The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-03-06
Uncle Heb.
How the Old Man Dled-Taking His Last
Luxury on Earth.

How the Old Man Dled-Taking His Last
Luxury on Earth.
His full name was Hebdon Wright
Turner, but everybody called him
LIS Heb He must have passed his six
fitch 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 fall down in faint
| in q saloon on the river road, and when
he was restored to consciousness he
| startled the three or four men who had
placed him on the bed by exclaiming ::
Boys, I'll be darned if l amt going
to die r.
No one had ever stopped to think
whether Uncle Heb was ever going to
die lt,-was the general impression
amonR his acquaintances that he would
live along for three or four hundred
years.
''How do you feel ?" they asked.
Kinder trembly and weak" he re-
piled. ''Ill bet fifty cents I'll kick the
bucket afore noon u
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 I" q
The men imagined that it was mere
ives kness which would soon pass off,
and one of them sat down near him
while the others retired to go about
their business.
..It,s tough weather for a funeral T.
remarked Uncle Heb. as the fierce wind
howled around the house. It don't
make any difference how I'm carried
up; wouldn't know it if there were
sixteen hacks and brass band; just as
lief go up alone with the driver T.
After a pause he smiled blandly and
inquired
They'll speak of me as the late
deceased wont they? Yes, of course.
should like to read tile papers to-
morrow and see what they say of me.
but I won't be here, you know
"Have you any property to dispose
of ?" asked the watcher.
"Lemme see u unused Uncle Heb.
eyes, thar's an extra pair of butes and
hat and about II cents in money. I
suppose the right way. would be to have
executors pinted, but, as I said be.
fore, don't want any fooling around.
You can divide up the estate between
you"
The old MAJ was very pale and he
seemed to be suffering, and the watcher
was anxious to do something.
81 tell you," replied Uncle Heb.
I'd like some brandy. If it wasn't
just as it is I wouldn't put you to any
trouble, but being I'm going away to
stay I'd like few swallers of real peach
brandy-some of that in the fancy de-
canter."
: Some was brought him, and he
smacked his lips, smiled, and remarked:
eff I wasn't going 10 die I'd try and
lay in a quart or two of that brand =
After five or ten minutes more the
nurse asked him if he didn't feel better,
Feel better !" echoed the old man,
&c how can a dying man feel better ?
Do you suppose I'd be fooling around
here if wasn't going to expire ?"
The man sat down, and Uncle Heb
continued
GAS soon as go up the spout one of
on go to the Poormaster and say
Mr.. Willard. old Heb is dead send
Teller down and plant him. That will
be as good as speech two hours long.
I'm sorry I was.-took sick here, but 1t
wasn't my fault. You may go now"
The man went out, thinking Uncle
Heb out of his mind, and sat down and
played dominoes for an hour. Hearing
no movement. in the back room he
'P Tss ia ia a %sa us dead Detroit