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MOOBE’S RURAL I3EW-Y0RKER. 
WILLIAM H. SEWARD. 
This great Americau statesman and diplomat 
died at his residence in Auburn, N. Y., on the 
afternoon of Oct. Ill Vi. from a catarrhal effusion 
into the lungs, from which ho had suffered some 
days. His intellect was vigorous to the last and 
his last hours were tranquil. He spent them in 
affectionate leave-takings. Mr. Reward was a 
great American citizen, whoso name is woven 
with the Inter history of ids country, who was 
more widely known than most great men—loved 
at home and respected all ovor the world. He 
wa8of Welsh and Irish descent, horn in Florida, 
Orange Co.. May 16, 1801. He entered Union 
College at 15. graduating in 1830 with honors. 
He studied law in New York City and was ad¬ 
mitted to the bar in 1823. He settled in Auburn, 
marrying a Miss Mrr.LER in 1834. In early life he 
became a politician, taking an anti-slavery 
stand. In 1830 he was sent to the State Senate ns 
an Anti-Mason, whore ho distinguished himself 
as a promoter of wise laws and needed reforms. 
.Mr, Seward was made Governor of New York 
in 1838 at the age of 37. His administration was 
wise and devoted to reform. Re-elected in 1840, 
at the end of his term be returned to the prac¬ 
tice of law. Jn 1840 bo was elected to the U. 8. 
Senate In place of Gen. Dix. Ito became the 
peer of Webster, Cray, Everett and the great 
men of that day. His speeches on the “ Higher 
Law" and the “•Irrepressible Conflict’’ have 
become historically famous. Many times Mr. 
Seward was spoken of ns a Presidential candi¬ 
date, and at one convention received 173 votes. 
As a Senator he always fought slavery, gaining 
great distinction for so doing. In 1801 President 
Lincoln gave Mr. Seward the first place in his 
cabinet. The civil war followed. We do not 
need to speak of the ooUrso of the great Secre¬ 
tary of Stato during that momentous period. 
He brought renown to his country and won the 
admiration of the world. At the time of 
Mr. Lincoln's assassination ho barely escaped 
with his life. He remained in Mr. Johnson’s 
cabinet, leaving public,life at the close of that 
administration. Hi 186i>-’70 ho mado a tour 
round the world, being everywhere received 
with distinguished honors. Since his return to 
Auburn, Mr. Seward lias been engaged upon 
two hooks, one an account of his travels and 
the other a history of his llfo and times. The 
first he Jert finished and it will soon he pub¬ 
lished ; the second was about half finished. Mr. 
Seward died in his study, amid his books and 
papers. He will bo universally mourned in the 
United States and regretted in all Christendom. 
-- 
FANNY FERN. 
On the same day that Mr. Seward died 
“Fanny Fern," the wife of James Parton, 
departed this life. She had been unwell all 
Summer, yet lier death was unexpected to the 
public. Her maiden name was SARA Payson 
Willis, and she was a sister of N. P. Willis, 
the poet. Shewasborn in Portland, Mo., in 1811, 
and educated at Hartford, Conn., by Miss 
Catherine Beecher, Her first husband was a 
Mr. Eldridge, by whom she had three children. 
Left a widow in embarrassed circumstances, 
she commenced writing for the press in 1851, 
over the name of Fanny Fern. Hot book of 
“Fern Leaves " sold to the extent of 75,000 cop¬ 
ies. The only novels she published were “ Ruth 
Hall" and “ Rose Clarke." In 1356 she married 
James Parton. Since that day she has been 
known as a writer of short sketches in the New 
York Ledger. She had a stormy life, but its 
closing years were unclouded. 
-♦ ♦ » 
EMPEROR WILLIAM. 
Kate Field furnishes a Paris paper the fol¬ 
lowing pleasant gossip about Kaiser William: 
" I don’t know whether it be the effect of vic¬ 
tory, but certainly I never saw such a satisfied 
looking people as these Germans. Their compla¬ 
cency is absolutely exasperating, and I do not 
wonder that sanguine Frenchmen are driven 
almost wild by the sight of a Prussian helmet. 
A settled “ rock of ages ” expression about their 
faces here expresses eternity rather than time, 
and to associate death with such Imperturbable 
life seems almost impossible. As to the Em¬ 
peror, ho carries out the idea, of everlasting 
life by being as active at seventy-five as most 
men are at fifty-five. He is sun, moon and stars 
to every Gorman man, woman and child at 
Ems. 
I gave great offence to one woman by saying 
he looked very much like other men, which is 
true (a Scotchman hero resembling him so 
closely as to be called‘the Emperor’), and ex¬ 
cited indignation in the breast of a patriot by 
inquiring about the Imperial income, and ex¬ 
pressing surprise at his Ignorance of the 
amount. ‘It makes nc< difference what the 
Kaiser’s income is,’ replied the irate Prussian, 
resenting the innocent question os though I had 
accused the royal family of highway robbery, 
‘a few millions, more or less, and what odds?’ 
