The Life and Public Services of James A. Garfield: Twentieth President of the United States, Including Full and Accurate Details of His Eventful Administration, Assassination, Last Hours, Death, Etc., Together with Notable Extracts from His Speeches and LettersBrown, E. E. (Emma Elizabeth)
History
The Life and Public Services of James A. Garfield: Twentieth President of the United States, Including Full and Accurate Details of His Eventful Administration, Assassination, Last Hours, Death, Etc., Together with Notable Extracts from His Speeches and Letters
Brown, E. E. (Emma Elizabeth)
Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881; Presidents -- United States -- Biography
In a moment or two he asked for his daughter Mollie. They told him that
she would see him later in the day. He said, however, that he wanted to
see her at once.
When the child went into the room she kissed her father, and told him
that she was glad to see that he was looking so much better.
He said: "You think I do look better, Mollie?"
She said: "I do papa," and then she took a chair and sat near the foot
of the bed.
A moment or two after, Dr. Boynton noticed that she was swaying in the
chair. He stepped up to her, but, before he could reach her, she had
fallen over in a faint. They carried her out where she could get the
fresh breeze from the ocean, and, after restoratives were applied, she
speedily recovered. The room was close, the windows were closed, and,
as Miss Mollie had not been very well, all these causes, combined with
anxiety, induced the fainting-fit.
The President, they thought, had not noticed what had happened to his
petted child, for he seemed to have sunk into the stupor which had
characterized his condition much of the time. But, when Dr. Boynton came
back into the room, he was astonished to hear the President say,--
"Poor little Mollie. She fell over like a log. What was the matter?"
They assured the President that the fainting-fit was caused by the
closeness of the room, and that she was quite restored. He again sank
into a stupor or sleep, which lasted until the noon examination.
Hope returned during the afternoon, as there was no recurrence of the
rigors, and the evening bulletin was more encouraging than the one
issued at noon. There seemed to be every indication that the President
would pass a comfortable night.
"Dr. Bliss," said the Attorney-General, "at 9.30, went to the cottage to
make his final examination before he retired for the night. He found
that the pulse, temperature, and respiration were exactly as they were
when the evening bulletin was issued. There had been no change of any
kind. There was every promise of a quiet night. All of the doctors
retired at once for the night, as did all of the attendants, except
General Swaim and Colonel Rockwell. They remained, and nothing
transpired until about 10.20; then the President said, 'I am suffering
great pain. I fear the end is near.' The attendant sent for Dr. Bliss,
who had retired to Private Secretary Brown's cottage. Dr. Bliss came
very rapidly. When he entered the room he found that the President was
in an unconscious state, and that the action of the heart had almost
ceased. Dr. Bliss said at once that the President was dying, and
directed the attendants to send for Mrs. Garfield and Drs. Agnew and
Hamilton."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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