264 



^EW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Vol. 6— No. 33, 



MISCELLANIES. 



ODE. 



How sleep ihe bra\e who sink lo rest, 

 By all ihei" country's honors blest ! 

 When spring, with dewy fingers cold, 

 Returns to deck their hallowed mould. 

 She there shall dress a sweeter sod, 

 Than (ancy's feet have ever trod. 

 By fairy hands their knell is rung; 

 Ijy forms unseen Mieir dirge is rung ; 

 There honor conies, a pilgrim gray. 

 To bless the turf that wraps their clay ; 

 And Freedom shall awhile repair. 

 To dwell a weeping hermit there. 



^Frorn Cusiis' Recollections and private Memolis.) 

 THE LiAST HOURS OP WASHINGTON. 



Twenty-ei{);lit years have passed away, sHire an 

 interesting group were assembled in the death- 

 roo.i), and ivitnessf-d the last hours of Washing- 

 ton. So keen and unsparing hath been the scythe 

 of Time, that, of all those wlio watched over the 

 patriarch's conch, on the l^jth and 14lh of Dec. 

 1799, bnt a single personage survives. On the 

 13th, the general was engaged in n:iaking some 

 imp-.-oveinents in front of Mount Vernon. As was 

 usual with him, he carried his own coinp iss — not- 

 ed his observations — and marked out the ground. 

 The day became rainy, with sleet, and the im- 

 prover remained so long exposed to the inclemen- 

 cy of the weather, as to be considerably wet be- 

 fore his return to the house. About one o'clock, 

 he was seized with chillness and nausea, but hav- 

 ing changed his clothes, he sat down to his in- 

 door work ; there being no moment of his time 

 for which he had not provided an aporopriaie em- 

 ployment. At ni^ht on joining his family circle, 

 he complained of slight indisposition ; and, afier 

 taking a cup of tea, repaired to his library, where 

 he remained writing until between eleven and 

 twelve o'clock. jVIrs. Washington retired about 

 the usual family hour — but becoming alarmed at 

 not hearing the accustomed sound of the library 

 door, as it closed for the ni^ht, and gave signal 

 for rest in the well reiiulated mansion, she arose 

 again, and continue'l sifting up. in much anxiety 

 and suspense. At length the well known step 

 was heard, and upon his entering the chamber, 

 she kindly chidetl him for remainin? up bo late. 

 ^knowing him to be unwell |; — to which he made 

 this memorable reply: — "I came as .soon as my 

 bu.«iness wa' ar-romplished. You well know, that 

 through a hmg life, it has been my unvaried rule, 

 never put off till to morrow, the duties which 

 should be p^^rfoniied to day." Having covered up 

 the fire with cure, the man of mishtv labors at 

 last sought repose ; but it came not as it had Ions 

 been v,;ont to do, to comfort and restore, after the 

 mtiny ami earnest cccipations of the well spent 

 day. The nicrht was passed in feverish restlcs 

 ness and pain. Tired nature's sweet restorer, 

 ^balmy sleep), was destined no more to visit his 

 eouch ; yet, the mnnly sufferer uttered no com- 

 plaint — would permit no one to be disturbed in 

 their rest, on his account, and it was only at day- 

 break ho would consent that the overseer might 

 be called in, and bleeding resorted to. A vein 

 was opened, but without affording relief. Cour- 

 iers were despatched, to summon Dr. Craik, (the 

 family), and doctors Dick and Brown, as consult- 

 ing physicians : all of whom came with speed. — 

 The proper remedies were administered, but with- 

 out producing their healing effects, while the pa- 



tient, yieliiing to the an.vious looks oi all around 

 him waived his usual objection to medicines, and 

 took those which were prescribed, without hesita- 

 tion or remark. The medical gentlemen spared ! 

 not their skill, nnd all the resources of their art 

 were exhausted in unwearied endeavors lo pre- 

 serve this noblest work of nature. 



