In the end, all that Smeagol had ever wanted was to undo the minute that the Ring was found. Gollum wanted many things, though mostly the Precious, but Gollum was just the effect of the Precious on a broken old Stoor. Smeagol, in the tiny part that was him alone, wanted to take his and Deagol's hands from each other's throats and keep Deagol out of the Anduin and not go fishing on his birthday so that he would not have to go fishing on all the long days after. Long, unseen days--for what were day and night to a cave creature in cave darkness?

It was small indeed, that wish-having thing, but it was strong. Strong enough to keep Gollum out of the wraith-world and strong enough to make his oath and keep it long. Strong enough, perhaps, that when Frodo's own oath was as good as broken and a thousand horrors wheeled round to seize the One there was a small scampering thing who went into the fire with it because one mind attacked the other.

The truth of it none can say, but for a being to trip and therefore die when it could crawl down sheer cliffs with ease? That seems more than mere providence, to me. It seems the work of a mind well aware that there was no way out, no way to hide, and a chance of better things to come for everyone if it were to step just here . . . for even Gollum did not want Him to eat the world entire, and Smeagol was so weary.

 The Ring must have found hobbits endlessly frustrating; they have no vision at all and less than zero ambition. Smeagol spends 500 years using it to surprise fish,  and once it escapes him Bilbo finds it and spends another 50 years using it to avoid awkward moments! They must be the most aggravating bearers a sapient evil artifact could possibly imagine.

 *It was the day of Smeagol's majority that he and Deagol found the One, which is why he was so insistent about it being his birthday.
**This means that Gollum was born in 2430, making him 589 during the War of the Ring (3019).

*Smeagol buried Deagol under a weeping willow in the Gladden Fields, where they had sat together often. Sometimes he still sees it in his dreams. Indeed, without those dreams he would have forgotten trees entirely, since he spent 474 years in his cave.

*Gollum's cave became a memorial of sorts to all those the rings of Sauron corrupted and destroyed. At it's entrance is a plaque which reads, in all languages from Hobbitish Westron to Qenya to the Black Speech of Mordor, "Here the halfling Smeagol, called Gollum, dwelt in misery from 2470 Third Age to 2944 Third Age. Of those 474 years, he was bearer of the One Ring for 471, and had been for 7 years before. He was the longest mortal ever to be Ringbearer, and this place is a memorial to his suffering and that of all others Sauron ruined."

*Smeagol's gravestone lies, or shall lie, on the Gladden Fields, under an old willow tree. It reads 'Smeagol, called Gollum, of the Stoors. It's been a long, long time, but he is home at last.'
**If one looks close they will find that it is a box, and within lies a cruder marking. This one reads 'Heer wuz wunse layn Deagol, ar Kuzin, in long agez uv the Wurld. The Wurld haz forgoten him, but I shal Remember.'