mation, to his agreeable disappointment, was received without a murmur or a sigh-with the most perfect composure and resignation. He was asked if he had any directions to leave behind him. As he had arranged all his affairs before his departure, he had but little to say. His thoughts doubtless were with his God and his distant friends. Before he expired, he took his watch from around his neck and, reaching it to his attendant, told him to carry it home. These were the last words he spoke. In a few minutes after he fell asleep in death. Reader, think of that death-bed on a sea beat island, far away from country and home, with none but the eyes of strangers fixed upon him, and none but hands of the stranger to administer to him in the last great agony ! 'Let me die among my kindred,' becomes the prayer of every heart. It appears however that his end was peaceful and serene. He was a good man and regarded himself in the hands of God in any part of his universe. How blest the righteous when he dies! How gently heaves the expiring breast! So fades a summer cloud away, So sinks the gale when storms are o'er, So dies a wave along the shore. The following extracts from a letter dated Santa Cruz, February 18th, 1838,' has been put into my REV. H. A. WALKER. 185 hands, and contains particulars of such interest concerning his death and burial as to justify its publicity: "In that new made grave was but yesterday interred the body of Rev.Henry A.Walker,a young Unitarian clergyman from, as we are told, Charlestown Mass. Although we knew him not, we could not but feel deeply interested in him, so far separated from all his near friends. He arrived here about a week since very sick, very feeble indeed, but apparently unconscious of the fatal character of his disease, as he told Dr. Stedman that his lungs were not affected, and that if he could cure a particular symptom of dyspepsia of which he complained, he should get well. Dr. S. saw at that time that he would not live many days. He was altogether too feeble to receive any visits, or the little attentions we would gladly have paid him. He fell into kind hands, and if his own mother had been with him, he could not have been treated with more tenderness, or have had more judicious care taken of him. Miss Briggs, his landlady, makes all her boarders love her. Rev. Mr. Lee, the gentleman to whom he had a letter, was absent with his family at the other end of the island, and detained there by the sickness of his mother and sister; but Capt. Spencer, a son of Judge Spencer's of New York, thought for him and felt for him with as much interest as if he were his own brother. When Capt. S. found on Saturday that he was rapidly sinking, he sent for Mr. Livingston,a most excellent gentleman who boards with us, to consult as to the propriety of letting Mr. W. know his situation. They both felt that it would be unkind to let him die unconsciously, for although they trusted he had not then to make his preparation for death, yet they thought he might have some message of importance to send, or some arrangements of importance to make. They felt that it would be doing him injustice not to apprize him of the event, which would take place in a few days, or hours. They called upon Dr. Stedman and requested him to tell Mr. Walker the truth. Although remarkably sincere as a professional man, he felt un MEMOIR OF 186 pleasantly ́at undertaking the office. He said the young man was so unconscious of being so dangerously ill, and at the same time was so very weak, that the suddenness of the intelligence might agitate him and accelerate his death Still he acknowledged that under any circumstances he could not live many hours. At length he thought best to do it. Happily the intelligence produced no ill effect. The young man was perfectly calm, and said he had no arrangements to make. nothing to say, but what he could say to Mr. Lee if he came the next day. Dr. Stedman told him that would be TOO LATE; that Capt. Spencer was a gentleman in whom he could feel perfect confidence. Mr. Walker afterwards sent for Capt. Spencer. He was then too feeble to say much, but Capt S. assisted him as much as he could, by anticipating in some measure what he wished to have said to his friends. Mr. Walker's mind was perfectly clear and calm. He died about an hour after, at 9 o'clock Saturday evening. We all felt very much touched, as you may suppose, when we heard of this Sunday morning. The funeral was to be Sunday afternoon. We went to Miss B.'s after meeting in the morning that we might hear all the particulars from Capt. and Mrs. Spencer. I went into his room with Mrs S. and looked at him as he lay in his coffin. We could not but speak of his mother, and wish she might have the melancholy satisfaction of gazing upon him as we did. In the afternoon most of the Americans and some of the residents assembled at the house at 4 o'clock. The coffin, according to the custom here, was cov. ered and lined with white cambric and three white napkins were laid under it for the pall-holders to lift it by. When it was time, the pall-holders, who had white satin rosettes, or bows on their hats and white gloves, on raised the body and carried it to the hearse. The servant followed first as chief mourner, with a long weeper hanging from the back of his hat, then all the gentlemen in pairs, then the ladies, then the servants of the house and several other colored people following in a little group. We entered the church, where the body was laid in the aisle. The funeral service of the Episcopal church was commenced, and very impressive it was at that still hour of the day, listened to by a little band, in that large church. REV. H. A. WALKER. 187 a The 15th chapter of Corinthians never had more power over me than then. The little procession moved into the burying ground, and I stood close at the foot of the grave and saw the poor fellow laid in his narrow home. I wish his friends could have beheld the scene. It was a few minutes before sunset,and a breathless and reverent stillness pervaded all around. A group of people, who a few months since were all strangers to each other, met together around the body of one, emphatically stranger in a strange land." The look of tender regret visible in every face as their eyes fixed upon the grave, and the deep solemnity which spread over every countenance as the reader went on with the service, "Man that is born of woman, &c, I shall never forget. If Mr. Walker had been among his own friends, he could hardly have had, I think, more heartfelt sympathy. My mind has been filled with the subject, and I have 1hought that if you were acquainted with Mr. Walker's friends, they might be interested in these little particulars." Thus a young man of great promise is prematurely sent to the grave and the fond expectations of many hearts are turned to ashes. We naturally ask, why such an event is ordained or permitted? 'Why are the bad above, the good beneath The green grass of the grave?' and, though we can assign some purposes that are answered by such appointments, we are compelled to acknowledge that God moves in a mysterious way.' Some may think that it would be better to have things ordered differently, but God is not reduced to the necessity of consulting our wisdom to know when it is best to remove his children hence. He is infinitely wise, and all that he does must be right. He has brought us into the world, he knows best when to take us out of it. Let us be submissive to the Divine will. Let us adore the unimpeachable wisdom of the All-Perfect. It becomes me, ere I bring this notice to a close, to point out the excellences and virtues of the character of the deceased with more particularity. The dead are commonly overpraised. — I would not speak of him in terms of extravagant eulogy. Indeed I can hardly venture to speak of him in a manner due to his deserts lest his habitual modesty might seem to reprove me. It shall be my endeavor to speak the truth of himtruth no less than the truth. no more than the Mr. Walker was a man of retired habits and seldom made his appearance in general society, but those intimately acquainted with him, will bear testimony to the correctness of the following character. He was a man of a singularly clear and discriminating mind, of great candour, justice, and sincerity. As a scholar, he was correct and indefatigable. He loved study, because he loved truth. He sought for it as the pearl of great price. As a friend, he was faithful and firm. None ever had occasion to question the warmth of his affections, or their truth and permanency. His whole demeanor was that of a gentle, modest, and humble man. His conscience was quick and active. His principles were, humanly speaking, immutable. His feelings were tender and delicate. Though embarrassingly timid, he was, at times, a courageous |