HIS LAST YEARS IN VIRGINIA 237 



that he had the clearness of foresight to foresee what 

 could be done for the land with the aid of regular stations 

 and the telegraph, but we can't in the smallest degree 

 say that its practical success is due to him. In the 

 future, General Myer will have that credit. Father's 

 reputation must rest on his work at sea and a biography 

 can only speak of other things as indications of his clear 

 and far-seeing mind. The world is full of similar cases 

 in all great improvements, and the world invariably 

 gives the credit not to the man who first thought of them 

 but to the man who puts the ideas into practise". 



When Maury was stricken with sickness on his last 

 lecturing tour, he seemed to realize that he would not 

 recover, for when he arrived at home and entered the 

 house he said to his wife, "My dear, I am come home to 

 die". He was immediately helped to his bed, though 

 death did not come until after four long months, during 

 a portion of which time he suffered extreme pain. When 

 not suffering too much, he occupied himself with a re- 

 vision of his "Physical Geography". 



During his long illness, the strength of his Christian 

 faith displayed itself, and he became wholly resigned to 

 the inevitable. Job had always been his favorite book 

 in the Bible; and the 130th Psalm, which he called "De 

 Profundis" and which was sung at Luther's funeral amid 

 the tears of the people, was read to him, at his request, 

 many times during his last days. He was greatly com- 

 forted by a week's visit which his brother-in-law. Dr. 

 Brodie S. Herndon of Savannah, made him in the De- 

 cember preceding his death. And towards the end he 

 sent sincere farewell messages to Commodore Jansen in 

 Holland, whom he had loved for many years as a brother, 

 and also to Dr. Tremlett who had brightened with his 



