Part 33 (2/2)

Thus o'er thy toue thy valor and thy worth shall tell, Which taught the young to fight, the old to die”

The next , I set out for my plantation on Winyaw bay

Marion, as usual, accoed I would co to stay As the reader may suppose, I paid but little heed to this expression, which I looked on as no ed But I soon had cause to remember it with sorrow For I had been but a feeeks at ho coluet the heart-sickness of that et what I felt when first I learned that Marion was no e seemed to appear before me fresher than ever

All our former friendshi+ps, all our former wars returned

But alas! he as to me the soul of all the rest; the foremost in every battle; the dearest at every feast; he shall return noheart seeone?

Shall I no more hear that voice which was always so sweet; no more see that smile which awakened up such joy inthe clods in the valley And those Godlike virtues, shall they pass away like the eloo atheistic sorrow had poured over el's touch, to the bright hopes of religion The virtues of hts: his countenance so stern with honor; his tongue so sacred to truth; that heart always so ready tobenevolence to man, and that whole life so reverential of God The res, came in streams of joy to my heart

”O happy Marion!” I exclaimed, ”thou art safe, my friend; thou art safe

No tears of mine shall doubt thy blissful state Surely if there be a God, and that there is, all nature cries aloud through all her works, he hts in must be happy”

Then it was, that I felt what a benefactor Marion had been to ; hoeet his htness, his sh now set in the grave, yet has he not left hted up after hilory; and proclaiuished

From the physicians and many others who attended him in his last illness, I learned that he had died as he had lived, a truly GREAT MAN His chaloom and silent distress, but rather like the cheerful parlor of one as setting out on an agreeable journey ”Some,” said he, ”have spoken of death as a leap in the dark; but forplace, where virtuous old age may thron his pains and aches, wipe off his old scores, and begin anew on an innocent and happy state that shall last for ever What weakness to wish to live to such ghastly dotage, as to frighten the children, andthe streets Most certainly then, there is a tireat mercy even to his body; and as to his soul, why should he tremble about that? Who can doubt that God created us to be happy; and thereto made us to love one another?

which is plainly written in our hearts; whose every thought and work of love is happiness, and as plainly written as the gospel; whose every line breathes love, and every precept enjoins good works

Now, thehimself every inclination that wouldall in his power to make them happy, what has such a s has he not to hope fro one of his friends say that therapidly in some parts of the state, he replied, ”Well, thank God for that; that is good news” The saht was the best religion ”I know but one religion,” he answered, ”and that is hearty love of God and ion; and I would to God our country was full of it

For it is the only spice to embalm and to immortalize our republic

Any politician can sketch out a fine theory of government, but what is to bind the people to the practice? Archih his mechanic poere irresistible, yet he could never raise the world; because he had no place in the heavens, whereon to fix his pullies Even so, our republic will never be raised above the shaovernments, until our citizens come to have their hearts like Archimedes' pullies, fixed on heaven The world so but heaven can outbid her The heart is so but divine love can sweeten it; so enraged, that devotion only can becalm it; and so broke down, that it takes all the force of heavenly hope to raise it In short, religion is the only sovereign and controlling power over man

Bound by that, the rulers will never usurp, nor the people rebel

The forovern like fathers, and the latter obey like children

And thuson, firm and united as a host of brothers, they will continue invincible as long as they continue virtuous”

When he was near his end, seeing his lady weeping by his bedside, he gave her a look of great tenderness, and said, ”My dear, weep not for me, I am not afraid to die; for, thank God, I can lay my hand on my heart and say, that since I ca to any”

These were nearly his last words, for shortly after uttering them, he closed his eyes in the sleep of death

Thus peaceful and happy was the end of general Francis Marion, of whoeneral Greene has often been heard to say, that ”the page of history never furnished his equal”

And if any higher praise of Marion were necessary, it is to be found in the very reton

They both came forward, volunteers in the service of their country; they both learned the military art in the hard and hazardous schools of Indian warfare; they were both such true soldiers in vigilance, that no enemy could ever surprise the could ever dishearten them: while as to the still nobler virtues of patience, disinterestedness, self-governenerosity to their enemies, it is difficult to deterton most deserve our admiration And even in the lesser incidents of their lives, the resereat men is closer than common

They were both born in the same year; both lost their fathers in early life; both married excellent and wealthy ladies; both left s; and both died childless

The name of Marion continues dear to the people of the south; and to this day, whenever his ah the country, she h dead, is not forgotten The wealthy, everywhere, treat her with the respect due to a e, often press to shake hands with her, then looking at each other with a sigh they exclaim -- ”THAT'S THE WIDOW OF OUR GLORIOUS OLD MARION”