to the tomb under the church, that he might see that all was arranged as he had intended. But when nothing more remained to be done, when the single lamp, by the light of which the coffin had been adjusted in its place, was withdrawn, and the door was closed in darkness and silence on all that remained of one who had been the object of so deep interest from infancy upward, nature prevailed, for one moment only, over all restraint, and an involuntary burst of grief disclosed the depth of sorrow that remained beneath the habitual composure of his manner.

About two years after this, the death of Mrs. Perkins took place, and the dissolution of a tie which had continued for sixty-three years had a visible effect on him. His younger brother, Samuel G. Perkins, Esq., had died blind, past the age of eighty. His own sight was failing. Of all the family left by his father, he and two sisters only remained. His friend through life, the Hon. Harrison Gray Otis, was dead. The companions of his youth and middle age were nearly all gone. Of the association remembered as the "Saturday Club," consisting of some of the most distinguished gentlemen of the town in their day, who, while they found mutual enjoyment in dining successively at the houses of each other, gave hospitable admission to such strangers as deserved attention, only two survived beside himself. The impression had long been habitual with him that the close of his own life was near, and he awaited it with tranquillity. He had lived as he thought it was right to do. There appears to have been no period in which he had been addicted to vice of any sort. His life was marked by self-control; but beside that, he seems to have had an innate purity and love of order that made excess distasteful to him. In the order of events he had found the enjoyment and incurred the responsibility of great success in the acquisition of property, and he had shared it freely with the community in which he lived; his gifts and contributions continuing numerous to the last.

He had become feeble, and moved with difficulty. But an indomitable spirit which remained ready for action still, if anything was to be done, carried him once more from home as far as Washington. This spirit had long before borne him through some passages of ill-health that might have proved fatal if it had not been that the energy with which his mind opened itself to excitement and pleasure always imparted corresponding vigor to his physical frame in a remarkable degree.

Twenty-five years before, being greatly debilitated after a severe illness, he had resolved to try the effect of a voyage to England, though some of his friends feared that he might never return; and he sailed with his nephew and friend, Mr. Cushing, in a new ship belonging to his house. He was so weak that it was necessary to assist him, almost to lift him, on board the vessel. But becoming immediately interested in the management of the ship, and in getting to sea, when the pilot left them in the outer harbor, he was already better for the excitement; he continued to improve during the voyage; and returned in vigorous health.

A few years afterward, being again reduced to much the same state, he left Boston for New York, to embark for Europe in company with his eldest son, (who thought it unsafe that his father should sail without his personal care,) and with his grandson, three of the name. He went from home so enfeebled that his family doubted whether he could reach New York in a condition to be carried on board the packet, (it was before the day of steamships,) and they were surprised to learn, after waiting with

solicitude, that he was so well after the journey as to accompany his friend, Mr. Otis, whom he met there on his arrival, to the theatre in the evening. At that time he went into Italy, where he had not been before, and as might be supposed, looked with lively interest on the wonders of history and art to be seen there. An American statesman of the most distinguished character, who recently passed a winter in Rome, mentioned to an acquaintance who called on him that, when he arrived there, he heard accidentally in inquiring for places of residence that a house once occupied by Col. Perkins could be had, and that he lost no time in securing that house, being confident that it had been well chosen, which, to his great comfort, he found to be as he had anticipated.

After the decease of Mrs. Perkins, some important business in which he was concerned required attention at Washington, and his courageous spirit still rising above the infirmities of age, he made one more journey there, resolved to see to it himself. While there he was concerned to find that work was likely to be suspended on the monument to the memory of Washington. On his return home, he took measures to rouse fresh interest in the work, and a considerable sum was raised for it, through his exertions. His action in reference to this has been publicly alluded to, since his decease, by the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, late Speaker of the House of Representatives in Congress, who, at the close of an eloquent speech addressed to the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, at their annual festival in Faneuil Hall, in October last, spoke as follows:

"The memory of your excellent and lamented President (Mr. Chickering) has already received its appropriate and feeling tribute. I can add nothing to that. But I will venture to recall to your remembrance another venerated name. You have alluded, in the sentiment which called me up, to an humble service which I rendered some years ago, as the organ of the Representatives of the Union, at the laying of the corner-stone of the National Monument to Washington. I cannot but remember that the latest efforts in this quarter of the country to raise funds for the completion of that monument, were made by one whose long and honorable life has been brought to a close within the past twelve months.

