The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-04
LAST SCENE OF ALL.
Every o;he, Saturday

The las, scene of all ID fiction and biography IS generally the most affecting and often ,ae mos, characteristic. One might make a curious collection of ex- tracts to saaw now frequently those who arc crossing the river recur. at the mo r.ent of uncc.sciousness, 70 striking events .n forme. gears, or to occupations which have taken q s.rong hold of the sufferer when n active life The last worGs ot Napoleon were remark pie for this, ard we have lately been struck by the ac coonn, of the de nh of the grea, IT magistrate, Chief jusuce Parsons, o. Massachusetts, in the memoir by his scr, the late Professor l.rsoas cf ,he Harvard Law sch, .. Ills thoughts, when he could no longer control them, went back to his duties and his business, and re- soonded uneonseiousiy 10 his condition as death drew near to close his earthly career. When he spoke t was as judge giving answers. directions. e;c. At last, after a suspense of speech so long that we thought we should never his voice again. he suddenly revived and with pet:ees dis tinc,ness spoke for the last time or earth ;ha. forrnuil which he had used hun dreds of times: Gentlemen of the jury, the case IS closed and in your hands. You will please retire and agree upon your verdict"
 biography of Lord Ch:et Justice Tenter- den. We quote from his life by Lord Campbell An access of fever super yening, he was put to bed. fron, which he never rose. He became delirious and and talked iaooherently. Af,erSard he seemed to recove. his composure, and, raising his head from the pillow, was heard 10 say, in a slow and solemn tone, as when he used to conclude his sum- ming up in cases of great importance: ! And now, gentlemen of the jury, you will consider Of your verdict These were his las, words. When he had uttered them, his head sunk down and in few minutes he expired without groan." In connection with the above i, affords us pleasure to print communication from an accomplished scholar, whose ac- curacy in matters of history is only equaled by the elegant simplicity of his style:
 '.I me; the other day little article on the difficulty of getting correctly the las, words of great men, and referring par ticularly to William Pit. l. brought to my mind Daniel Webster. The evening before he died his physician repeated to him the words, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me- and Mir. Webster re- piled, as if in sympathy, but too weak to complete the sentence, Thy rod and Thy staf-the fact-the fact-I want Here the matter rested as at first reported, and, think, as publicly repeated by Mir. Everett. The true account, as it came 10 me very directly, is as follows: Mir. Webster asked whether he was likely to live till morning. His physician, Dr. Iedries, not willing to give direct an- swer, repeated from the twen,y-third Psalm, Thy rod and Thy stafi,' etc. Mir. Webster saw the evasion, and ip 3 clear, and rather severe tone said, Thy rod and Thy staff. the fact, the fact, want i. C, he wanted an answer to his ques- ton"
 s'This reminds me of the last, or nearly the last, words of his distinguished friend, Jeremiah Mason. His daughter said in suppressed voice, He is dying Mir. Mason asked what she was saying \ othing. father,' she replied. Precisely what words did you use to say no,hingE was the question then put by the great lawyer and cro.s-examiner. In both instances the clear. penetrating intellect of the advocate continued to the last"