Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-07
The Old Man VINO Smiled.


One time there was good old man
living in Detroit. His back was bent
his step was slow, and men who
gazed upon his snowy locks and
wrinklcd face whispered to each
other:
ale is good Old man who has not
long to live"
The old man had been well off in
his day, but when he found himself
on the shady side Of life, wife dead
and home burned up, he said to hi.
only son:
"Here, William, take all have and
let your home be my home until !
die.'
The son took the papers-you bel
he did and the father was given a
cozy corner, a big chair, and corn
cob pipe. All went well for a year OF
so, and then the son and the sons
wife began to make it uncomfortable
for the nice old man in the corner.
They threw out hints, deprived him
of his comforts, and one cold day in
winter he was told that he had better
go to Halifax-Nova Scotia.
The old mans heart was sore as he
went out into the world to battle
against hunger and cold, and when
night came on he covered in door
way and wcpt like child.
"Who is making that chin-music up
there 2" called a reporter whose steps
had been arrested by the sobs, and he
went up the steps, patted the old man
on the head, and by and by the story
was told.
"Come down to the station with
me" said the reporter, taking the old
mans arm. "Your son is first cousin
to the man who preferred buzzard to
lamb, and I'll help you fix him.
Next day one of the daily papers
contained an item to the effect that an
old gentleman named Goodhcart had
been found wandering the streets at
night, and that when taken to the sta
ton, $4,000 worth of United States
bonds had been found on him. The
old man read it over three times
slapped his leg as he saw the point
and beautiful smile overspread hi:
face and climbed up into his hair. In
about an hour his son William rushed
into the station house and called out
"Father, dear father, come home
All of us were crying all night long,
and my wife is now lying in coma
tose state on your account"
The old man went home with him,
winking at The lamp-posts and smil.
ing as he turned the corners. He had
all his comforts back, and the son
bought him a costly pipe and pair
of box-tocd boots that very day.
Well, as time went on, the son ven.
tured to suggest that the bonds had
better be turned over to him, and
every time he said "bonds," the old
man would smile and turn the subject
to patent-milk cans or the necessity OF
counterfeiters taking more care with
their lead nickles. The other day the
father went to bed to die, and he
smiled 0ftencr than before as he lay
waiting for the grim summons. The
son said his heart was breaking, and
then went through the old mans
clothes to find the bonds. He didn't
find any. lie searched the barn, and
the garret, and the cellar, and finally
when he found that death was very
near, he leaned over the bed and
whispered:
"Father, do you know me 2"
"Oh, yes-I know you like book,
replied the dying man.
"And father, don't you see that this
thing is almost killing me 2"
eyes, William, see it,"
"And father, thosc-those-bonds
you know. suppose you want them
used to purchase monument!'
Correct, William" whispered the
father, winking ghastly wink, and
as that same old smile covered his
face death came to take him to a bet
ter home.
When the shades of evening fell and
the son and the sons wife were wild
ly searching the straw beds to get
their hands on those bonds, reporter
stood under the gas-lamp across the
street and with his thumb Oh his nose
he sweetly called out:
"Sold agin and got the tin-ncxi
iilial son step forward