Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-02-19
He Died Saying "Cuss.''
A wANDERER FROM THE FRoSTIER-wHA
WAS FOUND ON HIS BREAST.

MANDEHEh FhOM THE Hal
WAS FOUND on HIS BREAST.
lie sat on the Steps Of the City Hail.
head in his hands, and no one could help
but notice him. He wore a coat of wolf
skins, bear skin cap, buckskin breeches,
and his grizzly hair hung down on his
shoulders in tangled mass. He had drift-
ed East from the wild frontier, and he had
fallen sick. No one knew for a long time
what allied him, as he would not reply to
inquiries; but finally, when a policeman
shook his arm and repeated the inquiry,
the man slowly lined his head and replied:
"rm playedr
His face was pale and baggard, and it
was plain that he was going to have an at
tack of fever. He was sent to the hospital
for treatment, he making no inquiries and
answering no questions. This was month
ago. He had his personal effects in sort
of sack. These were a breech-loading
rifle, hatchet, a knife, and several other
articles, and when he had been laid on a
bed in one of the wards, he insisted that
the bag be placed under bis head. They
offered him medicine but he turned away
his face, and no argument could induce
him to swallow any.
"But you are a sick man." said the doc
tor as be held the medicine up.
"Cuss Sickness" replied the old man.
"And you may de.''
"Cuss deathv'
He grew worse as the days went by, and
and was sometimes out Of his head, aud
talking strange talk OF Indian fights and
buffalo hunts, but not once did he speak Of
| family friends or of himself. He would
not let them undress. him, comb his hair
or show him any attentions beyond leaving
his food on the stand. A raging fever was
burning up his system, and when the doc
tors found that the old man would not take
their medicine, they knew that death was
| only a matter Of days.
He must have had an iron constitution
and a heart like warrior, for he held death
at arms length until the other day. When
It was seen that be could last but few
hours longer, the nurse asked him If a
clergyman should be called.
"Cuss clergymen," replied the old man,
those being the first words he had spoken
for three days.
However, two hours amer his mind wan
dered and he sat up in bed and called out I:
"I tell ye, the Lord isn't going to be hard
on fellow who has fit Injius?"
He was quiet again until an hour before
his death, when the nurse made one more
effort, and asked:
"Will you give me your manner"
"Cuss my name.r' replied the old man.
Haven't you friendsf"
"Cuss friends"
"Do you wish us to send your things tc
any oneH"
"Cuss any oner'
"Do you realize" continued the nurse
that you are very near the gravel"
"Cuss the gravew was the monotonou'
reply.
No further questions were asked, anC
during the next hour the strange old mar
dropped quietly asleep in death, utterinl
no word and making no sign. When they
came TO remove the clothing and prepare
the body for the grave, what do you sup
pose they found, carefully wrapped in OF
skin and lying on his breastf A daguer
reotype picture of little girl 1t was tax
en- years and years ago, and when the chilC
was five or six years old. The face of tn,
little one was fair 10 look upon, and tn
case which held it had been SCARED by bul
lets. There were dozen scars on the OLE
mans body TO prove that he had lived
wild life, but there was not line amoni
his effects to reveal his name, or the nam
of the child whose picture he had worn oil
his breast for years and years. Who wa
she9 His own darling perhaps. He woul'
have not treasured the picture so CAREFUL!
unless there was love in the breast.
No one would have believed that tn,
wolf skin coat covered a heart which coult
feel love or tenderness, but it did. H
might have been returning home aftel
years of weary wandering, or he nigh
have left the frontier TO be sure Of Chris
tian burial, and hoping that no unsympa
thetic eye would fall upon the picture.
Some said keep 1t, hoping to make
', identify the old man, but others laid
back on the battle-scarred breast whicl
had preserved it so long, and 1t was ther,
yesterday when they buried him.-Detro
Free Press.