Huntsville gazette. [volume] (Huntsville, Ala.) 1879-1894, 1891-06-13

The beginning of the end came early
Friday morning. The premier had
slept the greater part of the night and
throughout the day he slept at inter
walls. The afternoon bulletin from the
physicians at the bedside announced
that the premiers strength was rapidly
diminishing and then all hope fed. As
the afternoon slowly waned profound
stiffness reigned at Earns Cliffe. The
scene after nightfall was impressive in
it's solemnfty. Up to midnight anx-
ious groups gathered upon the lawn
and spoke in whispers of the dying
patients condition.
At 9o'clocl1 Sir Johns heart failed in
its work, and he sank SO low that for
some time he seemed to have ceased to
live He rallied feebly, however, and
fought his way back to his hold on life.
His stupendous vitality was making a
grand struggle.
Many members of parliament came
to Earns Cliffe during the early evening
to learn personally the patients condi-
ton. The encouragement with an
ide-de-camp walked over to make his
last nightly visit.
. At midnight the callers had all de-
parted and the correspondents were
left to watch the night out alone The
hours wore slowly on.
The light of a new day brought with
it nothing to relieve the anxious sus-
pense. There was no change in the
patients conditions; he was uncon-
scious. His limbs were numb and
there was nothing to mark that life was
not extinct save the feeble flutterings
of the pulse and the almost impercepti-
BILE breathing. The family had been
gathered about the bedside all night.
Lady Macdonald, almost worn out by
her long vigil, was there, and the pre-
mier's son, Hugh John Macdonald, had
kept his place by his fathers side.
There was no bulletin from the ply
;icians yesterday morning. Nothing
could be said beyond what had already
been given out 1t was a matter of
.ime-perhaps moments, perhaps hours.
The marvellous vitality which was stay
ing the hand of death was slowly but
surely ebbing The scenes of the
morning and afternoon were but
counterparts of Friday. ~ "
At o'clock his physicians conferred
and said that the premier could not last
until o'clock. The dying premier had
been perfectly unconscious for nearly
thirty hours, and still the spark of life
fingered on.
The members of the cabinet had a
long meeting in the afternoon. Minis
ters Dowdey, Dowell, Upper and Cos
tigan afterward called at Earns Cliffe
for the last report The action of the
patients heart at times during the
evening was so feeble that Sir John
was believed to be dead. Once the
family gathered at the bedside under
the impression that the end had come,
but it proved to be another of the
dreaded sinking spells, which, in sue
cession, had left the aged statesman
with less and less vitality. Not since
5o'clock 5 Friday afternoon had any sub
stantial liquid nourishment passed his
lips.
Eventide found the members of the
family gathered abont the bedside of
the dying statesman waiting patiently
for dissolution. 4
Outside, in the dusk, were gathered
the correspondents and small groups of
anxious friends. Nature no longer as
serted itself; hfe's fires were burning
low, fickering and smouldering as
though the soul would leave its tene-
ment at each successive break. None
would recognize in the dying man one
vestige of resem blance. to the great po-
litical leader who had guided the des-
TIMES OF Canada for nearly half q cen-
tury.
At 10 o'clock It was evident that tho
end was near ut hand. The household