Night approached — the last ight of Washing- 

 ton ! The weather became severely cold, while 

 the group gathered nearer to the couch of the 

 sufferer, watching with intense anxiety, for the 

 slightest dawn of hope. He spoke hiit little. To 

 the respectful and affectionate inquiries of an old 

 family servant, as she smoothed down his pillow, 

 how he felt, he answered — '•! am very ill." To 

 J)r Craik, his earliest companion in iirnis, longest 

 tried, and bosom friend, he obspreved, ■' I am dy 

 ing, sir — but 1 am not afraid to die To IV] rs. 

 Washinsrton, he said — "Go to my escritoir, and 

 in the private drawer you will find two papers — 

 bring them to me." They were brought. He 

 continued — "These are my wills — preserve this 

 one, and burn the other." Which was immediate- 

 ly done. Calling to colonel Lear, he said, "Let 

 my corpse be kept for the usual period of three 

 days." Here we would beg leave to remind our 

 readers, that, in a former part of this work, we 

 have said that Washington was old fashioned in 

 many of his habits and manners, and in some of 

 his opinions ; nor was he the less to be admir- 

 ed on this account. The custom of keeping the 

 dead for the scriptural period of three days, is de- 

 rived from remote antiquity, not from fear of pre- 

 mature interment, as in more modern times, but 

 from motives of veneration towards the deceased; 

 for the better enabling the rolalives and friends 

 to assemble from a distance, to perform the fune- 

 ral rites — for the pious watchings of the corpse — 

 and, for the many stid, yet emlearing ceremonials 

 with which we delight to pay our last duties to 

 the remains of those we have loved best. The 

 patient bore bis acute sufferings with manly forti- 

 tude, and perfect resignation to the Divine will ; 

 while, as the night advanced, it became evident 

 that he was sinking, and he seemed fully aware 

 that his hour was niirh. He inquired the time, 

 and was answered, "a few minutes to twelve." — 

 He spoke no more — the hand of death was upon 

 him, and he was conscious that his hour was 

 come. With surprising self-possession, ho pre- 

 pared to die^composinsr his form at length — 

 folding his hands upon his bosom — without a sigh 

 — without a groan — the Father of his country 

 expired, jrentlo as thousrh an infant died. Nor 

 panir or strugsrle told, when the noble spirit took 

 its noiseless fliirht ; while, so tranquil appeared 

 the manly features in the repose of death, that 

 some moments h;id passed ere those around him 

 [Could believe that the patri^irch was no more. It 

 may be asked, and why was the ministry of relig- 

 j ion wanlinff to shed its ppacpful and benign lustre 

 I upon the last hours of Washington ? — why was 

 I he, to whom the observances of sacred things 

 I where ever primary duties, through life, without 

 j their consolations in his last moments? We an- 

 ! swer, circumstances did not permit. It was but 

 ' for a little while that the disease assumed so 

 threateninnr a character as to forbid the encour- 

 agement of hope; yet, to stay that summons which 

 none may refuse, to give still farther length of 

 days to him whose time-honored life was so dear 

 to mankind, prayer was not wanting to the throne 

 of Grace. Close to the couch of the sufferer, rest- 



ing her head upon that ancient book, with whicit 

 she had been wont to hold pious communion, a 

 portion of every day, for more than half a centu- 

 ry, was the venerable consort, absorbed in silent 

 prayer, and from which she only arose, when the 

 mourning group prepared to bear her from the 

 chamber of the doad. Such were the last hours 

 of Washington. 



An Americin printer having undertaken to pub- 

 lish an eiiiiion of Thomson's Seasons, was very 

 much disi:oncerted with the following verses at 

 the ueginning of Spring : 



O Hartford, fitted or lo shine in courts 

 VViih unaffecied grace, or walk the plain 

 Wilh innocence, &c. 



He satisfied himself, that the first ''or" was su- 

 perfluous, and after some exercise of ingenuity, 

 substituted the follow in;.', whirh we liope will be 

 noticed by all future editors among the "curious 

 readings." 



O Hartford, fitted for to shine. &c. 



JAMES BLOODGOOD & Cos. 

 jVwr.sfny, at Flushing, on Long Island, near JVeic 

 York. 

