River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-08-13
with the Hudson on its way to the me
tropolis.
gen. Grants Home Life.


tropolis.
Gen. Grants Home Life.
Extract from DIR. Newman's Funeral Dis
course at Mt. McGregor.
As he was the typical American,
should we be surprised to find that his
was the typical American home? May
we lift the curtain and look upon the
holy privacy of that once-unbroken
household? O, the mutual and recip-
roeal love of welded life within those
sacred precinctsi Husband and wife
the happy supplement of each other,
their characters blending in sweetest
harmony like the blended colors of the
bow of promise. He, strength, dignity,
and courage; she, gentleness. grace,
and purity. He, the doric column to
sustain; she the Corinthian, column to
beautify. He, the oak to support; she,
the ivy to entwine. In their life of
deathless love their happiness lay like
an ocean of pearls and diamonds in the
embrace of the future. He, unhappy
without her presence; she, desolate
without his society. She, pure, dis
eliminating, ardent, loving, intelli-
gent: he c0nfided to her his innermost
soul and blessed her with his best and
unfailing love. She shared his trials
and his triumphs, his sorrows and his
Joys. his tolls and his rewards, How
tender was that scene, in the early
dawn of that April day, when all
thought the long-eXpected end had
/, h,.t tal, Ton
DERBY caressed her hand 1t was all
the great soldier had to give to the
wife of his youth. And the dying hero
whispered Il did not have you to
wait upon me, because | knew it would
distress YOU; but now the end draws
nigh = And out from the ''swellings
of Jordan" he rushed back to the
shore of life to write this tender mes
sage to his son: wherever | am bur-
led, promise me that your mother shall
be buried by my side. 1t is all a wife
could ask; it is all husband could
wish.
Lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in
their death they shall not be divided.
Side by side they shall sleep in the
same tomb, and she shall share with
him whatever homage future ages shall
pay at his national shrine.
1t was his love for her that lifted his
intellect above the ceaSelesS fortunes
of a malignant disease and threw OBJ
livion over the sense of eXcruciating
pain. that he might write his personal
memoirs, that She should not want
when he was gone.
And how tender was his care. He
thought not of himself, but of her. To
his son he said: Il hope mother will
bear up bravely.' To quiet her ankle
ty he wrote: do as | do; take it
quietly. | give myself not the least
concern. If knew the end was to be
tomorrow, | would try just as hard to
get rest in the meantime. " Would she
keep holy vigils through the hvelong
night? He wrote her: $50 to sleep
and feel happy; that is what | want to
do, and am going to try for. ! am
happy when out of pain. Consider how
happy you ought 10 be. Good-nightn
Did She seek to divert his mind from
his sutfcrings by recalling the victories
of the past? He replied;7'This is the
anniversary of the battle of Vicks-
burg, that is,a fact. | had not thought
of it before. 1t has been IN important
anniversary to us on two other occa-
sions-one when our only daughter was
born, and subsequent to Vicsburg,
when we had a grandson born on that
day
Was hers laudable desire that the
forthcoming memoirs should be in
scribed to her? Yet she surrendered
her claim to the magnanimity that in
Spircd him to write at is Il great
deal better that it should be dedicated
as it is. | made what reputation have
rs a soldier The troops engaged on
both sides are still living. As it is, the
dedication is to those we fought against,
as we'll as those we fought with. 1t
may serve purpose in restoring har-
mony. If it does. it is of more import
ance than to crafty little vanity.
You will die; il IS hoped the book will
live After YOU and the soldiers who
fought are all gone, the dedication will
have more value than now.
HIS LAST MESSAGE To HIS WIFE
And such was the tenderness of his
love and solicitude for her and hers lac
surprised her by a letter found after
MS ueatn. III came us lncSSd9o "
her from him after he had gone.
When his spirit had returned to the
God who gave it, there was found
secreted in his robe, his last letter TO
her, cnveloped, sealed, and addressed.
He had written it betimcs; written il
secretly, and carried the sacred missive
day after day during fourteen days,
knowing that she would find it at last.
In it he poured forth his soul in love
for her and solicitude for then
children:
Look after our dear children and direct
them in the paths of rectitude. 1t would dis
tress me far more to think that one of them
could depart from an honorable, upright
and virtuous life, than it would to know
that they were Frustrated on bed of sick
ness, from which they were never to rise
alive. They have never given us cause fol
alarm on their own account, and | earnest
" pray they never will.
With these few iniunctiCnS and the
knowledge | have of your love and affec
ton and the dutiful affection of all ouI
children, | bid you final farewell until
we meet in another and | trust, better
world. You will find this on my person
after my demise.
Mount McGregor, July 9. 1885.