Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-06-23
av so Mt the department now.

say so ut the department now.
There is n story that Nolan met Burr
once on one of our vessels, when a
party Of Americans came on board In
the Mediterranean. But this l believe
to be a lie; or. rather. 1t is a myth. well
found, involving tremendous blowing
up with which he sunk Burr-asking
him how he liked to be without q
country"
After that cruise I never saw Nolan
again. ] wrote to him at least twice a
year, for in that voyage we became even
con6dentially intimate; but he never
wrote to me. The other men tell me
that in those fifteen years he aged very
fast And now It seems the dear old
fellow is dead. he has found home
at last. and country.
Since writing this I have received
from Danforth. who Is on board the
Levant, letter which gives an &C.
count OF Nolan's last hours. 1t removes
all my doubts about telling this story.
To understand the first words Of the
letter the nonprofessional reader should
remember that after 1917 the position
Of every officer who had Nolan In
charge was one of the greatest dell
cacy. The government had failed to
renew the order Of 1907 regarding him.
What was man to do? Should he let
him go? What. then. II he were called
to account by the department for vio-
lating the order Of 1907? Should he
keep him? What. then. II Nolan should
be liberated some day and should bring
an action for false imprisonment or
kidnapping against every man who had
had him in charge? The secretary al
ways said, as they so often do at
Washington, that there were no spe-
cial orders to give and that We must
act on our own judgment.
Here Is the letter:
Levant, q q g. @ 1n' W.
Dear F'red-I try to find heart and lie
to tell you that It is all over with dear old
Nolan. The doctor had been watching
UlIQ very CdlcLuiiS aibb SSchSaNes se.~'
came 10 me and told me that Nolan was
not SO we'll and had not left his steteroom.
q thing I never remembered before he
had let the doctor come and see him aS he
lay there, the first time the doctor had
been In the stateroom. and he said ne
should like to see me. Oh. dear. DO you
remember the mysteries We boys used TO
invent about his room In the old Intrepid
days? Well. went In. and there, to be
sure, the poor fellow lay In his berth.
smiling pleasantly as he gave me his
hand, but looking very fraiL / could not
help a glance round. which showed me
what q little shrine he had made OF the
box he was lying In. The stars and stripes
were triced up above and around picture
Of Washington. and he had painted ma
jestic eagle, with lightnings blazing from
his beak and his foot just clasping the
whole GLOBE which his wings overshad-
owed. The dear old boy saw my glance
and said, with sad smile, Here. you see.
I have a country" And he pointed to the
foot of his bed. where l had not seen be-
fore q great map Of the United States as
he had drawn 1t from memory and which
he had there to look upon as he lay.
Quaint, queer old names were on 1t In
large letters. "Oh. Danforth." he said. Il
know I am dying. I cannot get home.
Surely you will tell me something now
STOP stop! Do not speak till / say what
am sure you know-that there Ii not IN
this ship that there Is not In America
God bless her!-a more loyal man than l.
There cannot be q man who loves the old
flag as l do or prays for 1t as / do or
hopes for 1t as do. There are thirty-four
stars In II now, Danforth. / thank Goo
for that though do not know what their
names are. There has never been one
taken away. / thank God for that l
know by that that there has never been
any successful Burr. Oh. Danforth. Dam
FORTH" he sighed out tell me-tell mo
something-tell me everything. Danforth.
before die!'
Ingham, / swear to you that felt like
q monster that | had not told him every
thing before. Danger or no danger. del
icacy or no delicacy. who was l that
should have been acting the tyrant all
this time over this dear. sainted old man
who had years ago expiated In his whole
manhoods lie the madness Of boys
treason? "Mr. Nolan" said ]. Il Will tell
you everything you ask about. only where
shall I begin?'
Oh, the blessed smile that crept over his
white faceI And he pressed my hand ana
said: God bless you! Tell me theif
Names" he said. and he pointed to the
stars on the flag.
Well. I told him the names in as good
order as / could. and he bade me take
down his beautiful map and draw them
In a. best could with my pencil. he
was wild with delight about Texas; told
me how his brother died there. He hao
marked a gold cross where he supposed
his brothers grave was. and ne had
guessed at Texas. Then he was delighted
as he saw California and Oregon. That.
he said, he had suspected partly because
he had never been permitted to land on
that shore, though the ships were there
90 much. "And the men, said he, laugh.
Ing, brought of a good deal besides
furs." Then he went back-heavens. how
far!-to ask about the Chesapeake and
what was done to Barron for surrenderins
her to the Leopard. and whether Burr
ever tried again, and he ground his teeth
with the only passion he showed. But In
q moment that was over. and he said'
God forgive me- for am sure forgive
him." Then he asked about the old wal
and settled down more quietly and very
happily to hear me tell IN an hour ths
history Of fifty years.
How I wished II had been somebody
who knew something! tell you. 1ngham.
Il was q hard thing to condense the his
tory Of half q century into that talk Win
q sick man. And do not now know
what I told him Of emigration and the
means Of II, Of steamboats, and railroads
and telegraphs. Of inventions and books
and literature. Of the colleges and Wes'
Point and the naval school. but with the
Queerest Interruptions that ever you heard
You see, It was Robinson Crusoe asking
k1I v.ai
years.
remember he asked all Of sudden
who was president now. and when i told
him he asked II Old Abe was General
BENJAMIN Lincoln's son. He said he met
old General Lincoln when he was quite
boy himself at some Indian treaty. said
no; that Old Abe was Kentuckian. Ike
himself, but could not tell him Of what
family. He had worked up from the
ranks. GOOD for him." cried Nolan. =!
am glad Of that. AS have brooded and
wondered / have thought our danger was
In keeping up those regular SUGGESTIONS
in the first families" 1 told him every
thing | could think Of that would sho"
the grandeur Of his country and Its pros
perity.
And he drank It In and enjoyed II as ]
cannot tell you. He grew more and more
silent, yet 1 never thought he was tireo
or faint. ! gave him a glass OF water.
but he Just wet his lips and told me mol
TO 20 away. Then he asked me to bring
the Presbyterian Book Of Public Prayer
which lay there. and said. with a smile.
that Il would open at the right place
and 30 II did. There was his double
red mark down the page. and knet
down and read and he repeated with me-
For ourselves and our country. gra
that nOfwtth