Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-04-27

was trailing from his shoulders on the floor
behind him, saying. "What fine long tail
our cat has got !" He retired to his sofa in
the drawing.room, and was soon his old
CHEEKY, brave and pleasant self again.
One Sunday he preferred to stay at home,
aud asked me whether | would not like to 20
to church. On my return he asked rather quiz.
zically how l liked tho church (Which had
been newly reftted) and the sermon, and
the services, and all the proceedings. | then
became aware that he knew what would hap.
pen to me If l went. lie was vestryman,
and always carried around the plate when a
collection was taken up, or sent some male
member Of his family to fill his place | had
been considerably taken aback in church
when a silver plate was gravely handed to
me to aid in taking up the collection, and
would have been much more embarrassed il
MIR. George d. Morgan had not stepped for.
ward and taken the plate from me just as l
was stepping out of the pew to fulfill my
friends duties.
once saw Mr.. Irving rudoly jostled while
getting into an omnibus by one of those ruff
fans who force themselves in ahead of any
person weaker than themselves or moro
peaceable who never give up their seats to
lady The earnestly reproachful look of
Mr.. Irving spoke volumes; his temper was
under as good control as that of Washington
but he had full as much spirit, as many incl
dents given in his Life and Letters" prove
This look was only equalled on another occa-
sion when wildly drunken and hatess man
drove into Mr. Grinnelps grounds, down to
his house, thinking he was going to New Ro.
chelle, where he wished to return after the
celebration at the laying of the cornerstone
of the monument to Major Andres captors at
Tarrytown. Mr.. Grinnel tried to have his
horse put up as it was late at night, and TO
have him accept bed in the groom's rooms,
and a good breakfast in the morning. when
be would be fit to take his long drive of TWEEN.
ty or more miles. In his endeayors to con.
vince the man that he was not fit to 90 to
New Rochelle he asked him what had be-
come Of his hat. He felt all over his head,
and looking directly at Mr.. Irving said,
Some of you id b-gg-rs have got it
you have been playing tricks upon me all the
afternoon"
Mr. Irving was in the city when the first
volume Of the Life of Washington" came
out, and securing copy, put it under his
arm. One of his nephews offered to carry it
for him he replied, No; have carried it
so long in my head that can easily take it
under my arm"
Excepting when he was under the heat Of
composition, Mr.. Irving rarely wrote later
than two o'clock in the afternoon, stopping
in time TO dress for dinner, and gave up his
afternoons aud evenings to relaxation and
pleasure. But sometimes he wrote fourteen
or fifteen hours a day and when the mood
was on him could hardly sleep, and very un.
wisely thought it best to 60 on until his
brain was wrung dry, as he phrased it. He
never recollected sleeping six hours consecu-
lively in his whole life and four hours at
one time was long sleep for him. When
reasonably well lie always enjoyed his wake
ful nights, and often got up to read and write
He had had repeated attacks of intermittent
fever both before and after | commenced my
attendance, aud when feverish or disturbed
would "muddle, " as he termed it, /. e., write
one sentence over a dozen or twenty times
each one Of them good and perfect, but none
satisfactory to him. He would also rear
range the chapter of the book he had in
hand several different ways, and rewrite ma
ny different parts. His nephew, P. NJ. Irv-
ing, often at my suggestion, would then take
his manuscript away from him and give it at
once to the printers He would then often
try to make endless alterations in the proof
sheets, but these would often be withheld
from him and he never saw any, or at least
very few, of the fifth volume of the Life of
Washington" When that work was finished
and he had nothing to occupy his mind reg
ulary and continuously, he became almost
absolutely sleepless Every remedy Of every
school Of medicine-homHopathic, eclectic,
and regulsr-often failed to procure him
sleep, although he sometimes said l actually
gave him in one night enough medicine to
put whole congregation to sleep. then
thought that this state came solely from over.
brain-work, but have since recolected that
he had an attack of masked fever and ague
as late as the middle of September, 1853,
and he died in December. l have thought if
had given him quinine as boldly as l have
since done in similar cases, and continued it
as long after the attack WAS broken up as we
now fud necessary, that much suffering
might have been spared him. 1t always act
ed kindly aud well upon him, but was ever
given in as small doses as could prove bene-
fetal, and its use was stopped as soon as the
fever was broken.-JohH C. Peters, ". d.,
IN HdrDer'S Weekly.