Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-27

star that guided him, and that his eau
ton. under which the turbulent spirits
around him sometimes ehafed more than
once saved the colonies from ruin.
MS love FOR TExAs AND PRIVATE CHAR
AcTER-
He who never knew the love of wife or
child lavished the wealth of a noble ma
ture on the land of his adoption
Writing to Gen. Gaines in 1886 he said
THE prosperity of Texas has been the
object of my labors, the idol of my ex-
istence; it has assumed the character of
a religion for the guidance of my
thoughts and actions for fifteen years
superior to all pecuniary or personal views
of any kind Little children loved
him, and mothers looked up to him as at
once their benefaetor and preserver. The
rude hunters and pioneers whose homes
he had secured welcomed him TO their
cabins and rejoiced when he came.
/ once heard Col. Frank Johnson
say that Stephen f. Austin had
home in the cabin of every settler. His
letters to his kindred, written during the
dark days of revolution, reveal the inner
man and show heart beating warm with
the impulsiye zeal of boy. have en-
joYed the privilege of reading his unpub-
and as the friend and literary executor of
his old companion in arms, Col Prank
johnson, have also had the means of
knowing well the private life of Stephen
F. AUSTIN In his intercourse with those
he loved he exhibited the gentle nature
of woman. No man ever heard pro-
fame oath escape his lips, and the purity of
his life, which was typifed IN his face,
softened that dignity which was habitual
and deprived it of aspeFity. Avarice
could not corrupt the lofty no.
bility of his nature, and when his
earthly pilgrimage had ended he died re-
spected and loved by all, III the very
room in which Santa Anna had been con-
fined as a prisoner The bulletin from
the war Office which proclaimed his
death announced it in these words: 'fThe
father OF Texas is no more. 1t needed
only this to inform the men of that day
who it was that had died. Every flag in
the republic went to half-mast, and in
every cabin there was mourning. No
monumental shaft marks his obscure
resting place, but nature-mindful of
her son-with each returning spring
decks his grave with the lupin and wild
verbena, while from neighboring oak
the hooking bird of his own dear land
Sings Hof VIII TRUMP HduL Ioqultns
GRATITUDE OF REPUBLICS.
If republics are not ungrateful, surely
they are sometimes forg stful. Our era
is one of natural deyelopment-the es-
thetie is dwarfed by the real. Yet surely
in the race for material progress some
gratitude should be shown the memory
of those who wrought with patient toll to
lay broad and deep the foundations of
OIlr nrosneritv Texas has incIosed on
a neighboring height burial
place for her illustrious dead.
There rest Hemphlll and Lipscomb,
Burleson and Scurry, with others who
have served the state. The ashes of
Austin should find there a last resting
place. Over them Texas should erect a
grateful memorial in lasting granite on
which should be inscribed the name and
public services of Stephen #. Austin. To
that spot as mecca our pilgrim youth
would come and thence draw inspirations
of love and fealty to this mighty state.
nj