A record of the descendants of John Clark, of Farmington, Conn ...

ABRAHAM. 51
of his younger clays, but after a few years gave it up, and
became steward of Illinois College, then under the presidency
of Edward Beecher.
" From Jacksonville he removed to Rushville, in the same
State. Remaining here but a short time, he followed his
eldest son, then a practicing physician, to Iowa, and afterward
to Wisconsin, where his second son was engaged in mercan-
tile business. His next removal was to Chicago with Dr.
Holbrook, a son-in-law, his two sons having
removed to
California. In the summer of 1854 he revisited his early
home, spending several weeks, and seemed to renew his
youth, walking long distances as he visited one and another
of his old friends, but it was as the last brightening of the
flame before it expires. He returned to Chicago, and for a
short time enjoyed anew his summer's pleasures in recount-
ing them to his family. Soon, however, he began to show
signs of exhausted vitality. During the early weeks of win-
ter he sat by the fire sleeping most of the time, his strength
gradually failing, until, with no appearance of disease, on the
21st of February, he quietly passed away. Mr. Clark's life
was eminently a religious one. Of a cheerful temperament,
he had a store of proverbs and quaint sayings by which he
was wont to express a sense of thankfulness for blessings
received. His principles were those of the good old Puritan
sort. He dared to reverence the Sabbath wlien few regarded
it. He began to be a consistent advocate of temperance
while the use of alcoholic drinks was almost universal, and
through a long and useful life was a bright example of all
that is true, and loving, and of good report."
His children were :
i. Joseph Washburn, b. Nov. 30, 1810; d. Jan. 12,
1812.