The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-11-09
A LAST FAREWELL.
Albert Pixies Touching Letter to a Dying
Friend.

Albert Pixies Touching Letter to n Diving
Friend.
The following letter from the pen of the gifted
and eminent Mason, Gen. Albert Pike, was writ
ten to personal friend, Dr. Thurston, of Van
Buren, Ark, and was received by the latter the
day before he died. 1t was published some time
ago in the Fort Smith Tribune, and its repro
duction here will be of general interest.
:, MY DEAREST AND BEST AND TRUEsr FRIEND:
nave just received your loving message sent to
me by Mr.. -. had already, two DAYS apo.
learned from our old friend -, who had the
away from us. In a little while / shall follow
you, and It will be well for me if l can look for
ward TO the departure, inevitable for all with
the same patience and equanimity with which
you are waiting for it.
do not believe that our intellect and individ-
uailty cease to be when the vitality of the body
ends. l nave profound conviction, the only
real revelation, which to me makes absolute GER
talnty that there is "A Supreme Deity, the inteli-
gence and soul of the universe, to Whom it is not
I9lly TO pray that our convictions come from
and that there is to be for my very self another
q acontnued life, in which this life will not be as
IL ~ ~ nau never been but shall see and know
again tnose whom have loved and lost here.
You have led an upright, harmless, and blame
less less life always doing good and not wrong and
of life, and have never wearred of IT. nor thou1ht
1t had not been life worth living Therefore
you neeu not lear to meet whatever lies beyond
Either there is no God or there is a Just and
neTclIul GOd, VINO will deal gently and tenderly
with the human creatures whom He has made SO
weak and 80 imperfect. There is nothing in the
future Tor you to fear, there is nothing in the
past 70 be ashamed Of Since have been COM
PEELED by thelengthening of the evening shadows
10 look forward to my own nearly approaching
departure 10 not feel that lose the friends who
go away from me. 1t is as if they had set sail
across the Atlantic Sea to land in an unknown
meet them again. "
But, dear old friend, | shall feel very lonely
after after you have gone We have been friends SO
long, without moments intermlssion, without
even one little cloud or shadow of unkindness or
suspicion coming between us, that shall miss
you terribly. L shall never have the heart to
Visit van Buren, again. There are others whom
l like there, but none so dear to me as you-none
there or anywhere else AS long as | live shall
remember with loving affection your ways your
LOOKS, your words, our glad days passed together
IN the woods, your many acts of kindness, the old
nome in the shade of the mulberries and our in
Innate communion and intercourse during more
than forty-five years.
hoped to be with you once more in the woods
but now shall never be in camp again. The old
friends are nearly all gone; you are going sooner
than to meet them. shall live little longer
with little left to live for but loving your mem
ory and loving your wife and daughter who
have been so dear to you.
Dear, dear old friend, goodbye, may our
Rather who is in Heaven have you in His holy
keeping and give you eternal rest. Devotedly
your TREND, ALBERT PIKE.