Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-07-29
THE LAST MO.nENTS.
Scenes Around the Death-Bed of Gen
Grant.

| Grant and discussing the pro ba bities OF
his death, and the limit OF life left the sick
man. Mrs. Sartoris and Stenographer
Dawson were conversing a little distance
away, when Henry, the nurse, stepped
| hastily upon the piazza and spoke quietly
to the physicians. He told them he thought
| the General was very near to death. The
| medical men hastily entered the room whore
the sick man was lying, and approached his
side. Instantly, upon scanning the patients
| face, DR.. Douglas ordered the family to
be summoned to the bedside. Haste was.
made, and Mrs. Grant, Jesse Grant aad
wife, q. 8. Grant, Jr., and wife, and Mrs.
Col. Grant were quickly beside the doctors
at the sick mans cot. Mrs. Sartoris and
Mr.. Dawson had followed the doctors in
from the piazza, and the entire family was
present except Col. Fred. Grant Hasty
summons were sent for him, but he entered
the sick room while the messenger was
searching Tor him. The Colonel seated himself
at the head Of the bed, with his left arm rest
ing upon the pillow above the head of the
General, who was breathing rapidly and
with slightly gasping respirations. Mrs.
Grant, calm, but with intense agitation
bravely suppressed, took a seat close bv
the bedside. She leaned slightly upon the
cot, resting upon her right elbow, and gazed
with tear-blinded eyes into the Generals
II,
recognition, for the sick man was peacefully
and painlessly passing into another life Mrs
Sartoris came behind her mother, and,
leaning over her shoulder, SO witnessed the
close OF life in which she had constituted
a strong element of pride. Directly behind
Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Sartoris, and at a.
little distance removed, stood Drs Douglas,
Shrady and Sands, spectators of q closing
life their efforts and counsel had so pro-
longed. On the opposite side of the bed
from their mother, and directly before her
stood Jesse Grant and u. S. Grant, Jr and
near the corner OF the cot, on the same side
as Jesse, and near to each, was Mr.. n E.
Dawson, the Generals stenographer and
confidential secretary. At the foot of the
bed, and gazing directly down into the
Generals face, was Mrs. Col. Fred. Grant,
Mrs. U. S. Grant, Jr and Mrs. j Jesse Grant.
while somewhat removed from the family
circle, Henry, the nurse, and Harrison
Tyrrel, the Generals body-servant, were
respectively watching The closing life
OF the patient, their master. DR..
Newman had repaired to the hotel to
breakfast, and was not present. The Gen
erals little grandchildren, U. s. Jr., and
Nellie, were sleeping the sleep OF childhood
in the nursery above. Otherwise, the en-
tire family and household were gathered at
the bedside of the dying man. The mem
bers OF the group had been summoned not
a moment sooner than was prudent The
doctors noted on entering the room and
pressing to the bedside, that already the
purplish tinge, which is one of natures sig
nails OF final dissolution, had settled be-
meath the finger-nails. The hand that DIR.
Douglas lifted was fast growing colder than
it had been through the night. The pulse
had futtered beyond the point where the
physician could distinguish it from the
pulse beats in his own finger. tips The res
T1ira
cession Of shallow painting inhalations: but
happily the approaching end was becoming
clear Of the rafting fullness Of the throat
and lungs. AS the respiration grew quicker
and more rapid at the close, it also be-
came less labored and almost noiseless.
This fact was in it's results comfort to the
watchers by the bedside to whom was
spared the scene OF an agonizing or other
than a peaceful death. The wife almost
constantly stroked the face, forehead and
hands of the dying General, and at times,
as the passionate longing to prevent the
event so near would rise within her, Mrs.
Grant pressed both his hands, and leaning
forward, tenderly kissed the face OF
the sinking man. COL Fred. Grant
sat silently, but with evident feeling,
though his bearing was that OF soldierly
son at the death bed Of hero father. q.
8. Grant, Jr., was deeply moved, but Jesse
bore the scene steadily, and the ladies,
while watching with wet cheeks were as
silent as beftted the dignity Of a life such as
was closing before them. The morning had
passed five minutes beyond O'Clock, and
there was not one of the strained and
waiting watchers but who could mark the
nearness of the life tide to its final ebbing.
DR.. Douglas noted the nearness of the
supreme moment, and quietly approached
the bedside and bent above it, and while he
did so the sorrow OF the gray-haired ply
stefan seemed closely allied with that Of the
family. DR.. Shrady also drew near. It
was seven minutes after o'clock, and the
eyes OF the General were closing. His
breathing grew more hushed as the last
functions OF the heart and lungs were hast
ened to the closing of the ex-President's
life. A peaceful expression seemed to
be deepening in the firm and strong-lined
face, and it was reflected as closing COM
fort in the sad hearts that beat quickly
under the stress OF loving suspense. A min
ute more passed, and was closing, as the
General drew a deeper breath. There was
an exhalation like that Of one relieved of
long and anxious tension. The members Of
the group were impelled each a step near
er the bed, and each waited to note
the next respiration; but it did not
come then-it never came. There was
absolute stiffness in the room, and hush
Of expectant suspense. No sound broke |
the silence save the singing of birds in the
pines outside the cottage, and the measured
throbbing of the engine that all night had
waited by the little mountain depot down
the slope. 'It is all over" quietly spoke |
Dr. Douglas, and there came then heavily
to each witness the realization that Gen.
Grant was dead.
Then the doctors withdrew, the nurse
closed the eyelids and composed the dead |
generals head, after which each of the |
family group pressed to the bedside, one
after the other, and touched theirlips upon
the quiet face SO lately stilled.
DR.. Shrady passed out upon the piazza,
and as he did SO he met DR.. Newman hasten
ing up the steps. HE is dead" remarked
Dr. Shrady, quietly. The fact of having
been absent from the side OF the dying
man and his family at the last was
q cause of sorrow and regret to the |
clergyman, who had waited all night at |
the cottage. He had been summoned |
from his breakfast moment too late, and |
reached the cottage only in time to minister |
to the family sorrow and gaze upon the
scarcely hushed lips of the dead General, to |
whom DR.. Newman's love had bound him
in such close ties and relations. Those who |
saw and knew, and all who learn of the |
olorovYnan's absence from the daatbhoJ |