"I cannot forget the earnest and affectionate interest with which that noblehearted old American gentleman devoted the last days, and I had almost said the last hours, of his life, to arranging the details and the machinery for an appeal to the people of Massachusetts, in behalf of that still unfinished structure. He had seen Washington in his boyhood, and had felt the inspiration of his majestie presence; he had known him in his manhood, and had spent two or three days with him by particular invitation at Mount Vernon, days never to be forgotten in any man's life; his whole heart seemed to be imbued with the warmest admiration and affection for his character and services; and it seemed as if he could not go down to his grave in peace until he had done something to aid in perpetuating the memory of his virtues and his valor. I need not say that I allude to the late Hon. Thomas Handasyd Perkins. He was one of the noblest specimens of humanity to which our city has ever given birth;-leading the way for half a century in every generous enterprise, and setting one of the earliest examples of those munificent charities which have given our city a name and a praise throughout the earth. He was one of your own honorary members, Mr. President, and I have felt that I could do nothing more appropriate to this occasion— the first public festive occasion in Faneuil Hall which has occurred since his death-and nothing more agreeable to the feelings of this association, or to my own, than to propose to you as I now do

"The memory of THOMAS HANDASYD PERKINS."

For a long time he had been deprived of the use of one of his eyes which was blinded by cataract; how long he could not tell with accuracy,

for the discovery that it was useless, and that he saw only with the other, was made by accident and much to his surprise; but it must have been more than twenty years. Opening it one morning while the right eye was buried in the pillow, he found himself unable to perceive any object's about him. For many years, however, he saw well enough for common purposes with the other; but more recently even that one had caused him so much trouble that he lived in fear of total blindness. Early in 1853, cataract appeared in that eye also, and was making such rapid progress that in a few weeks all useful vision was lost. Under these circumstances, he resolved to submit to an operation on the one that had been so long obscured. It was successfully performed by Dr. H. W. Williams, of Boston, the cataract being broken up in the month of March. Some time was necessary for the complete absorption of the fragments; but in less than three months the pupil had become entirely clear, and by the aid of cataract glasses, he could not only see large objects as well as ever, but could read the newspapers, and even the fine print in the column of shipnews. His sight was at times rendered feeble afterward by the general debility of his system, and he never recovered the power of reading and writing with entire ease; but to do both in some degree was an advantage, in comparison with total loss of sight, that could hardly be appreciated, particularly as it enabled him still to manage his own affairs, which he always wished to do, and did to his last day, even keeping his books with his own hand, excepting for a few months of his last year, when the entries were made from his dictation.

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In this, the last year of his life, he gave one more remarkable proof of his continued interest in what was going on about him, and of his readiness to aid liberally in all that he deemed important to public welfare and intelligence. A large and costly building had been erected for the Boston Athenæum by contribution from the public, liberally made for that pose that there might be such an one as would correspond to the aspirations of the accomplished scholars who, fifty years before, had founded the institution. A fund was now to be provided for annual expenses and for regular additions to the library. With this view, an effort was made to raise a fund of $120,000. As Col. Perkins had already done a great deal for the Athenæum, no application was made to him for further aid. He, however, voluntarily asked for the book containing the largest class of subscriptions, and added his name to those contributing three thousand dollars each. Soon afterward he inquired of the president of the Athenæum what progress had been made, and was told that the subscriptions amounted to eighty thousand dollars, all of them being, however, on the condition that the full sum should be made up within the year; that everything possible seemed to have been done; but that as people were leaving town for the summer, nothing further could be obtained until the autumn, and that it was doubtful whether the object could be effected even then, by raising forty thousand dollars more, as the applications appeared to have been thoroughly made by a numerous committee. He then gave his assurance that the attempt should not be suffered to fail, even for so large a deficit as that, and agreed to be responsible for it, in order that the subscriptions already obtained might be made binding; stipulating only that nothing should be said of this until the expiration of the 1 st day fixed, and that the efforts to obtain it from the public should not be at all relaxed in the mean time. Further assistance from him, however,

was rendered unnecessary, chiefly by the noble bequest of Samuel Appleton, Esq., a man of liberality and benevolence like his own, who died during the summer, leaving the sum of two hundred thousand dollars to trustees, to be distributed at their discretion for scientific, literary, religious, or charitable purposes. The trustees appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars of this to the fund for the Athenæum, and the remaining sum of fifteen thousand dollars was easily obtained by further subscriptions at large. But the assurance given by Col. Perkins, although any call on him thus became unnecessary, was useful in warranting that confidence of success which helps, in such cases, to secure it.

