Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-09-18

This. then. was Corwin's idea % his
own cpitaph. II sounds like the disoon.
tent ~ disappointed man. and ] aske'l
his venerable cousin the cause u H. Ho
replied;
"As tho rost of this letter and others
show, Tom thought his life u failure
He was In latter days l-wailing tho fact
that no had not lived 10 any great Eur.
poso and blamed much upon his wit F."
"was hc. like Webster anl Clay. dis.
appointed not to h. president
"NO; I don't think ho ever had much
ambition that gay. Ills ambition wa
to bo rich. lie always regretted that
he had to die poor. lolofi nothingsayc
q mortgage on his house, which was
lifted by Judge George r. sag, ms
son.in.law. When b. died at Washing.
ton and was buried herr, remembered
tho letter about his cpitaph and showed
10 10 tho family. They did not consider
IL seriously. however. taking 10 ~ ono
u his grim. sarcastic Jokes Vet no
doubt be- meant every word q IL"
Corwin's grave was for many years
unmarked. but now plain granite shaft
il over his grave In the new cemetery.
bearing only his name and that q his
wife. who died In 1875. and the name u
an only son. -Four daughters survive
Mrs sage. now living In Cincinnati;
Mrs Burns of Jamestown, ". u Mrs
CrUpper. q widow. who lives In the old
homestead with Katherine Corwin, tho
oldcs, daughter % all. bu, who since
childhood has bccn paralytic and q
constant care
COrwin never could have bo.n rich
man Ho male enormous earnings ~ u
lawyer and was not o,trayasant, bui
he was too literal with his pm In On.
dorsing notes. and security payments
kept him poor. One day he vowed never
20 90 security on another note Tho
very mex, day request for such a favor
came In. Ills Office was filed with men
who had heard him make such rmarks,
and they were stunned with surprise
when he signed the paper without n
wurj. When the happy man was gone
they all exclaimed In surprise; why.
Corwin, what do you meani Don't you
remember what you said yesterday
"Oh. YES. but know this man can
never pay the note. and l eNpect 20 do
H. I'll not h. fooled In this case. "
That bespoke the man. He remarked
one day; "No man can become rich In
mercantile business or any other follow
ing IL he strictly interprcts aud obcys
The lesson. taught by Christ In the scr.
mon ON the mount. ] try 20 do II, and
no wonder I am poor.
Yet ho once refused kingdom and
cruwn-also a LOT Of trouble which went
with H. When Louis Kossuth. tho
Hungarian patriot. was In America. he
became q groat admirer Of Corwin. IL
was not altogether but nc least fairly
rcciprocated. Kossuth one day came 20
Corwin and proposed that he give mp
American statesmanship 20 become king
of Hungary Corwin was told that all
Hungary was hungry for Just such a
king as he would make. and that the
nations of Europe would aoquicsoe In
his favor. But Corwin refused the
crown 10 pcrsistently pressed upon him,
saying that he preferred ''to b. cOun.
try lawyer rather than the king % any
country ON earth"
Corwin always told his intimate
friends that he wanted 90 die suddenly.
To drop dead was his choice and with
no long. painful. suspenseful illness His
favorito poet was Scott, and In speak
ing Of death he would often quote the
line beginning
Mine be the death of tropie sun.
There il no twilight In tropical coun'
tries. and night comes on suddenly n
the sun flashes out of sight below the
horizon.
Corwin was touched by the death
angel during q banquet at Washington,
much like Secretary Window, like Cor
win. asecrctary Of the treasury. COrwin
fell into the arms Of whitelaw Reid
and fairfield. who carried him from the
room. He fingered In comato-o state
q few hours and died. His wish was
granted, for his great soul passed pain
lessly into peace
T. &. BrcKruoRPE