The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-03


views, his profound insight into men and
| craftsmanship, and even politics. In few
words or sentences, and often under the
| cover OF a pleasant saying, he would throw
perfect light upon the most difficult and in
| tricate subjects. He had travelled in Sicily,
Italy, Spain, Germany, France England,
and in our Southern and Western States and
in the Indian Territory, and had moved IN
| the very highest circles had endured every
! hardship and privation, had seen all sorts
! and conditions of men from the widest to
to the most refined, had been a close OBJ
server and deep thinker, and had most re-
| tentive memory"
What makes you think him a brave
man?"
"My own observations and the records in
the Life and Letters by Pierre M. Irving
From the latter 1 would select his quie.
bravery when captured by pirates off the
coast of Italy; his prompt volunteering as aid
| to Governor Daniel Thompklns in
in the war of 1872 his still more prompt of
| fer TO accompany Commodore Decatur in his
attack on the Algerine pirates; his quiet but
| firm behavior when Madrid was besieged and
! his going to the palace to share in the dan
gers and defence of the little princesses; his
travels among Italian and Spanish banditti
| and quietly sleeping in his carriage when 60
| ing through the most dangerous districts at
night, or in the huts of the toughest men;
! the gentle way in which he remained with
| relative sick with smallpox, and under the
direction of the German physician pune
| tured each pustule with Q golden needle
wiped away the poisonous pus frequently, and
bathed the face of the sick person; the long
nursing of Hall and other sick friends"
And what makes you think him such
wise man2'
The result of his quiet, firm, but frank
and honorable craftsmanship in Spain.and
England, and many bits of conversation with
him."
Are there any points about his sickness
that you can mention without violating pro-
| fessional propriety?
almost all of them have been fully de-
scribed in the Life and Letters by Mr.. Pierre
Irving When 1 was first called to attend
| Mr.. Irving, in 1852 he was scarcely able to
write an ordinary letter without distress in
his head. He had some dizziness, numbness
| in one of his arms, a fear of apoplexy
softening of the brain. He had seen Walter
Scott in full health, and subsequently al
most idiotic from over-brain work. He re-
| covered entirely under the use of cocculus
indicus. In 1854 he wrote to the Hon, John
| z. Kennedy
''You ask me whether the new remedies still
keep me quite well. L really begin to have faith
in them. The complaint of the head especially,
| which troubled me last year, and obliged me to
lay by my pen, has been completely vanquished
by them, SO that have tagged with it as closely
| as ever.
"Next 1 attended him for the severe and
obstinate salt rheum which had annoyed him
| the Life and Letters This was relieved by
hepar sulphur given internally and singu-
| larly enough that was the only remedy
which had benefited him in Europe He
then used foot-baths He had repeated
| severe attacks of fever and ague and bilious
| remittent fever both before and after l at
tended him. He generally recovered quickly,
| but | am convinced if quinine had been
used more frequently and largely he would
have been spared much suffering. He be-
| came excessively nervous and wakeful i'm
| mediately after he had finished the last or
fifth volume of the Life of Washington"
l attributed this mainly to over brain work,
and supposed that time, rest, food and tonics
alone would relieve him"
WAS Mr.. Irving aware of the disease of
the heart which terminated his life so sud
denly?'
II spoke to him twice only about it. The
| first time he asked me to mention it to no
| one. About a month after | informed MIR.
Pierre Irving, and from that time on he was
| scarcely ever left alone, either night or day.
The second time was when we were looking
at glorious sunset from the western dining
room window, and he expressed, as he had
often done, fear of lingering state of help
| lessness, bedridden and paralyzed. He al
ways wished to die quickly, and go down, as
he said, with all sail set 1 assured him
that when his time came he would go down
like the brilliant sunset we were looking at.
Generally when | examined his chest and
heart | told him there no great differ
ence but very often informed him that there
was little or no danger of apoplexy, paralysis
or softening OF the brain, and that he would
not die a lingering death. Many months
| afterward, on the evening of his sudden
death, the Rev. P. p Irving had come up from
Staten Island and the whole family party
were LOST in admiration of one of the most
glorious sunsets they had ever beheld. The
whole western sky was hung with clouds of
the richest crimson, while the scene had all
| the softness of our lingering Indian summer.
| Washington Irving exclaimed again and again
at the beauty of the prospect. Nor little did
any of us dream it was to be his last sunset
on earth"
''Dd Mr. Irving's fall from his horse iniure
hm?'
HE was a bold, fearless rider in his youth.
and was thrown from horses many times l
have reason to believe that Mr.. Irving's chest
was injured internally in some obscure way
for his worst chest symptoms commenced
soon afrerward. He was so brave and uncom-
| planning, that he was always up and out of
bed at the earliest moment practicable, and
| in many of his catarrhal attacks said he
would not be bullied by cold,' and went
about as usual when far from we'll. In all
my attendance upon him. he never uttered
one word of reproach or complaint or impa-
thence to me. He always said if I would
| be patient with him, he would bear
all the suffering that was before him
with such resignation and fortitude as might
be given him. When 1 once regretted my
ill-success in relieving him, asked for aid and
| counsel, but assured him l was doing all in
my power to relieve him. he merely replied
4 wish you a great deal of success, my dear
DOCTOR"
Besides the portrait of himself given to his
nephew there is IN the possession of the FAM
| lily a portrait of Miss Hoffman, the lady to
whom Irving was engaged, but who died be-
fore the time set for the marriage ceremony
Some years ago a church was built in Tar
rytown which was known as the Irving
Memorial Church." In Christ Church. Tar
rytown, is memorial tablet. 1t is of Scotch
marble surmounted by the Shamrock and
thistle 1t was in that church that Irving