Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-07-23
IN the Life Of the country's HsrO
Being Enacted
AMID TEARS AND HEARTFELT PRAYERS
On Mount Ac6egOr---Gsneral Grant Lies
Down Upon His Bed Of
Death.
AMERICAS HERO IN DEATHS GRIP,


cottage were cool and refreshing on the We
randa, where the incandescent electric
Lamps were kept burning all the night The
thermometer marked at ? o'clock this morn
ing Y degrees This was the equable tenn
perature maintained in the sick room while
General Grant remained in New York, and
TO IT was this morning added the sweet smell
from pine trees that bend over the cottage
roof. A gentle breeze, sweet and deli
cious, swept miles and miles down
the valley, and from over the noun
tains. 1t stirred the curtains at the window
near which sal the sick man, and famed
his face more gratefully than could the
careful hands that were waiting near. Be
tween and 5 g. m, the gray tint Of sn-
other day crept up the horizon beyond the
green mountains. Perhaps the last earthly
day of the sick man sitting within the cot
tsge psrlor. The morning had passed three
O'Clock, and the time had come to admins
ter food. The nurse touched the shoulder
of DR.. Douglas IS be lay asleep on couch
in the same room. He arose and admins
tered food and afterward e'sansed the GsE-
erals throat.
shadow Picture.
As the physician lald aside his sppli-
suces General Grant leaned forward in his
chair and signl6ed desire that lamp
should be brought The nurse fetched
lamp and held it al the sick mans shoulder,
aud ct TIE moment the General turned his
face toward the light and upward 10 bid the
nurse bring bis pad and pencil His wish
was not at the instant understood, and turn
ing q trihe further, the General repeated
bis wish. The scene at the moment was
picture in shadows As aickerisg candle
ray fell across the face of the General it
became q grim Rembrandt, with strong,
rugged lines, broken down BY suffering and
pain.
On his head was the skull cap that at all !
times lends startling effect to the sick |
mans appearance, and from beneath it |
-sggled the hair that elung in moistened |
locks about the emscisted neck. A Grim |
sSS scarf had been thrown over the back of |
"a Generals chair, but as he leaned for |
ard it drew across his shoulders, one end /
lang gathered under bis arm. A dark /
I, tssing gown covered the patients stten-
aated form, and handkerchief encireled /
ms neck. The gray of the close cut beard
y Sned white, aud the lines on cheek aud
forehead were deep indeed, and when the /
-fSee was turned upward to speak, the eyes
: Ined graJer, too and abnormslly |
large. They were clear and steady, show
ng that the Generals reason was clearly
~ his command, but there Was thar wistful
and ysaFniDg expression in them that
makes women weep and men grow sYmpa-
theiic. The Generals face, as he spoke,
appeared strained and drawn, but its color
ard fullDess we're not such as would be ex-
pected after such suffering aud care The
lips moved heavily and the whisper was
husky and low, but the nurse understood,
and the pad and pencil we're brought Then,
when the red light OF the candle fell on his
downcast face he wrote. but only briefly.
The slip was handed TO DR.. Douglas, who at
once turned It over to Colonel Grant, who
had arisen and stood beside his mother at
the Generals side. Il was
A Private Family Communication,
and when finished the sick maa resumed
his half reclining position with his head
eighty inclined forward aud his elbows on
the sides Of the chair while the fingers OF
either hand we're inrerlocked. each with the
o her, beneath his chin Il was 430 aud
the 2, axis Of rbe mountains eastward we're
darE outlined against the reddening
dawn. The faint glow crept between the
pines and biTchss through the cottage win
doEs and tingsd the sick mans cheek with
the dawn Of what is believed BY the doctor
70 be his at cay
At o'clock d. Douglas was aroused to
stn1 q summons for DR.. Sands.
Tie General was given stimulsnts, but be
Weaker Hour by Hour.
2 The moraiDg is clear and the mercury st
al o clock registered so degrees. All visi
tors are today sept from the cottage, aud
Sabbath day quiet prevails about the spot.
DR.. Douglas and Dr.. Newman are with
The family, and the day ia one Of qaiet wait
ing. The General sits as he did last night,
bis eyes closed most Of the time, but cohe-
rent spd clear when he speaks. U. S.
Grant, Jr, is expected this afternoon. The
family circle will then bC complete.
The patient during the morning attempt {
"a to write, but succeeded only in writing
the date the effort being greater than war
fanted by the little rem aiming strength. He |
had spoken al intervals aud his voice was
keble. During the forenoon food was taken
hnd retained With the declining Gay the
physician believes ihe General viii also rap
idly decline
The development Of the Generals weak
hess during the afternoon was not partieu-
lhrly notable from hour to hour butbstween
= sod o'clock p N. there WAS a clearly if
SiOleptly
S Marked decrease of Weakness.
a O'Clock i was possible TO measure the
tpi3e, but At 8 o clock one Of the physicians
: .tsd that the palse beats could nos be
eQDtsd because they were 50 frequent and
IS 1ee6ie.
4 During tne afternoon the blood tide had
- oGiekened that IL more rapidly wore
4 system and exhausted the trail basis, II
hpy existed, upon which might be placed
hope that the General might rally. The
boint was reached at s o'clock when there
sas little 10 be expected from attempts to
tdminis,er food. After oelock Harrison
kame I'D from the cottage and told Doctors
hands and Shrsdy thar DR.. Douglas wanted
- see them a. the cottage. 1hither went
Dcoiors. remaining but q short time,
I'll then coming again to the ho'e'.
us believed that the condition OF the
satient was found as stated above, sG3 that
,ahile the temperature was nearly or quite
lErual the respiration was nearly 30 per
..sinute. The family, beginning at 8 o'clock,
feme to the hotel to dinner in tWos. the
.ihers remaining at the cottage in the
Meantime The closed aud silent cottage
lsd al day suggested mutely the enact
teent Of
The Last Scene