The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-04-08

THE ILLNESS AND DEATH OF LONG
FELLOW.
lBoston Special the n. .. Picayune.l
Henry Wadsworth I.ongfelloW, tn
sweet poet, the gentle scholar, the genia
gentleman and admirable citizen, who's
pure thoughts embodied In verse hav
carried joy and peace to the hearts Q
millions of many nations, this after
noon yielded up his life peacefully an.
calmly in the midst of his family. I'll
gentle heart had scarcely ceased its pull
sations when the sorrowed fact wa.
made known to the denizens of Cam
bridge by seventy-five strokes upon the
| telegraph alarm bells, that being the
number of his earthly years.
For many months his failing health
has compelled an almost complete with
drawal from society, and during that
period he has remained at his historic
home, declining all invitations, his
thoughts centered upon his own imme.
diate friends and neighbors.. His last
appearance In public was on the occa.
sion of the 25Oth anniversary of the
settlement of Cambridge in December,
1880, when, at the morning exercise Mt
the Sanders Theatre, he made a brief
address TO the children of the public
schools, who, at the conclusion of the
programme, clustered about him, eager
to grasp his honored hand.
The news of his death was entirely
unexpected by the public, as his dan.
gerous symptoms were not generally
known until Wednesday; but long be.
fore sunset there were numerous tokens
of mourning displayed from private
houses and it is probable that on the
day of the funeral, which has not been
definitely settled upon, the whole city
will assume funeral aspect.
His first severe illness began last Sat.
urday. On that day he spent some
time in walking and sitting upon the
piazza, and upon his return to his room
he was attacked with chills, accom-
panied by vomiting.
All day Sunday he complained of
severe stomach pains, and opiates were
administered to allay the trouble and
induce sleep. His condition seemed
somewhat improved until Monday,
when dangerous symptoms became
manifest and the family were seriously
alarmed. Tuesday morning these symp
toms assumed an aggravated form ant
it became evident to the household thai
his death was near. On Wednesday
and Thursday there was a slight Inn
provement, there being a disposition to
sleep almost continually.
During the afternoon and evening OF
Thursday he talked great deal about
various topics, and seemed to recover a
large portion of his usual bright and
cheerful disposition. Later in the night
he became partially unconscious and
seemed restless and uneasy. This morn
ing he revived, though his talk was Of
a rambling nature and somewhat inco-
herent. This condition continued until
about nm hour before his death, when
he again became unconscious and so
continued until the last, suffering but
little pain apparently. The immediate
cause of death was peritonitis.
All the family were present, consist
ing of his three daughters-Edith (NIrs.
r. II. Dana,) Alice and Anna, the sons
Ernest and Charles, his nephews Will
liam and Wadsworth Longfellow of
Portland, his sisters, Mrs. James Green
leaf of Cambridge, and Mrs. Pierce of
Portland, his brother-in-law, Thomas
Appleton of Boston, and Nathan Ap-
pleton of Boston, and Mrs. I;rnestd .ong-
fellow.
He had been in bad health for one or
two years, and it is believed that dur
ing his last brief illness he had suffered
but little pain.
THE DAKOTA SCHEME.
New York Sun.1
WAsHINGTON, March 2S.-1t Con-
gress passes the bill which prOpoces to
cut Dakota Territory into two parts,