The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-12-12

The South mourns the death of her
most illustrious son. Jefferson Davis
is dead When the wires nashsd the
news throughout the country that the
noble Southron had passed away, it
produced profound sensation of sor-
row in the hearts of his admiring
friends, but it created little surprise.
The passage of his spirit had been ex-
pected for some weeks. He died at
the home of his lifelong friend, J. H
Payne,in the city of New Orleans, La,
at I2:45 Friday morning, Dec. 9th.
About four weeks ago Mr.. Davis
LETT his home at Beauvoir, Miss, to
look after one of his plantations down
the river. He contracted severe cold
on the boat and arriving at New Orleans
his condition was such that his physi-
clans would not permit him to return
home. He was conveyed to the resi-
dence of his friend where he received
every possible attention and courtesy.
Growing worse Mrs. Davis was sent
for. A press dispatch gives this &C
count:
From the beginning of his fatal i'll
ness Mr.. Davis had insisted that his
case was Quite hopeless, though the
dread of pain or the fear of death never
appeared to take the slightest hold
upon his spirits, which were brave and
even buoyant from the beginning of
the attack.
Last evening, without any visible
cause Mr.. Davis was seized with a con-
gestive chill, which seemed to absolute
ly crush the vitality out of his already
cnfeebled body. So weak was Mr..
Davis that the violence of the assault
soon subsidized for lack of vitality upon
which to prey. From that moment to
the morning of his death the history
of his case was gradual sinking. At
7 O'Clock Mrs. Davis administered
some medicine, but the ex-President
declined to receive the whole She
urged upon him the necessity of taking
the remainder, but putting it aside
with the gentlest of gestures, he whis-
pered, " Pray excuse me-" These were
his last words.
Gradually he grew weaker and weak
er, but never for an instant seemed to
lose consciousness. Lying peacefully
upon his bed and without a trace of
pain in his look he remained for hours.
Silently clasping and tenderly caress-
ing his wife's hand, with an undaunted
Christian spirit he awaited the end.
From the moment of the dreadful
assault OF the Congestive chill those
gathered around his bedside who had
been watching and noting with pain
full interest every change of symptom
for the past month, knew well that
the dread messenger was even at the
door.
Finding that Mr.. Davis was breath
ing somewhat heavily as he lay upon
his back, the doctors assisted him in
turning upon his right side, with his
cheeF resting upon his right hand like
a sleeping infant, and with his left
hand dropping across his chests, he
lay for some fifteen minutes, breathing
softly but feintly. More and more
feeble became his aspirations, till they
passed into silence, and then the
watchers knew that the silver cord had
been loosed and the golden bowl
broken. The Father of the Confed-
eracy had passed away
''As calmly as tO-nights repose,
Or flowers at set of SUM-"
Despite the fact that the end had
come, slowly and peacefully, and after
she had been face to face for hours
with the dread reality, the blow fell