The minister then continued to read prayers and recite hymns, among the latter being, "Rock of Ages," "All hail the power of Jesus' name," and "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds to a believer's ears." At 2:20 o'clock it was apparent that death was only a few moments off. Rev. Dr. Reed again read a psalm, and the Rev. Dr. Church sang Newman's hymn, "Abide with Me." A few moments later, Dr. Reed kneeled at the bedside and began to pray, his petitions being joined in by all present. "O Lord! O Jesus Christ!" said the clergyman, "we pray Thee to look upon this, Thy servant, whose spirit is about to appear before Thee, and we ask for him Thy blessing. O Jesus, as Thou hast led him on through life, take him, we pray Thee, to Thy bosom now. We commend his spirit to Thy trust. Grant him, O"- The prayer suddenly ceased for a moment; the people rose; the King had ceased to breathe. It seemed that he was dead. For half a minute his body was motionless and not a sound escaped it, and then, with a sigh that seemed to partake of both a sob and a groan, his respiration continued. "Grant him, O Lord, eternal life. Lord Jesus, grant him Thy eternal Spirit. Grant him a moment of conscious faith that he may have Thy consolation and Thy mercy. O Lord, come into his heart and "— Again the breath had left the dying monarch. As before, he was to all appearances dead, but again the last few sparks of life within the body asserted themselves, and again, with a sob, the air rushed into his lungs. "cleanse his soul. O Lord Jesus Christ, be with him yet in the body, so that he may be present faultless before the Holy of Holies with every joy. Grant him, O Lord, eternal rest." Once again the respiration of the King ceased. Now his eyes turned upward to the heaven to which the petition in his behalf was so devoutly addressed. It was a moment of intense suspense. Half a minute passed; no one moved; a minute, and a sign went around the room. Kalakaua was dead. It was 2:33 o'clock. "O Christ, hear us," continued the minister. "O Lord, have mercy upon us, and Thou who takest away the sins of the world, look down upon us and hear our prayers, that he who has passed away shall sit with the Father, who is everlasting. Such is our prayer." He ceased. Kalakaua I. was born on November 16, 1836, and was in his fifty-fifth year. Kapiolani, who, by the death of her husband, becomes the Queen-dowager of Hawaii, was born on December 31, 1835, and was married to the late King nearly a quarter of a century ago. She is a lady of refinement and education, and, by her simple habits and manifold charities, has rendered her name a household word among the poor and sick of her kingdom. She is a devout member of the English Church. Her Royal Highness, sister of King Kalakaua, now Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, was born in Honolulu, September 2, 1838. She is a woman of fine intellect and remarkable executive ability. On September 16, 1862, she was married to John Owen Dominis, who, on the accession of her brother to the throne, became the Governor of the Island of Oahu and a member of the King's Privy Council. The Queen is a member of Kaumakapili Church-Presbyterian. On the arrival at Honolulu of the United States ship Charleston, on January 29th, with the remains of the late monarch, Kalakaua, the grief of the Hawaiians knew no bounds, and the excitement was intense. The entire population turned into the streets. The natives gave vent in their peculiar heart-rending style to the mele, or chant of grief, and lighted the torches that, in accordance with their traditions, are only to be burned for dead royalty. As the procession from the Charleston, bearing the remains of the dead King, was entering the palace grounds, a beautiful rainbow was seen above, spanning the place. Few have been seen that equaled this one in brilliancy. "A pavilion it seemed which the Deity graced, And Justice and Mercy met there, and embraced." The funeral was arranged for February 15th, from the Iolani Palace, at 11 o'clock. It was conducted in accordance with the rites of the Episcopal Church, of which he was a member, by Rt. Rev. Alfred Willis, D. D., Bishop of Honolulu. The body was deposited in the mausoleum erected by Kalakaua at a great expense, and in which are the remains of his family as well as those of the line of Kamehameha. "Now the laborer's task is o'er; "There the tears of earth are dried; "There the sinful souls, that turn "There no more the powers of hell "Earth to earth, and dust to dust,' Father, in Thy gracious keeping Leave we now Thy servant sleeping. |