It seemed to me a terrible thing that one so peculiarly strong, sentient, luminous, as my father should grow feebler and fainter, and finally ghostly still and white. Yet when his step was tottering and his frame that of a wraith, he was as dignified as in the days of greater pride, holding himself, in military self-command, even more erect than before. He did not omit to come in his very best black coat to the dinner-table, where the extremely prosaic fare had no effect upon the distinction of the meal. He hated failure, dependence, and disorder, broken rules and weariness of discipline, as he hated cowardice. I cannot express how brave he seemed to me. The last time I saw him, he was leaving the house to take the journey for his health which led suddenly to the next world. My mother was to go to the station with him,--she who, at the moment when it was said that he died, staggered and groaned, though so far from him, telling us that something seemed to be sapping all her strength; I could hardly bear to let my eyes rest upon her shrunken, suffering form on this day of farewell. My father certainly knew, what she vaguely felt, that he would never return. Like a snow image of an unbending but an old, old man, he stood for a moment gazing at me. My mother sobbed, as she walked beside him to the carriage. We have missed him in the sunshine, in the storm, in the twilight, ever since. INDEX OF PERSONS [online ed: page numbers have been omitted.] Aikens, Mr. Ainsworth, Mrs. Alcott, A. Bronson Alcott, Mrs. A, B. Alcott, Louisa M. Alderson, Baron Allston, Washington Appleton, Thomas G. Atherton, Mr. Bacon, Miss Delia Bancroft, George Barber, Mr. Barstow, B. Barstow, Ellen Bartol, Mr. Bartol, Mrs. Bennoch, Francis Birch, Sir Thomas Blodget, Mrs. Boott, Miss Elizabeth Boott, Frank Bradford, George Bremer, Miss Frederika Bridge, Horatio Bridge, Mrs. Horatio Bright, Henry Browne, William Browning, Mr. Browning, Mrs. Brownson, Orestes Bryant, Mr. and Miss Buchanan, President Burchmore, Captain Stephen Burchmore, T. Burley, Miss Burns, Colonel, 244. Burns, Major Capen, Dr. Cecil, Mr. Channing, Dr. Channing, Dr. W. E. Channing, Edward Channing, Ellery Chorley, Henry N, Clarke, Sarah Cleveland, Henry Clough, A. H. Cochran, Misses Colton, Mr. Crampton, Mr. Cranch, Christopher P. Crauch, Judge Crawford, Mr. Crittendon, Mr. Curtis, Burrill Curtis, George W. Cushman, Charlotte De Quincey, Thomas Dike, Mr. Doughty, Mr. Duffcrin, Lord Dysie, Mr. Ely, Mrs. R. S. Emerson, Charles Emerson, Mrs. R. W. Emerson, R. W. Fields, James T. Fields, Mrs. James T. Fleming, Lady le Foote, Mrs. Caleb Fuller, Margaret Gardiner, Miss Sally Gaskell, Mrs. Goodrich, S. G. Greene, Mrs. Anna Greenough, Mr, H., Mrs. Hawthorne, Mrs. Hawthorne, Elizabeth M. Hawthorne, Louisa Hillard, George S, Hiliard, Mrs, Susan Hoar, E. Rockwood Hoar, Miss Elizabeth Holden, George H. Holland, Mr. and Mrs. Charles