St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-11-10
From the New York Observer.
"Life'S Race Well Rum

eLIIeS IHace " ell Htuhs
liz the brief hours which intervened
between Garfield's death and the obse
quies, the city of Cleveland was a
night-and- scene of feverish eX-
citement. The keenness of the loss
was dulled for the time by sense of
the responsibility resting upon the fair
fame of the city, and the citizens tOiled
with an unswerving vigOr to prepare
fitting reception for the great dead.
Busy committees rushed hither and
thither ; the noise of hammer and saw
kept up an unceasing din catafalque
and arches seemed to rise meath a
magic touch, and stores and dwellings
took on Il sudden sOmbre garb.
Among the many committees select
ed to organize and guide this labor of
love and respect was one entrusted
ing, IL suitable inscription to place at
the head of the bier The committee,
consisting of the president of the city
council and the city clerk searched well
and faithfully amid IA mass of gems of
OratOry and song, yet were quite una
BILE to find motto which exactly met
their wishes. But, in following up
their search they encountered a we'll
known city missionary, and to him
stated their want. The reverend gen
tleman Immediately produced from his
note book slip bearing a single verse
which read as follows:
Life's well run,
Life's work well done
Life's crown well won
Now comes rest.
As to the origin of the lines, the
clergyman knew nothing, they having
come into his possession at the hands
of friend who thought they might be
used appropriately at funeral services
Struck at once with the beauty and
peculiar fitness of the stanza, the com
mittee adopted it and had it engrossed
upon suitable tablet, and thus pre-
pared it met the gaze of thousands as
it lay at the head of the casket.
At about the same time that the com
mittee met the missionary, Il New York
commercial traveller happened into {
prominently located cigar-store, and
noticing the mourning decorations, OBJ
served that he could furnish an appro
pirate verse to add to them. He ther
wrote from memory the following Lat
in lines, free translation of whicl
would be the same as the Inscription
adopted by the committee:
Cursus Vita bene actus,
Opus vita Omne factum
Taurus vitse acquisita
/ Nunc VENT quies.
From that time the stanza becam,
famous. 1t adorned the court hous
and numerous other public buildings
and i'll countless dwellings its tende
burden caught the eye.
The committee afterwards obtained
from the secretary of the Western Re
serve historical sOciety-whO had re
ceived it from Boston friend-the ell
tire Latin poem of four verses; E; til
. first verse being the memorial stanza.
At that time no one thought of ask
ing the name of the author, but as til
months succeeding the engrossing ex
citement of the Obsequies passed, an
the smallest items and events connect
ed with the dead president were eager
ly garnered, the question was at las
raised, "WhO wrote 'Life's race we
! rum ?" From Switzerland, citizen G
Cleveland, connected with the cOnsula
service, wrote home for informatio
concerning the origin of the famou
stanza. He stated that the honor {
composing it was claimed for an Eng
lishman of letters. Singularly, no Oh
, in Cleveland could answer the query
! although the literary gentlemen agree
: that the Latin poem was of mOdeT
: origin. From other quarters came sin
! liar inquiries, and the matter SCENE
. to become one of general interest
the Cleveland people. Prompted b
:, this spirit of inquiry, the writer of til
:. present article determined, If possible
to trace the poem to its foundation
head. Letters were sent to literaI
gentlemen in different parts of I'll
country, asking their cooperation
establishing the authorship of I'll
o verses prominent libraries and libr;
rians were consulted, and IA well-know
1t journal of Boston called general after
e tiOn to the query. The replies receive
= were prompt and courteous, but thre
no light upon the object of the scare
J. At last a communication was receiv,
e from DIR. Howard Crosby, clearing 1
the mystery and adding a most inte
3" esting item to the events which su
Il round the dust of Garfield.
L. DIR. Crosby's letter contained the il
= formation that the author of the f
Y nous stanza and its brother verses
II DIR. Edward II. Parker, of POughkee
10 sic, who framed the sweet and revere
l, lines while riding in his gig one da
At i'll 1879. To crafty many readers
ie whom the verses will have a new i
i terest, they are reprinted:
" THERE REMAISErH, THEREFORE, REST TO I
~ PEOPLE OF GOD"
re Life's well run
m Life's work all done,
Life's victory won
OI Now cOmeth rest.