Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-10-11
MY FRIENDS STORY.
Explaining Why He Lived and
Died Bachelor.

Died q Bachelor.
One fine summer morning, as I was
lingering in the Battery park, watch
ing with longing eyes the steamers as
they darted past, and debating with
myself whether would obey the sum-
mons of duty and go like good boy to
my dingy Office, or whether, breaking
through all trammels, should des-
perately play truant, and rushing upon
one of the tempting boats, should
forthwith steam down to the shady
chestnuts of Staten Island; or turning
my nose eastward, should brave the
perils of being stranded in the more
difficult navigation that lay between
me and the cool recesses of Glen
Island, was accosted by a gentleman
whom / should have taken for a
stranger, but that he addressed me by
name and offered his hand with smile
that instantly recalled favorite
school-fellow. So instead of going
either up or down the river, cen
staid where l was, and walked up
and down the Battery esplanade talk
ing of old times.
Igave him my card, and he promised
to call upon me; he also gave me his
address, and then, after long chat,
we parted. / had asked him if he was
married; but he replied, sadly, that he
was still a bachelor, and boarding in
the very same house that he had occu-
pied for twenty years.
About two weeks elapsed, and had
seen no more of him, when one day I
received hurried summons to go to
him, as he was dangerously ill. I was
by his bedside within half an hour,
but he was almost speechless. He
signed to the nurse to leave the room,
and then beckoned me close to hear
something that he wished to commune
cate. The only words / could dis
tinguish were ''keys-desk-paper
repeated with an appearance of in
tense anxiety. 1 brought his writing
desk from the adjoining room, which
seemed to afford him much satisfac-
ton; and having next discovered a
bunch Of keys, I soon fitted in the
right one and opened the desk before
him.
paper, paper" he muttered again;
and proceeded to take out, one by
one, the documents it contained, look
ing to him for instructions as held
each one before his eyes. He
shook his head and said mo.
no." to all until at last
found one, carefully sealed up, which
he pressed into my hand, saying:
keep it-keep it." Those were the
last words he uttered. put the paper
In my pocket, returned the desk and
keys to their places and summoned the
nurse to attend the dying man. The
doctor came, too, but shook his head
with true professional gravity. By
the-by, that professional shake is not
the pompous imitation of Jove that
many people take it for; it is the gest-
ure which naturally expresses that
absence of all hope which the benevo-
lent heart is reluctant to utter in
words. 1t is like putting on the black
cap before passing sentence, which
human Judge does with sad heart
and tears in his eyes.
staid with my poor friend till he
breathed his last, which he did be-
tween twelve and one-e'en at turning
of the tide. He seemed quite uncon-
scious; but how could / know that he
was really so? As I sat in the dim
light, watching his scarcely breathing
form, I figured to myself his half
freed spirit, now struggling to burst
its bonds, now covering to awe and
terror. as 10th to leave its accustomed
tenement and brave the vague and
dread expanse of the everlasting
region that stretched its unknown in
finitude before it. And yet it was
only by settled placidity stealing
over his face that I knew that he was
dead.
His souls gone to Heaven said
the nurse: .'only see how calm he
looks"
In spite of this assurance 1 went
home sorrowfully enough. 1t had
merely heard of his death should, OF
course, have said: Poor fellow! and
only a fortnight ago we were laying
plans for summer excursions together"
But, to sit down beside him for eight
hours. as had done, and to see him
dying away-going out like a lamp
that wanted oil-it was horrible. /
could not, for some time, summon reso-
luton to open the packet he confided
to me. When did, / found it con-
tanned a neatly-written manuscript,
s.,r, 7 t,x,r<, fro N sori1,< xoe AZ,
inquiries to ascertain whether there
were any circumstances occurring
about the time which he alludes to