St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-12-13
MANS LAST WORDS.
Pathetic Utterances Upon the
Verge Of the Grave.
An Occasion Upon Which Most Men VIII
Speak the Trath-Last Thoughts q
Goethe, Walter Scott. Wash.
ingtou ard Others.

A last dying speech ana confession -
often pathetic and always impressive.
says tho London Standard. Most mon
may be credited with speaking the
truth at least on this occasion. We are
not aware that out of fiction there Is
any authenticated instance Of any one
dying with q lie on his lips. The
dying, too. are credited in common be-
lief with clearer insight and fur
tter knowledge into the past and pres
ent il no. the future. than is vouch-
safed to hale humanity. Last words
may, therefore, be said to possess q
many-sided interest; and it is not lit
tie curious that now that VIC have .
literature VII ich dissects the faults and
foibles and habits of great men. there
should exist no collection OF the
last words of celebrities. Scattered
throughout biography are to be
found an immense number OF ex-
amplcs, many of them curiously strik-
ing, which only await the industry OF
the book-maker of these thoughts
that breathe and words that burn. !"
From shelf of ones bookcase indeed.
Perhaps one of the noblest of death
bed utteranccs was that Of J. r. Green,
whose last words were: II die learn
ing" 1t is almost worthy OF ranking
with the famous words OF General
Wolfe, who. while in tho agonics Of
death, was aroused with tho cries OF
''They rum" and eagerly asked: "Who
run?" On being told 1.-The Frcnch." he
exclaimed: Il thank God and die con-
tented" Il thank God, }" said the great
Nelson. ''that have done my duty" as
the guns thundercd overhca proclaim
ing tho victory of Trafalgar. Tho
scholar and the warrior thus alike look
back upon their life's work. 1t is not
seldom that we find soldiers proud Of
having donc their duty, but Green's
utterance reflects tho eternal character
of tho students labors. which only end
as thcy began. Tho dying Goethe ex-
claimed: "More light" and the words
had possibly double sense. although
their first meaning undoubtedly applied
to the waning twilight Of his earthly
day. 1t is not seldom that NO havo an
instance OF tho ruling passion strong
in death.
God bless you," was the dying ex-
preston of DIR. johnson, who addressed
it to Miss Morris, the sister of the beau
tiful girl who sat to Reynolds for his
picture of "Hope Nursing Love-" These
were also the last words of Wordsworth,
and of Edmund Burke, while Sir Walter
Scott, in his last moments OF conscious
ness. invoked the blessings Of Heaven
upon his sons and daughters. Joy"
was the utterance of Mrs. Hannah
More; Happy" that Of Sir James
Macintosh, the historian. Charles
Matthews, the great actor, died with
tho words Il am ready" on his lips
which remind us irrcsistibly of Colonel
Ncwcomc's death, moro real to most
people than many in real life and of the
noble expression Thackeray puts into
his mouth. "Adsum." 1t Is difficult
and perhaps needless to institute COM
parisons, but it would be impossible,
We imagine. to find any nobler words
than those Of General Washington: Il
am about to die. and am not afraid to
die" There is . calm heroism in
them which seems to show us that the
great soldier had conquered the king
Of terrors Wonderful, wo nderful, this
death" that seems to indicate . philo-
sophical calm-they were the words Of
Etty. the painter dying. dying"
said Thomas Hood just before the end.
and his biographer tells US that he thus
expressed gratitude for coming rest
Who shall say what was the meaning
Of Charles LIS Remember" and was
there not a grim irony as we'll as per-
haps an unconscious pathos in the ex-
preston OF the merry monarch, who
apologized to his courtiers for tho
trouble hn had caused them: II have
been an unconscionable time in dying,
and l hope you will excuse it." A
Lord Macaulay remarks: This was the
last glimpse Of that exquisite urbanity
SO often found potent to charm away
the resentment Of justly incensed na-
ton" This hand hath offended"
was the last and noblest utterance Of
Cranmer, as extending his right hand
be watched it consume away in the
flames And Latimer, addressing
Ridley at the stake. exclaimed
in tones Of triumph: "This day
We light candle in England which win
never be extinguished." Is therc not
something irresisubly touching in
Douglas Jcrrold's last words: u Seel