“No one accuses William of possessing great 
ability, but surely the man who discovered Bis¬ 
marck and who follows Ids suggestions must 
appreciate ability in others. That his miud is 
eminently practical shows itself constantly, and 
that he dislikes ostentation is proved by his life 
at Ems. Dressed quietly in a suit of ‘ pepper- 
and-salt,’ he appears among the people aecoin- 
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WILLIAM 1 L. HJL WAItD. 
panied by a member of the court; drinks his 
water at the spring like everybody olse, shakes 
hands with his friends, bows to everybody and 
discourages ceremony of all kinds. 
" When the Kaiser first wont to Ems heseut for 
all the physicians, receiving them most cordial¬ 
ly, and sitting on theoml of the table during the 
entire interview. Upou taking leave of them 
lie said : — ‘ Remember, gentlemen, that when 
you meet mo you are not to know ine, for 1 am 
a poor mau and eauuot, afford to buy many 
hats.’ This was a polite way for telling the 
gentlemen that it was a groat bore for him to 
return salutations and that ho had rather uot bo 
recognized. No physician of Ems will be found 
removing his hat at the approach of the Em¬ 
peror. 
“ His reference to poverty Is not unfrequent. 
Upon the birth of one of the Crown Prince’s 
children, a courtior with whom he chanced to 
bo walking drew the Imperial attention to a 
trinket, remarking that it would be a suitable 
present for the happy mother. * Ah no, 1 re¬ 
plied the cautious Wilhelm, ‘that would be a 
bud precedent, for if my daughter goes on add¬ 
ing to her family as she has begun, I should 
eventually be ruined. I am too poor for such 
extra vaga ■co.” 
“ Not long ago he received a beautiful gold and 
silver escritoire, as a token of gratitude from 
a wealthy banker whom he had ennobled for 
lurgely endowing a hospital. Gazing at the 
suberb gift Wilhelm remarked : ‘ My subjects 
are better off than 1 am. I cannot afford to 
make my friends such costly presonts!’ 
Whether the Kaiser is frugal into closeness, I 
do not know, but that ho does not beliovo him¬ 
self hedged In by divinity Is certain. ‘ I dined 
with His Majesty yesterday,’ said a German, 
whose position Is not higher than that of a 
hotel treasurer. ‘ Ho is very frank and friendly.’ 
Fancy Queen VICTORIA doing anything of the 
kind, Sally I Why, she lectures the Prince and 
Princess of Wales on their want of exclusive¬ 
ness, and tells them if they aro not more care¬ 
ful they will ho ‘ascommon as theCambridges.’ 
The Cambrldgos you know, aro her cousins. 
“The Kaiser frequently gives dinners to the 
officers stationed near, or visiting here, and in 
fact any person la the Government employ, 
either civil or military, is eligible to this dis¬ 
tinction, whioh is considered ample compensa¬ 
tion for exceedingly monger salaries. How 
these people can afford to Jive is a mystery. 
The KAiser is very like his photograph, only lie 
is not as good looklug as represented. Erect and 
soldierly in his carriage, portly', but not 
obese in figure, he resembles an English country 
gentleman, nr a solid, shrewd man of Boston. 
What his chin lacks in force his head makes ap 
in obstinacy, while there is an extreme thick¬ 
ness of neck and breadth of cerebellum that 
indicate unusual lighting proclivities and a bull¬ 
dog tenacity. I should say that it would bo 
difficult to pouud a uow idea iuto tils head or an 
Old one out." 
The late Mr. Seward, Judge Storv, Fisher 
Ames, B. C. Wxnthop, and many other noted 
men, entered public life at an early age. Age 
and wisdom are, therefore, not always synony¬ 
mous. 
KAN JNf V d'H; UN, 
MEN PERSONALS. 
Tilton talks thusof Dr. Henry W. Bellows, 
which is about as much of a “personal” as 
one man ueed have thrust on him in a lifetime : 
“ It has soomed to us that a greater heretic than 
Parker, and n better ecclesiastic than Car¬ 
dinal Richelieu, a devoted ascetic and a genial 
mun-of-tboworld, a capital Congressman and 
a first-rate college President, something of a 
philosopher and a good deal of an orator, were 
somehow combined in one constitution and 
christened Henry W. Bellows; but the union 
not. being quite perfect, sometimes one charac¬ 
ter and sometimes another obtains the ascen¬ 
dancy and spoaks for all the rest. Ho is a Cos¬ 
mopolitan Society in ono person, and we never 
hear him speak without wishing he would never 
do anything else, nor read him without reget- 
ting that lie dues not. write all the time, nor talk 
with Him without wishing that ho would give 
himself up to society, nor listen to ids criticism 
of paint ings and statuary without deploring the 
loss of so much genius to art, nor enjoy his re¬ 
presentations of ids favorite actors without 
trying to calculate whether the loss to the stago 
of such a performer as he would have been is 
compensated liy the galu to the pulpit of such a 
preacher as he unquestionably is. People call 
him inconsistent, because they fail to see that ho 
is a whole Club in ono person, and refuse to 
think ho is a great man because be is so ninny." 
