Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1891-08-20
THREE NOTED ?ERs1lAHE DEAD.
James Russell Lowell, George Jones
and Mrs. James K. Polk.
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.

Hon. James Russell Lowell died at
his home in Cambridge at 2:30 a. M.
August 18th.
His death was extremely peaceful.
There We're present at his bedside when
he breathed his last his daughter,
Mabel, and her husband, Mr.. Burnett,
with his first wife's sister, Mrs. Howe,
and the nurse. Mr.. Lowell passed
away with only heavy sigh to ind
cate the separation of the great soul
from the worn-out body.
During his illness, Mr.. Lowell's stud
les were pursued whenever possible,
and even when suffering his geniality
and lghtness of spirit were remarka-
BILE. A complete revision of his works
in prose and verse was undertaken and
completed, a task in itself of consider
able magnitude, and which undoubt-
edly made a decided strain upon his
impaired vitality. He also wrote a
charming introduction to "Izaak Wal
tons Works, and contributed few
pieces of verse to the Atlantic.
James Russell Lowell was one of the
not too many strong, virile figures in
American literature. He was, too, a
strong man in ways that were not those
of literature. His life was singularly
clean. He was born in Cambridge,
Mass, FEBRUARY 22, 1919, and was grad
uated from Harvard nineteen years
later. HI studied law, but abandoned
it quickly for literature. Sd
Toward the close of 1874 Mr.. Lowell
was offered the post of minister to
Russia, which he declined, but in 1877
accepted that Of minister to Spain,
from which he was transferred in 1880
TO that of minister to Great Britain.
On the change of Administration in
1885, he resigned this position and re-
turned to the United States. The
speeches which he delivered in England
were republished in 1887 under the title
of Democracy and Other Addresses /"
Though lifelong Republican, Mr..
Lowell supported the candidacy of Mr..
Cleveland for reelection to the Presi-
dency in 1883. During the slavery agi-
tation prior to the civil war he was q
prominent advocate Of, its, abolition,
and had been equally outspoken in
more recent years in urging the reform
of the civil service.
In "Ihe First Snowfall" 2" tenderly
sweet poem, Lowell touched the heart
strings of humanity,' and no heart that
has ever felt sorrow or experienced the
pangs of parting can easily restrain
the startling tears that spring toward
these tender blossoms of grief
The snow had begun in the cleaning,
And busily all the night
Had been heaping field and highway
With silence deep and white.
l thought of mound in sweet Auburn,
Were O little headstone stood;
How the flakes were folding it gently,
As did robins the babes in the wood.
Up spoke our own little Mabel,
Saying, Father, who makes itsnow?"
And told of the good All-Father
Who cares for us here below.
l remembered the gradual patience
That fell from the cloud-like show,
Flake by flake, healing and hiding
The scar of our deep-plunged woe.
And again to the child whispered:
THE snow that husheth all,
Darling, the Merciful Father
Alone can make it fall.S'
Then, when eyes that saw not, kissed
her; -
And she, kissing back, could not
know
That my kiss was given to her sister,
Folded close under deepening snow.
The funeral took place Friday Au-
gust 18th, in Applstion Chapel, Cam
bridge. ~