The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-03-04
Uncle Heb.
How the Old HIan DIed-TaIEIug His Last
Luxury on Earth.

How the Old Man DIed-Takiug His Last
Luxury on Earth.
His full name was Hebdoh Wright
Turner, but everybody called him
g Heb" He must have passed his six
tieth birthday, but no one cared to look
! a second time to see if he was growing
old and wearing out. He chored
around livery stables and saloons, al
ways hungry and always ragged, and
| while no one was his friend he had no
enemies.
The other day he fell down in G faint
in saloon on the river road, aid when
he was restored to cofsci6usnesse he
startled the three or four men who had
| placed him on the bed by exclaiming
"BoYs, I'll be darned if 1 amt going
to die l''
No one had ever stopped to think
whether Uncle Heb was ever going to
die. 1t was the general IMPRESSION
among his acquaintances that be would
live along for three or four hundred
years.
''How do you feel ?" they asked.
& Kinder trembly and weak" he re-
piled. 'T'll bet fifty cents I'll kick the
bucket afore noon l'
They offered to bring doctor, but he
said
''No, don't take any trouble; tend
right to business as usual, and when I
| kick the beam, plant me quietly and
without any style /"
The men imagined that it was mere
weakness which would soon pass of,
and one of them sat down near him
while the others retired to go about
| their business.
" It's tough weather for a funeral p
remarked Uncle Heb. as the fierce wind
| hoWled around the house. "It don't
make any difference how I'm carried
| up 1 wouldn't know it if there were
sixteen hacks and brass band; just as
] lief go up alone with the driver l'
! After a pause he smiled blandly and
inquired
'Theyu speak of me as the 'late
deceased, wont they? Yes, of course.
I should like to read the papers to.
morrow and see what they say of me
but won't be here, you know
Have you any property to dispose
of p asked the watcher.
6 Lemme see l' mused Uncle Heb,
Yes, thar's an extra pair of but9s ail6
a hat and about IL cents in money.
suppose the right way would be to have
| executors pinted, but, as said be
fore, don't want any fooling around
You can divide up the estate between
you"
The old MAJ was very pale and ht
seemed to be suffering, aud the watcher
was anxious to do something.
81 tell you," replied Uncle Heb
1" I'd like some brandy. If it wasn'
just as it is wouldn't put you to any
trouble, but being I'm going away tC
stay I'd like few swallers of real peacE
brandy-some of that in the fancy de
canter."
Some was brought him, and ht
smacked his lips, smiled, and remarked
&c If wasn't going 10 die I'd try anC
lay in a quart or two of that brand 7
After five or ten minutes more the
nurse asked him if he didn't feel better
"Feel better /" echoed the old man
show can a dying man feel better
Do you suppose I'd be foOling around
here if I wasn't going to expire ?"
The man sat down, and Uncle Hell
continued: I:
Gas soon as go up the spout one o
ou go to the POoEmaster and say
Mr.. Willard. old Heb is dead send I
feller down and plant him. That vii
be as good as a speech two hours long
I'm sorry was took sick here, but /
wasn't nv fault. You may go now"
The man went out, thinking Uncle
Heb out of his mind, and sat down anC
played dominoes for an hour. Hearing
no movement in the back room h,
opened the door.
The old man was dead !-DetrOi