Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1882-04-01

1882.
LONGFELL0W's DEATH.
Americas Venerable Poet Sinks
Peacefully to Rest.
Attacked with Perltonitis After a
Walk on his Piazza on saturday
Gradually SINKING with
Periods Of UnconsclOus.
ness Until the End
Grief In Cam.
bridge.
CAMBRIDGE, March "a. Henry
WadswOrtb Longfellow is dead. The
end came almost suddenly, 80 teebiy
did his exhausted frame resist the at
tack of disease. Few outside the suf-
ferer's own household knew until to-
day that death was near, and his ill
ness had not been publicly mentioned.
Four weeks ago the Sun gave the sad
Intelligence that the poets career was
almost finished, and that those who
knew him best felt that they were
congratulating him on his last BIRTH
day. On Saturday last the fatal ILL
ness first manifested itself. Mr.. Long
fellow spent half al hour Oh the
piazza of his house in gentle ex ercise,
aud, becoming chilly, ne went inside
to sit by, the fire. The air outside had
been raw and cold, aud Mr.. Longfel-
low was unable to throw OF its chilli
ing effects. Since severe attack OF
vertigo three or four months ago he
has remained indoors almost con-
stantly. The result of his iudiscre-
tion on Satcrday was severe cold,
which Immediately attacked vital
part. He complained of feeling in
later in the day at the tea table. aud
an hour afterward his physician was
called In. He grew much worse dur
ing the night, was attacked with
vomiting, intestinal pains. and fever.
He slept on Sunday night with the
aid Of opiates, but on Monday was in
1 greater distress. with Increased suf.
fering during the day. After rest.
less night his lungs became affected
on Tuesday, developing into bron-
chitis before night. It was the most
painful day of his sickness, a dis
/ tressing cough greatly wearing upon
his strength. he was given opiates
freely from that point to the end. 1t
was then evident 10 the physicians
that death was almost inevitable, but
their fears were not made known,
and, in accordance with an oft-ex-
pressed wish of the aged poet, the
newspapers made no reference to his
sickness. ... ..l .-..-...- .y
Wednesday was q day of much suf:
feriDg. The great intellect of the
dying man began 10 give way under
the bodily strain. His mind wan.
dered at times, and the poetry and
pathos of dreams seemed to relieve
his suffering, but the delirium was
only OCCASIONAL, and at night he fell
iuto deep sleep. His distress yes
terday was not 80 acute. Most of the
time dull stupor held him, and he
rallied from it only at brief intervale.
He bore his sufferings with gentle
patience throughout. Occasionally
he reused aud spoke kindly TO those
around him. ae seemed to realize
that it was almost finished. Trying
in every way to save trouble to those
around him, he readily assisted III
taking medicine and water; but 90
brief were the intervals of Iull con-
sci0usness that several times he drop.
ped asleep while in the act of drunk.
ing.
This morning he felt more at case.
81 rested better last night, doctor,''
: was his cheerful greeting to his friend
and physician, DR.. Wyman. The doc:
tor encouraged him, but it was evi.
dent that it was to be his last day on
earth. He was free from pain, and
rested easily, but he was fast losing
strength, and returns OF conscious
ness became less frequent. Early ii
the forenoon the physicians detected
the ominous death rattle, and the
. members of the family we're sum
, moned. Soon after 2 p. M, he sani
, rapidly, aud the relatives and physi.
clans gathered about the deathbed
. There was no rally aud no struggle
With closed eyes the dying man seem.
ed to be sinking into deeper rest
+ As the breath became shorter, ther.
! settled upou his face that look o
languor aud perfect peace that these
? near to him had learned to love. Those
. about him hardly knew when the enc
came. A Sigh from DIR. Wymal
showed that, all was over, aud tht
stricken family bowed their heads
: with grief. There were gathered
. abo1t the deathbedo Miss Alice, Mis-,
! Anna, aud Edith (Mrs. r.. H. Dana)
daughtera OF the poet; Ernest anl
i, Charles, the sons his brother Alex
, ander of Portland; his sister, Mrs
3 James Greenleaf; bis brother-iu-law
/ Mr.. Thomas Appleton, aud hil
nephews, William p. aud Wsdsworii
L0ngfellow. s..-44s .f-9I 5gs
i The tolling of the fire alarm bell
at 3:15 told the city OF the sad even
which had occurie ed ten minutes be
fore. 1t is bereavement which tn,
7 people of Cambridge will make a per
, sonal grief The whole city lovel
. him as friend and neighbsr as W al
3 asa poet. The funeral will probabl,
: take place on Monday. ltis the wisi
. of the family that it shall be stric,l
. private. but possibly they will yiels
= TO tho general wish to pay tribute a
his bier, Official recognition of tn
!. bereavement will be taken at once
!. Mr.. Longtellow, before his falling
f health prevented, took all active in
6 terest III municipal snairs and attend
9 ed all public gatherings. His last ap
: pearance was OH the occasion of th
25Oth anniversary of the settlement o
f Cambridge, III December, 1880, when
b al Sanders Theater, he made brie
v address to the children of the publ
!. schools. The news of his death wa
}. entirely unexpected by the public, a
/. his dangerous symptoms were no
j. generally known until Wednesday.
Q Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wa
# born in Portland. Me-, Feb. 81. 1907
e His father was Stephen Longiellow
# All eminent lawyer of that city. an,
n = member of the national congress-
y The poet was taught at the PortIan
Academy, and at the age of IA enter
g ed Bowdoin College. He wrote poetr
e during his academic course. This wa
II printed III the Portland papers, au,
j. in the United States Literary Gazette
l. magazine conducted by Theophilu
# Parsons III Boston. Among the poem
}. composed by Longfellow at this tim
B. are The Hymn of the Moravia
l. Nuns" "rhe Spirit of Poetry,
s. "Woods i'll Winter" and "Sunrise o
A. the Hills =" Among the classmates {
IN Longfellow at Bowdoin were Nathan
y iel Hawthorne. Abbott, the historian
is Jonathan l, Cilley, the Maine COZ
ID sressmam who was killed Ill duel b
e. Mr.. Graves of Kentucky, George I
It Cheever, and j. W. Bradley.
j, Longfellow graduated second in
r. class OF thirty-seven, and enterin