The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-05-07

| arm. his sons attention being absorbed
nv the care of the luggage. He moved
slowly and with some difficulty, taking
yery short steps. Two carriages had
been engaged by some misunderstand-
ing. but, on account Of the luggage, 1t
was found convenient to retain them
both. Mr.. Choate was put into one OF
them, alone, without any incumbrance
of trunk or bag. and his son, with the
luggage. occupied the other. When the
moment for driving off came. l could
not bear to see him carried out into the
darkness unaccompanied, and l asked
| Capt. Leith, who was with us-ano
whose thoughtful kindness shall never
forget-how long a time might have
to drive up into the town: and he replied,
half an hour. Hearing that the inn, OF
boarding house, to which we were d.
rected was but q half mile off, en-.
tered the coach, sat by his side, and OIL
we went through the silent and gloomy
streets. The half mile stretched out
into a long mile; and when we had reach
ed the house, and I had deposited Mr..
Choate on a couch in the sitting-room,
the landlady appalled, me by saying that
she had not an unoccupied bed IN the
house and could not accommodate him.
Her words fell upon my heart like
blow. In few breathless words ex-
planned to her who and what he was, and
how alarmingly i'll thought him; but
conld avail nothing. would have knelt
to her if that would have moved her;
hut I read no signs of hope in her eye.
NAV have done her injustice, but have
set down the incident as about the first
time have ever had occasion, from my
own observation and experience, to quail
ify Ledyard's praise of women.
In the meantime the memorable mo-
ments were slipping away, and ! was
compelled to leave the house: l heard
an airy voice calling me out of the dark
ness, and l could not by moment en-
large the Captains lease. l. left Mr..
Choate upon the sofa, pale and exhaust
ed, but patient and uncomplalnlng; his
luggage in the street. at the door, and
his son at that midnight hour wandering
about the streets of Halifax, seeking
temporary shelter for a dying father,
with what result have not yet heard.
What with the sense of hurry, the lrri-
tation of this mischance, and the con-
seriousness that l had seen my eminent
friend for the last time, l drove back to
the boat with very sore heart.
There are some passages IN our hves
which stamp themselves upon the mem
ory with peculiar force and dlstlnctness.
Such were my midnight experiences at
Halifax: if l should live to be hundred
years old they would be as fresh before
the minds eye as they are now.
Mr.. Hillard died Jan. 81, 1879.
This was the Lovett House, kept by
two maiden ladies Of that name. 1t was
not hotel, and was seldom able to en-
terrain transients, but was the home
mainly of local people, and usually had
waiting list of those wishing to become
inmates. 1t was impossible for the
landladies to turn out their regular guests
even to accommodate sick man. My
father was then, and had been since the
coming in of the administration OF Presl-
dent Pierce. U. s. Consul at Halifax, and
with his family was living in the Lovett
House, where had but recently arrived
from New Orleans for visit. He In
terested himself at once and secured
comfortable quarters for Mr.. Choate and
his son in boarding house kept by Mrs.
Jubien, on the same street. With my
father | called several times on MIR.
Choate and have a vivid recollection OF
his tall, spare figure and luminous deep
set eyes. He was a very sick man when
he landed in Halifax and died there July
10, 1859. After his death my father was
given his gold-headed cane and his SILK
hat. What became of them do not know.
Now, having used the ''Early Memo
ries'' of Mr.. Lodge on which to hang
some shreds of my own memories, some
thing should be said of his intensely IN
teresting book, which | have found TO
be unique among all the autoblographles
have read In writing of the civil
War period Mr.. Lodge gives his boylsh
impressions, unchanged by knowledge
acquired later; and in writing of his trip
abroad with his mother and tutor ne
does not indulge in guide book descrip-
tons and statistics. The social position
and connections of his family brought
him in contact with many noted people
both at home and abroad, and his i'm
pressions of them, and his comments on
manners and customs, are both entertain
ing and instructive. He is at no time
self assertive. He does not undertake
to tell you the right or wrong of things,
but simply records his impressions. l
wish that every intelligent American
might read the chapter entitled Retro
spect and Contrast" which covers the
changes, materially, morally, politically
and socially, at home and abroad. In
this chapter is quotation from Abraham
Lincoln which of itself is fairly illustra-
tive of the character Of that great Amer
can and pertinent to present conditions.
Lincoln says: 1.-THE strongest bond of
sympathy, outside of the family, should
HBEsssssgs.ssss..s ssssaalsIssss's ta'