 IN behalf of the Proprietors of the above Nursery 

 the subscriber solicits the orders of Horticulturists 

 who may be desirious of slocking their gardens 

 nnd field- wilh FruH Trees of the finest sorts, and 

 mo.-i licriHiiy and vigorous stocks the present reason. 

 I BLuuDGOdn & (,(,. attend pfrsmialhj to the Inoculating and 

 \ Enerafling of nil their Fniit Trees— anA purchasers may rely 

 with confidence, that the Trees they order will prove gennine. 

 The subscriber. Agent of the above Nursery, will receive order- 

 for any quaniiiy of 



FRUIT AND FOREST TREES, 

 FLOWERING SHRUBS, 



AM) 



PLANTS 



'I'he Trees will he delivered in this City, at the risk and e.\- 

 pen-e of the purchaser — the bills may be paid to him. 



The reputation of this Nursery is so extensively known, and 

 has been so well sustained, that I take leave to refer those in 

 want of Trees, lo any of the Horticulturists in this City and its 

 vicinity ; and if ocular denionsiratioti is desired, I invite those 

 who wish to he thus satisfied, to examine the 'I'rees in my gar- 

 den at Dorchester, procured from this Nursery for three or tour 

 years past, some of which are now in bearing, all in a healthy 

 and vigorous state. 



inF' faialogues will be delivered gratis, on application tc 

 ZEB. COOK. Jr. Rogers' Buildings— Congress St. 



TREES. 



N. DAVENPORT offers for sale at his Nursery, 

 jii ftlilton, a fine collection of Fruit and Forest 

 Trees, and Ornamental Shrubs, comprising Ap- 

 ples.Pears l'eaches.Prunes.Nectarine»,&e. Goose- 

 berry ;iiid Currant Bushes. A list of which can be 

 seen ai die office of the New England Farmer, or Agricultural 

 ' Warehouse — and will be iiiserleil in the New England Fanner 

 [ occasionally'. .At this Nursery, however, it is not so much an 

 , ohjecl lo present the imposing display of a great number of 

 i the names of iiidiflerent fruit as to keep a choice collection ol 

 1 those sorts, whose excellence is well known and established. 



0° Orders are re-|i>cilull^ solicited, and will receive prompt 

 I aticnlion if left with .1. It Ni aveli., at the Agricultural Estab- 

 ' lishment, No 5J Norili .M.irkii strei-i ; or with French & D.4. 

 VKNPOBT, No. 71J Waj^hiiiguin-Slreet — oral die Nursery in 

 Milton. Feb. 29. 



Seeds fnr Hi.l Bids 



For .sale at the Seed EsioMisluneni conneclcl wilh Ihe New 

 England Farmer olhce. No. bt Nonli M^nkct Streol, Boston, 



A large variety of fresh Ganlen Secrls. suitable for sprinj; 

 sowing of Hot Heds, among whiih ,,re Hu-h Sweel Marjoruin. 

 Early Camperdown Leiiuce, Sllisia <lo. Head do. Royal Cape 



do.- 'rennislioll do Ire Coss do. Gu and White C'oss do.— 



Early York Cabluige, Eai K I'ciilon do. Early Ballersea do. 

 Eiirly Sugarloafdo. EaH\ Dutch do Green Globe Savoy do. 

 Cape Savov do.— Early While, Purple, and Cape Brocoli— 

 Early and Late Caulillowei— White and Rose coloured Celery 

 — Curled Cress — Early Frame Cucumber. Green Cluster do. 

 long Green and While Turkey do. Long Prickly do. While 

 .Spined do. Short I'ricKly do.— Green Citron Melon, Pine Apple 

 do. Minorca do. — Purple Egg Plant— Superior Short Top Scar- 

 Id Radish. Eariv !■ rame do. Cherry do.— Early White Dutch 

 Turnip. Yellow M,dt:i do.— Spinarh. &c. 



inr Publi-shcd eiery FRinAV, at Three Dollars per aanum. 

 payable at the cud of the 3'ear ; but those who pay within sixty 

 d.Vvs from the time of subscribing, are entitled !• a dcduclinn c 



Fifhi Cents. 



