The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1879-09-19
THE OLD MANS LAST SHOT.
ET WILLIAM KENNEDY.


Near The crown Of gentle emi"eac
in the Old Ray State stands farm -hous,
not one of those tasty WOODEN dwelling:
with neat grocu blinds, which salute th
eye Of the passer,by at the present da,
but one of those houses Of which a fe'
yet hngcr aman& us, standing iik
wcathcr-beaten guide-boards, and point
i#g gloomily to the early by-gone year
of our Republic. 1t is built Of rough
unhcvn stones, upon which the greer
moss clings in heavy lunches and
willie it rises in front to the height 0
three stories, surmountcd by steep, mar
row roof in the rear you can easily steT
upon the broad and gently sloping caves
L while its narrow doors and windows and
massive walls tell Of the perilous times in
which it was erected.
Near bv swung the ponderous we'll
sweep, from which hung, swaying. the
massive bucket and in the ncighboring
fields, at the early period Of which we
write, the blackened stumPs stood like
monuments, attcsting the might aud
the enterprise Of those men who"had orer-
come these tall and deeply-rooted mon
archs Of the soil. The grey light Of early
dawn was just beginning TO be chased
away by safT, on-clad heralds Of the sun,
when an old man, fecbly leaning upon his
crutch, tottered TO the front. door, and
4 stood inhaliug the fresh inyigegating air
. Of the morning.
FL Year after YEAR had rolled over him.
/ each one adding lighter tint to bis
eilyerel hair, and bending his form stitiI
lower with the additional cares WHICH it /
imposed, until now he stood with n head
white as snow and a form bent and
trembling upon the verge Of eternity
Capering at his side and g.asPing his
withcred hand was q grandson, upon
whose youthful brow time and care had
not yet sown their wrinkles, uor sin
dimmed The bright light Of innocence
they were perfect exponent Of the win
Ter anil spring time Of LIFE. A more
starly grandson brought the well cush-
pinned arm chair and placing it where the
view up and down tho road was unob--
.&tructed, carefully helped the Old man to
comfortably seat himself within its ca.
lpacious arms, aud disappeared. Early as
Was the hour, the busy rafting of dishes :
from within plainly told That breakfast
ATas already over, and the men dispersed {
% their different occupations, unlike their !
sIcgenerate descendants, who reverse ma
lure's la.| and turning day into night, Ioll !
lu their J1ds, wahiag for night to come :
hlth its dissipation. Would you Judge Of |
the wisdom Of the lwo modes, look at the i
fjckIy, sallow, attcnnatcd forms Of those
n the present day, and their decreasing s
87geyity. 1t was the old mans custom |
IN daily sit in The open door and inhAle b
the dewey Incense with which nature 4
pals the rising sun, and listen to the II
ends as they welcomed him with their It
Fyoos melody but this morning they fo
2assed unaoticed, and he gazed eagerly n
ao#n the road that meandered away nntil
fst among cluster Of hills, his sLriyeled VI
see wcaans an expression 81 anxiety, st
VI he listened attentiyely. The tidy and ~
ausy mlron one Of those mothers of pl
.efoc@. with her snow white cap, often ed
Att her work, ana standing behind the az
4 man with one hard grasping her tb
Rron aud the other shading her eyes, trf
Hssd also intently down the road, and 70
ven returned to her work. Now and Fl
Hen farmer would pass by driving his VS.
team hnrriedty before HIM, the chains sw
Rokng merriIy among the stones, Or shl
srchance he would be met By his wife alb
child, who, giving him his rife and ab
Roch, would drive tile team homeward lcri
PIE he would speed hurriedIy across tie shc
HHds. Men Of all ages, from the beard
E
II youth, just from his last quarters me
Iboone, to the grey haired tine-scarel
H. was harrying along, and each Of his
sm armed. lin
Shall tell you what this means That
fFajng, before the day mad rurst its gra
nson bars and escaped from the iailer soil
(a'sht, young man, scarcely sevente n the
II blac'; hair that cured around tile ups
~ upon which stood large beads ot Nit
bat, and with an eye that bIazel With of
#Hement until it seemed to illume The ger
oeore him, clad il plain Aomespan
Raes, and mounted upon horse whose 4
Pks were white with foam, had leaped thu
saelr dooryard fence, and trampling ] 4
Aa sAe wsll.tsadQd a5vpr-beds, rapped vri