Wednes-
day following, suddenly and as a shock
to the whole country, came the avant-
courier of death. [ Will here add a
letter from Mrs. Lee, giving some
details of the sad event and bespeak-
ing her own noble, beautiful cher
acter:
LEXINGTON, November 20, 1885,
My Dear Mrs. -: | should sooner
have replied to your letter, but have
been very sick and confined t. my bed
for a month.
Dear friend, [ am so glad that your
husband and yourself made that visit,
and only wished you could have re-
manned longer. Constantly are we re-
minded how important it is to do WHAT
soever our hand indeth to do. l think
it sometimes important where our
pleasures are concerned, where it does
not interfere with our duties. This
terrible storm, | suppose, has prevent
ed all use of the canal until next sum
mer, so that you would have been en-.
tirely cut off from us.
That Wednesday night, at 7:30
o'clock, after a day every moment Of
which had been filed with cares for
Others and the closing hours to the
vestry meeting Of the church, my
husband came in. We had been wait
ing for him, and l remarked: you
have kept us waiting for a long time.
Where have you been?" He did not
reply, and stood up as if to say grace,
but no sound proceeded from his lips,
and he sat down in his chair, perfect
ly upright and with a sublime look of
resignation on his c%ountenance, but
did not attempt to reply to our in
q%uiries. That look wa never to be
forgotten, and | have no doubt that
he felt then his hour had come,
although he submitted to the doctors /,
who were Immediately summond and
had not even reached their homes
from the same vestry meeting. His
whole demeanor during his illness
showed one who had taxed leave of
earth.
He rarely attempted to speak ex-
cept in his dreams, and then he wan
dered to those dreadful battletields.
Once when - urged him to take
some medicine, which he always took
with reluctance, he looked at her and
said; "'Tis no use," but afterward
took it. When he became so much
better the doctor said: you must
soon get out and ride your favorite
gray" He shook his head emphati-
cally and looked upward. He slept a
great deal. but knew US all and greeted
us with a kindly pressure of the hand,
loving to have us around him. For
the last forty-eight hours he seemed
quite insensible of our presence,
breathed heavily, and at last quietly
sunk to rest with one deep drawn
sigh. Oh, what a glorious rest was in
store for him-the humble, consistent
Christian, who, not many weeks be-
fore, had said, when we were talking
of the assurance of heaven, he wished
he could feel that assurance. He will
be surprised at the welcome: "WelI
done, good and faithful servant, enter
thou into the joy Of thy Lord"
Had he been successful, instead Of
the Hero Of a lost cause" he could
not have been more beloved and hon
ored.
l am content and would not have
him back, though l must continue my
weary pilgrimage alone, without the
support on which l have leaned with
such perfect confidence for more thar
thirty years. We shall continue to
make this our home. l could not beal
to move into a new house, and my OWE
Arlington is not open to me.
When the canal is open come and
visit US again.
Believe me always truly and affec-
tionately your friend.
MARY CURTIS LEE.
Use Tabler's Buckeye PileO intment