Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-02-22
The Old Man Who SmIl-
ed.


One time there was a good ole
man living in Detroit. His back
was bent, his step was slow, anc
mea who gazed upon his snowy
locks and wrinkled face whisper.
ed to each other:
"He is a good old man who has
not long to live"
The old man had been we'll of
in his day, but when he found
himself on the shady side of life,
vile dead and home broken up,
he said to his son:
"Here, William, take all I have,
and let your home be my home
until l die"
The son took the paper, you
bet he did, and the father was
given coZy corner, and a corn-
cob pipe. All went we'll year
or two, and then the son and sou $
wife began to make it uncomlort
able 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 he had better 60 to Halifax
Nova Scotia. s-.- ...
The old mans heart was sore
as he went out into the world to
battle against hunger and cold,
and when night came he covered
in a door way and wept like a
child.
"Who is making that chin.mu-
sic up there! !" 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
tulzard to lamb, and Ill help you
fix him !"
Next morning one of the daily
papers contained an item to the
effect that an old gentleman nam.
ed Goodheart had been found wan
deFing in the streets at night, and
that when taken to the station
$4,000 worth Of UDited States
bonds were found on him. Th2
old man read it over three times,
slapped bis leg as lie saw the
point, and a beautiful smile cover
ed his face and climbed up through
his hair. la about an hour bis
son William rushed into the sta
tion and called out:
Father, dear father, come
home! All of us were crying all
night long, and my wife is now ly,
ing in a comat0se state on yonr
account !" -
The old man went home with
him, winking at the lamp posts
and smiling as he turned the
corners. He had all his comforts
back, and the son bought him a
costly pipe and a pair Of box toed
boots that very day.
Well as time went on, the son
ventured to suggest that the bonds
had better be turned over to him,
and every time he said "bonds"
tue old man would sHlile and turn (
the subject to patent milk,cans .
or the necessity of counterfeiters
taking more pains with their lead
nickel6. The other day the faith
er went to bed to die, and he
smiled oftener than before as he
lay waiting for the summons.
The son said his heart was break
ing, and then went through the
old mans clothes to find the
bonds. He didn't find any. He
searched the barn, and the garrett,
and the cellar, and finally, when
he saw that death was very near,
he leaned over the bed and whis-
pered:
Father, do you know me ?"
ooh, yes-I know you like a
book" replied the dying man.
"And, father don't you see that
this thing is almost killing rle 2"
"Yes, William, I see it"
Sand father-those-tbose-
bonds; you know, suppose you
will want them used to purchase
you a monument :"
Correct, William, whispered
the father, winking a ghastly
wink, and as that same old smile
covered his face death came to
take him to better home.
When evening fell, and the son
and the sons wife were wildly
searching the strawbed to get
their hands on those bonds, re-
porter stood under gas lamp a.
cross the street, and with his
thumb on bis nose be sWeetlY call |