Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Obituary.
Bro . J . K . POLK , ex-President of the U . S . A . Bro . Polk ' s fatal illness , it appears , was induced hy over-exertion while arranging the details of his spacious mansion , and more directly by the labour of placing the books in his large library . For the first three days his complaint ( chronic diarrhcea ) , which was with him of many years' standing , excited no alarm ; but the disease baffling all the skill of his medical advisers , other aid was called in , but to no purpose . Bro . Polk continued graduallto
y sink from day to day . He died without a struggle , simply ceasing to breathe , as when deep and quiet sleep falls upon a weary man . About half-an-hour preceding his death his venerable mother entered the room , and kneeling by his bedside offered up a beautiful prayer . The scene was strikingly impressive . Major Polk , the president ' s brother , was also by his betlside , with other members of the family . On the succeeding day the body lay in stateand the mansion was
every-, where shrouded in black . Masonic ceremonies were performed over the corpse before it was encoffined . The coffin bore the simple inscription : — " J . K . Polk , born November , 1795 . Died June 15 , 1849 . " The body was deposited in the Grundy vault , temporarily ; but it will soon be removed to a vault on the lawn of the ex-presidential mansion , where a willow now stands , and over it will be erected a stately marble
cenotaph : thus tbe body of the president from Tennessee will lie entombed in the heart of its capital . Bro . Polk , by will , the evening before his death , gave the lawn to the State , in perpetuity , for this purpose . Bro . Polk sent for the Rev . Dr . Edgar , of the Presbyterian church , seven days before his death , desiring to be baptised by him . He said to him impressively : — " Sir , if I had suspected , twenty years ago , that I should come to my death-bed unprepared , it would have made me a
wretched man ; 1 am about to die , and have not made preparation . I have not even been baptised . Tell me , sir , can there be any ground for a man thus situated to hope ? " The conversation fatiguing Bro . Polk too much for him to he then baptised , it was postponed , to take place the next evening ; but in the interval the ex-president recollected that when he was governor and lived here , he had held many arguments with -Rev . Mr . M'Ferrenthe talented and popular Methodist minister of the
, place , his warm personal and political friend , and that he had promised him that when he did embrace Christianity he , Rev . Mr . M'Ferren , should baptise him . He , therefore , sent for Rev . Dr . Edgar , made known this obligation , expressed his intention to be baptised by his friend the Methodist minister , and accordingly was so consecrated . Bro . Polk died worth about 100 , 000 dollars , the bulk of which is settled on his amiable lady .
July 8 . —At Quebec , of cholera , Bro . JOHN WILSON , the Scottish melodist . The deceased was of a most estimable private character . His " Nicht wi' Burns" stamped h ; s fame as a Scottish minstrel . But he was respectable in histrionic attainments , in proof of which may be quoted his Donald in the " Mountain Sylph , " and his delivery of Bro . Douglas Jerrold ' s Address in aid of the Aged Masons' Asylum , into which Bro . Wilson threw a pathos and fine sentiment that did ample justice to the
accomplished author , and to the cause they mutually supported . When Bro . Wilson began to prepare himself for the stage , several of his friends endeavoured to dissuade him from the step . His mother , a pious old lady , and Mr . Grey , his pastor , who was much attached to him * , remonstrated and expostulated in vain . He resigned his precentorship , recom-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Obituary.
Bro . J . K . POLK , ex-President of the U . S . A . Bro . Polk ' s fatal illness , it appears , was induced hy over-exertion while arranging the details of his spacious mansion , and more directly by the labour of placing the books in his large library . For the first three days his complaint ( chronic diarrhcea ) , which was with him of many years' standing , excited no alarm ; but the disease baffling all the skill of his medical advisers , other aid was called in , but to no purpose . Bro . Polk continued graduallto
y sink from day to day . He died without a struggle , simply ceasing to breathe , as when deep and quiet sleep falls upon a weary man . About half-an-hour preceding his death his venerable mother entered the room , and kneeling by his bedside offered up a beautiful prayer . The scene was strikingly impressive . Major Polk , the president ' s brother , was also by his betlside , with other members of the family . On the succeeding day the body lay in stateand the mansion was
every-, where shrouded in black . Masonic ceremonies were performed over the corpse before it was encoffined . The coffin bore the simple inscription : — " J . K . Polk , born November , 1795 . Died June 15 , 1849 . " The body was deposited in the Grundy vault , temporarily ; but it will soon be removed to a vault on the lawn of the ex-presidential mansion , where a willow now stands , and over it will be erected a stately marble
cenotaph : thus tbe body of the president from Tennessee will lie entombed in the heart of its capital . Bro . Polk , by will , the evening before his death , gave the lawn to the State , in perpetuity , for this purpose . Bro . Polk sent for the Rev . Dr . Edgar , of the Presbyterian church , seven days before his death , desiring to be baptised by him . He said to him impressively : — " Sir , if I had suspected , twenty years ago , that I should come to my death-bed unprepared , it would have made me a
wretched man ; 1 am about to die , and have not made preparation . I have not even been baptised . Tell me , sir , can there be any ground for a man thus situated to hope ? " The conversation fatiguing Bro . Polk too much for him to he then baptised , it was postponed , to take place the next evening ; but in the interval the ex-president recollected that when he was governor and lived here , he had held many arguments with -Rev . Mr . M'Ferrenthe talented and popular Methodist minister of the
, place , his warm personal and political friend , and that he had promised him that when he did embrace Christianity he , Rev . Mr . M'Ferren , should baptise him . He , therefore , sent for Rev . Dr . Edgar , made known this obligation , expressed his intention to be baptised by his friend the Methodist minister , and accordingly was so consecrated . Bro . Polk died worth about 100 , 000 dollars , the bulk of which is settled on his amiable lady .
July 8 . —At Quebec , of cholera , Bro . JOHN WILSON , the Scottish melodist . The deceased was of a most estimable private character . His " Nicht wi' Burns" stamped h ; s fame as a Scottish minstrel . But he was respectable in histrionic attainments , in proof of which may be quoted his Donald in the " Mountain Sylph , " and his delivery of Bro . Douglas Jerrold ' s Address in aid of the Aged Masons' Asylum , into which Bro . Wilson threw a pathos and fine sentiment that did ample justice to the
accomplished author , and to the cause they mutually supported . When Bro . Wilson began to prepare himself for the stage , several of his friends endeavoured to dissuade him from the step . His mother , a pious old lady , and Mr . Grey , his pastor , who was much attached to him * , remonstrated and expostulated in vain . He resigned his precentorship , recom-