Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-16
METHUsELAH.


NoanV imey , response 10 "the Old man.
at the annual dinner OF the Indianapolis
Literary club, and his reference to Methu.
selah has awakened In my mind many
recollectlons and "reminiscences OF that
grand old man. We first met Methu.
selah In the capacity of son.
At the age OF slxty-nve, Enooh
arose one night and telephonod his FAM
lily physician 10 come over and assist him
In meeting Methuselah Day at last
dawned upon Enoch's happy home, and
Its ilrst red rays III up the stlll reddcr
surface OF the little stranger. For three
hundred years Eooch and Methus,iah
logged on together In the capac.
ny OF father and son, Then
Enoch was suddenly cut down. II was at
this time that little Methusolah nrst
realized what 10 was 70 be an orphan. lie
could not at tlrst realize that his father
was dead. lie could not understand why
Enoch, With no Inherited disease, should
be shntiled out at the age OF SG5 years.
But The doctor said to Methuse-
laht "My son, you are indeed
mtherless. have done all !
could, but II Is useless. | had told
Enoch many time that II he went in
swimming before the ice was out OF the
creek 1t would finally down him, but he
thought he knew best. He was head.
strong man, Enoch was. IIo sneered at
me and alluded to me as a fresh Young
gosling, because he was 800 years older
than | was. lie has received the reward
OF the willlul, and verify the doom Of the
smart Aleck Is his"
Methuselah now cast about him for
some occupation which would take up
, his attention and assauge his Wild pas
sionate grief over the loss OF his father.
lie entered into the walks OF men and
learned their ways. 1t was at this time
that he learned the perniclous habit of
using tobacco. We cannot wonder at II
when we remember that he was now
fathehess. He was at the mercy OF the
cold, rough world. Possibly he learned ia
use tobacco when no went away 10 attend
business college after the death OF his
father. BE that as II may, the obnoxious
weed certainly FASTENED his death, for GGC
years after this we fnd him corpse.
Death is ever surprise, even at the
end OF long Illness a after ripo old
age. To those who are near II seems ab.
rupti so to his grandchildren, some OF
whom survive him, his children having
died OF old age, the death OF Methuselat
came like thunderbolt from clear sky
Methuselah succeeded In cording NJ
more Of record, such as 1t was, thar
any other man OF whom history inform,
US, Time, the tomb. builder and amateur
mower, came and leaned over the from
fence and looked at Methuselah, and ruI
his thumb over the jagged edge Of hli
scythe, aud went away whistling a low
refrain. lie kept up this refrain bust
ness for nearly ten centuries, while Me
thuselah continued TO stand out amid th,
general wreck OF men and nations.
Even as the young, strong mower golnl
forth with his mower to NOV sparetl
the tall and dignihed drab hornets nest,
and passes by on the other side, 80 Time
with his Waterbury hour-glass and hi
overw)Tked hay-knife over his shoulder
and his long Mormon wbiskers and hi
high, sleek dome of thought, with II
gray lambrequiu OF hair around the bas
of II, moved all around Methuselah an
then passed on.
; Meihuselah decorated the graves O
= those who persisted In q dozen differen
wars. He did not enlist himself, for owe
nine hundred years of his life he was ex
empt. lie would go TO the enlisting plac
and offer his services and the office
would tell him TO go home and encourag
his grandchildren TO go. Then Methuse
) lah would sit around Nohh's steps an,
; smoke and criticise the conduct OF III,
war, also the conduct OF the enemy
II Is said OF Methuselah that he neye
was the same man after his son Lancet
died. He was greatly attached TO Lamech
aud when he woke up one night to inC
his son purple in the face with mem
braneous Group he could hardly realiz,
that he might lose him. The idea o
losing boy who had just rounded IN,
glorious morn Of his 777th year had neve
occurred TO him. But death loves
shining mark, and he garnered little Lam
mic and lett Methuselah 10 moan AM
mourn on for couple more centuries
without him.
Methusclah finally got so that h,
couldn't sleep after 4 O'Clock In th,
morning, and he didn't see how any on,
else could The older he got and the les
valuable mis- time became the earlier h,
would rise, SO that he could get an earl,
start AS the centuries tlled slowly b.
Methuselah got where all h
into his loose-ntting clothes aud RES
his gums on the top OF larg,
sleek. headed cane, and mutter up thu
chimney, and then groan and extricat,
himself from his clothes again and retire
He arose earlier and earlier in the morn
ing, and mut,ered more and more about
the young folks sleeping away the best Of
the day, and said he had
lno doubt that sleeping and
snoring until breakfast time helped
TO carry of Lam. Bot one day old Ia.
Their Time came along With a new scythe
and he drew the milestone across IL d
few times and rolled the sleeves Of his
red flannel undergarment up over his
warty elbows, and Mr.. Methuselah passed
90 70 that undiscovered country with q
ripe experience and a long, clean record
We can almost fancy how the ply
siclaus, who had disagreed about his
case all the way through, came and in.