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fFor the Daily Morning: Herald.]MARSHALL MASON FITCH.ofththatdifutoDear Herald:—K affection—judging howev-er uuwisely-*will Spend much time and money in embalming, for oUr imperfect preservation, the bodies of dear departed ones, bow greatly more rational to preserve the features and lovli-ness of the soul, in some such forms, as that we * ; mar cany it with us, wear it on our hearts and j ^ \\ show it to our sympathizing friends. j diii I do not propose to draw a full portrait of the j th character possessed by Marshall M. Fitcli as lie j ^ ^ j passed away—as your limits will not allow it— but a mere outline sketch, which the memory and affections of many of your readers will fill j in up to an accurate likeness. #And even this! w sketch will partake more of his religious character andTinecdotes, than of his business rela-\iII thIkintions, both because the writer is better acquaint-seofstvlt;cd with the former, and esteems it infinitely the \ -’ I scmore important* ! tiI | He was decended from a family remarkable for its religious and intellectual history as far back as I have been able to trace it. I find\among its members the following clerical names viz-: Rev. Jabez Fitch, (originally spelledFyich,) Kev. James Fitch, Rev. Kbenczer Fitch, D. ©*., Rev. Eleazcr Fitch, D. D., and Rev.Charles Fitch.The other professors also found many distinguished men in this family, from the Governor and Supreme Judges of a Slate to humbler positions of honor and trust. But of this hv didPS:ortl;mwIkthY(tlnot boast, nor would wo, 113 the personal char-1 w• 1 /% « 1 1 1 111 •siwactor is that for which each should be most concerned; and of this he was specially careful.In early life, his attention was strangely j rv drawn to personal religion and at the early age j m. of 12 years he was admitted to membership in I^! the First Presbyterian church, New Albany,! Ind. The profession of his faith them made,; was, it is believed, ever consistently maintain- j ed. From childhood he had strong desires to' \Y , become a minister of the gospel, and his fond Vi f i parents hoped to see him in the sacred ollice. ju r! At the age of l(i lie entered Yale (.-ollege, and f,' ardently pursued his studies with this in view’, i ln ; But his health was far from good when lie ' jr returned home in 18-18, having completed his y classical course, and his physicians dissuaded U(‘ihira from the further prosecution of Ids elier- j p ished object. After yielding to their arguments ■ jm 1 • • m • 1 ' I I * 1) *for a brief period, “a fire in his bones which • j,him in delaying,” set him upon prepa- j; wearied him in delaying,” set him upon prepa- i ^ • j rations for pursuing his theological studies, and I g , I his trunk was packed in readiness to leave for j U] p | Princeton Theological Seminary, when an at- j w tack , of hemorrhage of the lungs closed his cjho^es for the present.1 i The lamented death of his father, Masonlr i j Cogswell Fitch occurring within a few days of j j, }; this time, threw business upon his hands, and j lr he turned his attention to the activities of com- j \\ 9 mercial life. In this he w as successful, so as \ ti 51 to accumulate considerable, property, which he . c] i emploved and dispensed with a wise liberality j p 1 during his life. ^ ‘ ' nHis health also improved ^somewhat and his j b thoughts turned again to th'i ministry. And at j £ a later period he had made arrangements to en-; 0|.1ter upon biblical studies in the New Albany • (j1tTheological Seminary. ? yThe domestic life of Mr. Fitch was one of | st mingled blessings nnd’sad trials. Blessed with \ tlt; pious and intelligent parents, and affectionate p1nssisters, and one brother, his youth was marked by almost unbroken happiness in the discharge of filial and fraternal duties. After relinquishing, as he then thought forever, his life-long i eiSian, he married in 1850 a lovely wife, Mary L.\ fa lontgoinery, who was also a devoted Christian, j fl F'or nearly three vearslie lived in this endeared i relation, and then was called to follow the wife 1 dof his youth to an early grave. After a few j months, and ere lie was at. all recovered from | a u ! tliis, to him irreparable blow, his only son was taken.From this time liis Christian character rapidly developed, as if in preparation for a reunionI! with the sainted ones gone before. i clt;f: During the earlv summer his health, never 1 n[ firm, visibly failed, and he resolved to travel,! tc ; seeking its improvement; but before he left, he,' (.; ^ I as every wise steward does, made a disposition j p ! of his property by will, in which, after making : tc % ; provision lor surviving relations, he left bequests . p ‘ to the Church, as a residuary legatee, which c] may yet be greatly useful in extending her borders. Thus * ePSn1rEl!i“Bcunjrdead, yet he apeak?Ui/’ ! ^Earlv in July he started for the east and n reached Niagara, but there he grew worse, c Mectin here his family physician and other! o friends, he concluded to return home. Hlt;* reach-1 li ed Cincinnati and there the violence of his dis- j y ease increased; though attended with the best c medical aid and surrounded by his family, (who ; b had been telegraphed his condition)—he contin- ' o ued to sink until iho22d of July, Icfo l; and then | f sweetly and quietly, fell asleep in Jesus, his , k Ia,t breath uttering in a gentle whisper, “Heav- 4, en—Home.” He died in his 27th year. tIt seems sad to die in a hotel among strangers, ■ e and yet are we not “Pilgrims and Strangers” j 1 ! here~ and how more appropriately could we pass I f * 011 to “the better country V” And then all his . f; surviving family except a deafly loved and wid-! Ihis dvimrowed sister, stood at his dying bed to sympa- ; ' \ thise in his sufferings and gather strength from t! triumph. j Ij In apocket Testament,liis constant and dearest \ 'companion, was found written mlt;hr date of ’ t i Julv 15,—only five davs before liis death—thetexf from which he wished his funeral preached, \ 1rob:and under it the words:—“This is probably my ! 1 last Sabbath upon earth. Jesus is very pre-! ^ cions.” His bodv was taken to New Albany,! 1 and an i mine use concourse of people attended • the funeral services, at the First Presbyterian j lt;Church. The sermon was preached by his pas-; 1 tor from his chosen text—I John 3d chapter, 2d verse.In the quiet Cemetery of that city his body j now sleeps beside his “dear Marv” and his sweet j 1 j boy, to rise together, (we doubt not) in the first ‘1 resurrection.The character of Mr. Fitch was marked by a frankness—child like honesty—as rare as it is delightful. An unsuspecting frankness, which is not the most profitable possession to the mere man of business, was so controlled in his ehar-acter, by a conscientious prudence, as to preventrelrany serious losses in his business relations, * while it made him an affable and entertaining j 1 companion, as he was a true and reliable friend, j 1 As a citizen he was distinguished according to his ability, in advancing every scheme which he coasidered wise for building up the interests of the city of his birth and residence. In thit]fche set an example to many older and wealthier men, worthy 01 their imitation.domesticalmost feminine gentleness and affectionate ness, which rendered his home one of the few, where perfect loveliness seems to reign.As a Christian he was characterized by increasing knowledge and increasing devotion, until he stood prominently before the minds of his church brethren as qualified, though yet a outh, for the office of a ruler in the church, ut he is called to be, as we cannot doubt, ai(4I1king, and a priest, in a purer community, and a5n.holier churnHis friendsweep, not as those without hope,” “for blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth.” M.
Newspaper Details
New Albany Daily Morning Herald
New Albany, Indiana, US
Mon, Oct 09, 1854
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
David Z.
NA, 13 Oct 2021
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