Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-04-14
ICoseHUNcarED.
J. DoNATUs THOMPSON.


MEssRs. EDIToRs:-A few DAYS ago a
friend informed me by letter that j. Do
natus Thompson died I'm Baltimore at his
sons residence, after an iIIness OF four
days. on March 18th, ultimo, aged Te;
years, and accompanied the sad inis,rIua-
ton with the query, did you not prom
Ise long yesirs ago 10 write his obituary
you should survive him ?" My answer
must he in the affirmative, and It NAV be
that there are some yet living who are
eognizant Of the rather eomical eondi-
tons under which il was made. shall
mention the tacts, not with a view TO re-
late a joke, but tn demonstrate the ex-
eeilent good nature OF my friend and his
quiet Christian way Of being avenged.
Donatus would persist in signing the nom
de plume Hot Box" TO all his publica
tons, not excepting solemn obituary no.
tices. When | was a resident of Balti
more, a quarter Of a century ago. a friend
from the old home county called to see
me IN my Office, just as had seen in the
BEACON the name, Hot Box" affixed TO
neurological Accommodation. In a rath-
er petulant way j pointed il out To my
friend and observed, bless me, il would
not give anything i'm reason II could pet
an early chance to write MS obituary. "
Ny friend was much amused at this testy
speech, and laughed considerably. ON
his return to- Leonardtown he repeated
my remark, and il had quite a local run.
long after | had forgotten il. Some
months elapsed after this little episode
and report became widely circulated In
the county that Gov. Hamilton had de-
termined to appoint me to lucrative Of
flee, which carried with iteonsiderable pa
tronage. This rumor prompted Donatus
to write me a letter, asking for clerk
ship which he desired, and suggested,
that If we became daily associated, /
would be able to discover his true char
aeter, and thus he better able 10 write
properly his obituary, which he had heard
was anxious to do very SPEEDILY This
very neat thrust more than evened up
matters and Was very conscious that
tine bulge OF the joke was pressing upon
me. However, | answered the letter,
making application for a position, and
blended as well as | could Johnsonian
grandiloquence with Pickwickian humor.
Several OF our mutual friends assured me
that he enjoyed the letter immensely, and
1t led To an intimacy which never had an
interruption till death severed it. When
ever we met, there was a magnetism that
drew me to him, and feel warranted In |
saying that | think he experienced the |
same feeling. His quiet, unobtrusiye |
manners would rarely attract a stranger.
but his sterling worth, which close asso- |
citation ever disclosed, were bound to as
sert itself with any man of taste and
good sense. He had a heart that was
overlooking with kindness, and it was
doubtless this fact that caused him to |
write so many death notices. because il |
was pleasant to him to write kind things
OF the dead, and still more, the grateful |
hope that what he gave utterance to |
might assurage somewhat the heart |
aches of bereaved friends. Not only had |
he n large and ympathetic heart, but |
his mind was admirably balanced, and |
many OF his published papers were wor-
thy OF great praise, as many of my read |
ers know. His honesty was proyerbial |
ana IN this, his native county, and his |
place Of residence for more than the Scrip |
tural limit, it is needless tn mention the |
Tact. | write OF my friend, con amore,
and not from the moral obligation of |
QuixOtic promise, although he ever in |
sisted that | should write his obituary |
notice, of him should be the survivor.
and he would do the same for me should |
he summoned to the other world be- |
lore he should be called. | have lost n |
good recommendation to future genera |
tons by OUTLYING him, and he has gained |
one that is Inadequate to- his many anna |
BILE virtues. The losing of dear friends |
Is fearful ordeal that all Of us have had /
to pass through, but it is far more keenly |
Ielt by the old than by the young, for the |
very obvious reason that the friends of /
the aged are always very limited i'm num-
Der, and the void Occasioned by the pass
ing away Of single one is acutely painful. |
IL begets a lonesome feeling. and one is |
tempted to long for his turn To come.
when he shall join the great silent major
lty OF loved ones who are on the other |
side of the great Divide between time and |
eternity. 1t should be remembered that |
nature has her compensations in |
all the trials and vicissitudes of life. and |
when friends are taken from us-friends |
who have made the good fight against |
mans arch enemy-there will be added |
prayers offered up for us who are still |
on here below. May he. the |
subject OF this unworthy sketch, be with |
Gods chosen ones, is the fervent wish Of |
his friend. JE q