Count Montalembkrt la thus described by 
Mrs. Oliuii ant His eyes were always clear as 
a boy’s, blue and keen, but kind; and his fore¬ 
head high and open. IIo had the fresh complex¬ 
ion of an Englishman, along with the more 
Clearly defined and tlnely-out features proper 
to his nation—and his countenance was benign 
and serene, yet with certain Hues of incipient 
sarcasm about the subtle mouth. The charm of 
Ida manners was very great, and yet If. was no 
excess of gentleness which made them fascina¬ 
ting. Tim most gracious mid graceful courtesy, 
springing from the natural impulses of u heart 
full of kindness, was yet not sulficlcnt to voil 
anything that was absurd or foolish from the 
quick and humorous perception of his keen 
eyes. Mis observation was so rapid and the 
operation of his mind so instantaneous that he 
had often caught, an absurdity in oon.vtrsation 
before the speech that contained it was com¬ 
pleted, and had launched his brilliant shaft of 
ridicule, filling the room with laughter, and the 
culprit, witli bowildered oonfusion, before the 
words which had called forth his wit were well 
said. 
Du. John Brown, the great lover of dogs, 
author of "Rftb and Ids Friends," “Spare 
Hours," and “Maid Mar.tarle," lives at No. 23 
Rutland street, Edinburgh, where tie still prac¬ 
tices his profession. Ho says ho shall never 
see America In the body, but ho may float over 
hero afterwards, if it is permitted. The walls 
of the rooms Of his house are hung with pic¬ 
tures, the same as Mr. Beecher adorns his 
house with, In Brooklyn. In ono corner of his 
drawing room, by tt window, is a well-worn 
writiug desk, above which hangs an etching of 
a dog’s head, under which is written, on the 
margin “ Not in the least worthy of the great 
Rob; but, yours truly, Landseer.” !>r. Brown 
commenced the story of Rob at eleven o'clock 
ono ovening, and it was finished at four. 
In his excellent work on “ How to Educato 
Yourself," Geo. Cary Eggleston says that the 
present Editor of the Atlantic Monthly, IV. D. 
Howells, a scholar, a poet, an author and a 
critic, with certainly very few If any superiors 
in America, left school to learn a trade at ten, 
and has never had a master since. Ho also says: 
“Dr. Franklin was a wise man and an able 
one, and Mr. Grkeley has achieved a groat suc¬ 
cess In his profession. Elthd Bttrritt learned 
a good deal about languages while at the forgo, 
and Robert Colly eh has not forgotten how to 
make a horsc-shoo while he has been leurning 
how to preach an eloquent sermon." All these 
men, he thinks, would have been earlier suc¬ 
cessful if they had had in early life the ad¬ 
vantages of a regular training. 
Lewis Noe, the Long Islander, whose expose 
of Henry Stanley’s antecedents prior to his 
trip in search of Dr. Livingstone, has not only 
made for himself much notoriety but heipod to 
confirm tho doubts of those who have hereto¬ 
fore doubted that STANLEY has seen l.ivrxr,- 
stonb, is described ns asallow, sunken-cheeked, 
gypsyish-looking man, whose skin is very dark, 
moustache and Imperial very hlack, thin and 
snakey, nose aquiline, eyes have a peculiar 
earthy expression action nervous, suspicious 
and almost fearful. Ho is said to be hypochon¬ 
driacal and full of alarms. 
M. Thiers, President, of the French Republic, 
it is a satisfaction to kuow, dresses ordinarily 
in black broadcloth — a frock coat, decidedly 
ancient pants, “a New England high shirt col¬ 
lar" (whatever that may be), and invariably 
carries an umbrella or cane on which he leans 
when he walks. Now let us eco if “New Eng¬ 
land high shirt collars” are not more affected 
by people whp think they should becomo Presi¬ 
dents of republics. 
M R. Beecher has honestly earned twenty-five 
cents. While at the Twin Mountain House a 
young sprig rode up und asked Mr. Beecher to 
take his horses to the stable; which he did In ttie 
best stylo. The'story was too good to keep, and 
the young sprig started in search of quurters in 
a hotel which hud u less famous hostler. Wo 
have not heard what Mr. Beecher intends to 
do with his money. 