In January following (1854) he found it necessary to submit to a slight surgical operation for the removal of some obstruction that troubled him. He had passed most of the day, the 9th, in attending to his domestic payments for the preceding year, arranging the papers himself with his usual method in business. The operation was successfully performed by Dr. Cabot, his grandson; and he went to bed with the agreeable prospect of finding himself relieved for the remainder of his life of what had, for some time, made him uncomfortable; but with a caution, too, from his surgeon, not to rise the next morning but remain in perfect quiet. In such matters, however, he had habitually judged and chosen to act for himself; and in this instance he gave too little heed to the caution, refusing, too, to have any attendant in his chamber, as had been recommended. He passed a good night, and feeling only too well after it, chose to rise rather early the next day. After being partly dressed, becoming faint, he was obliged to lie down on the sofa, and never left it. He became more and more feeble through the day; and falling into a state of unconsciousness toward evening, he continued to breathe for some hours, sleeping without pain or distress, and died tranquilly on the morning of the 11th, soon after midnight, in the 90th year of his age.

The impression of his character left on the community was such as had been sketched, a short time before, in language that admits of no improvement, and needs no addition, by the Hon. Daniel Webster, in a note written with his own hand on the blank leaf of a copy of his works, presented to Col. Perkins :

"WASHINGTON, April 19, 1852.

"MY DEAR SIR:-If I possessed anything which I might suppose likely to be more acceptable to you, as a proof of my esteem, than these volumes, I should have sent it in their stead.

"But I do not; and therefore ask your acceptance of a copy of this edition of my speeches.

"I have long cherished, my dear sir, a profound, warm, affectionate, and I may say a filial regard for your person and character. I have looked upon you as one born to do good, and who has fulfilled his mission; as a man, without spot or blemish; as a merchant, known and honored over the whole world; a most liberal supporter and promoter of science and the arts; always kind to scholars and literary men, and greatly beloved by them all; friendly to all the Institutions of Religion, Morality, and Education; and an unwavering and determined supporter of the Constitution of the country, and of those great principles of Civil Liberty, which it is so well calculated to uphold and advance.

"These sentiments I inscribe here in accordance with my best judgment, and out of the fulness of my heart; and I wish here to record, also, my deep sense of the many personal obligations, under which you have placed me in the course of our long acquaintance. Your ever faithful friend, "DANIEL WEBSTER.

"To the Hon. THOS. H. PERKINS."

Although private interment is most common now, it seemed inappropriate for one who had filled so large a space in public regard. The funeral service took place at the church of the Rev. Dr. Gannett, where he had long worshipped, and was marked by one incident peculiarly touching in its association. The solemn music, usual on such occasions, was impressively performed by a large choir of pupils from the Perkins Institution for the Blind, who had requested permission to sing the requiem for that friend through whom they enjoy the comforts of their spacious dwelling. A further proof of their regard for his memory was seen, but lately, in gleams of pleasure lighting their faces on being promised that they should soon listen to this story of his life.

Art. II. COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CITIES OF THE UNITED STATES.*

NUMBER XXXIX.

NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA.

MR. ROBERTSON, the author of the volume, the title of which we have placed at the foot of this page, sailed from Liverpool for New York in the Collins steamer "Atlantic on the 16th of November, 1853, and passed a few months in the United States in the winter of 1853-4. During that time he visited most of the leading commercial and industrial cities of the Union, picking up, as he went along, a considerable amount of information upon various subjects, generally, however, relating to the material interests of our country. Mr. Robertson, as a manufacturer and merchant, directed his special attention to those subjects with which it is the business of mercantile men, having commercial relations with the States, to make themselves more or less acquainted. The information thus acquired, is communicated in an intelligible manner, and with a degree of accuracy that is highly creditable to the author's candor and fairness, and the whole is given in a small compass.

The subjects are connected by a brief narrative, in order to give variety to what might otherwise be deemed tedious. This arrangement has been convenient for the more natural introduction of the topics which are brought under review.

After Mr. Robertson's arrival in New York, he visited Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Charleston, New Orleans, Louisville, Washington, Buffalo, and Lowell, and has introduced a variety of statistics, touching the trade and industry of each.

These statistics will not, however, be particularly new to the readers of the Merchants' Magazine, as all of them have been embodied in its pages. His remarks are generally judicious, and he seems disposed to speak without prejudice on all topics falling under his notice.

During the first few weeks Mr. Robertson was in the States, as he informs us, he was much impressed with their apparent wealth. On this

• A Few Months in America, containing Remarks on its Commercial and Industrial Interests. By JAMES ROBERTSON. 12mo., pp. 230. London: Longman & Co. Manchester: James Galt & Co. 1855.