hundreds of churches, by proclamation of the different Governors, upon Gov. Hoyt's initiative. Thousands upon thousands knelt in supplication to the Almighty as the President was borne along on the wings of prayer to the haven where he would be. Wednesday morning the first bulletin for the day seemed indeed a justification of the people's hopes and prayers. The President had slept well, taken his nourishment successfully, his fever had left him, and the fatigue of his journey had disappeared under the influences of the breeze that swept from the Atlantic's waves to the sufferer's room. 42 CHAPTER XLV. T THE AGONY ENDED. HE eyes of all the world bent upon Long Branch discovered soon that there was something wrong. The physicians stated from day to day that there was no change in the patient's condition, a statement that could only mean that he was getting worse; and for him not to gain in his condition indicated the worst. The distrust of the official bulletins had grown stronger with each day. Everything the doctors did was discredited, everything they said doubted. For evidence of a strong and dismal character was rapidly accumulating. The President's cheerfulness had given way; he had no more courage left. Disease had dragged it from him during the eleven weary weeks he had lain prostrated upon the bed of pain. During the early hours of the morning of the 15th, he plaintively called to his attendant, "Save me; don't let me sink!" A cry of agony. The pulse had touched, during the night, 120. The lung trouble, formally announced on the 12th, was increasing. The next day, Tuesday, there was a rally, and the President sat in a reclining chair for some time. On Thursday, however, his condition was somewhat worse, and on Friday this was admitted. He was weaker both in body and mind and a crisis was announced as approaching. Saturday, the beginning of the twelfth week of the President's agony, was another critical day. He had a chill shortly before noon, when his pulse ran up to 137. Subsequently he rallied and passed a comparatively comfortable night. Sunday was apparently a more comfortable day up to the hour of the evening dressing of the wound, when his pulse was 102. Shortly after, however, he had another chill, lasting ten or fifteen minutes. It was short, sharp and severe, according to Dr. Bliss, though not as bad as that on Saturday. When it passed off he fell into a quiet slumber, and though the apprehensions of those around him had perceptibly deepened, there was nothing to warrant a speedily fatal result. Monday morning it was admitted that all hope was over. During the morning dressing of the wound another violent chill came on, and the pulse leaped to 143. The surgeons admitted that there was no hope for a change for the better, and poor Mrs. Garfield, for the first time in all these weary weeks, felt that hope had fled her heart and its place was taken by grim despair. In spite of all the discouraging symptoms, however, such was the sufferer's extraordinary vitality, that he rallied somewhat, and the afternoon passed .with no further chills or other bad features, and by 9.30 P. M. he was sleeping quietly. This was, however, but the pause before the final act of the President's life. Some of the incidents of this-his last day on earth-should be told here. The day opened gloomily at Elberon. The night had been one of comparative comfort, and at daybreak the physicians thought the President was a little better. He seemed to have some appetite and no indications of an approaching chill were noted. The insidious nature of these attacks was again made manifest soon after 8 o'clock. The President had been very quiet and seemingly comfortable. Suddenly he complained of chilliness. His body was wrapped in warm flannels, and he was sponged with hot alcohol, but the rigor could not be averted. He shivered, and every muscle in his body was rigid. The pulse went up to 140 and even higher, but it was so thready and feeble that it was impossible to count the beats after they had passed that figure. There was great danger that he would sink into a comatose state after the rigor had passed, and every exertion was made to induce reaction. Hot flannels were applied to the feet, and a poultice of raw onions cut fine and steeped in alcohol was placed upon his stomach. In addition, cooling lotions were applied to the head, and the arms and limbs were rubbed vigorously. The result was that a reaction was established much sooner than the physicians expected. After fifteen minutes had elapsed Dr. Bliss noticed |