Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-30

cause all it said wuz: "Hoopin, Cough Sec Whoopin' Cough"-and, uv course there warn't no Whoopin' Cough to see, oeln' as how the w hadn't come yeti Oncet when Hiram wanted to dreen the nome pasture he went to the cyclopeedy to ma ma out about it, but all he diskivered wuz "Drain-See Tile" This was in 1859 and the cyclopeedy had only got down to G. me cow wuz sick with lung fever one spell and Leander laid her dyin' to that cussed cyclopeedy, cause when he went to reaoln' bout cows it told him to sSee Zoology"
 But what's the use uv harrowin' up one,s ieehn's talkin' md thinkin' about these thlngss Leander got so after awhile that the cyclopeedy didn't worry him at all |; ne grew to look at 1t ez one uv the crosses that human critters has to bear without complalnin' through this vale uv tears. The only thing that bothered him wuz the rear that mebbe he wouldn't live to see the last volyume-to tell the truth this kind uv got to be his hobby and I've heern him talk bout 1t many a time settin' round the stove at the tarvern md squirtin' tobacco lulce at the sawdust box. His wife, dattle, passed away with the yaller flanders the winter w come, and all that seemed to reconcile Leander to survivin' her wuz the prospect uv seein' the last volyume uy that cyclopeedy. Lemuel Higgins, the book agent, had gone to his everlastin' pun lshment, but his son, Hiram, had suc- ceeded to his fathers business nd continued to visit his folks his old man had roped in. By this time Leander's children had growed up; all on lem wuz marr'd, and there wuz numerls grandchildren to amuse the ol, gentleman. But Leander wuznt to be sat- isned with the common things uv airth; he didn't seem to take no pleasure in his grand most .l alters sot on somethin' else-for hours nd hours, yes, all day long, he'd set out on the front stoop lookin' wistfully up the road for that book agent to come along with cyclo- peedy. He didn't want to die till he'd got all the cyclopeedies his contract called for: he wanted to have every thing strengthened out before he passed away.
 When-oh, how well I recollect it-when Y come along he wuz so overcome that he Tell over i'll fit uv paralysis, nd the old gentleman never got over it. For the next three years he dropped md pined, and seemed like he couldn't. hold out much longer. Finally he had to take to his bed he wuz so old md feeble-but he made lem move the bed up against the winder so he could watch for that last volyume of the cyclopeedy.
 The end come one balmy day in the spring uv 'S7. His life wuz a-ebbin' powerful fast: the minister wuz there, md me, Ind Dock Wilson, md Jedge Baker, md most uy the family. Lovin' hands smoothed the wrlnl,led forehead md breshed back the long, scant White hair, but the eyes of the dyin' man Wuz sot upon that piece uv road down which the cyclopeedy man allus come.
 All at oncet bright md joyful look come into them eyes nd or Leander rig up in bed nd sez: "It's come"
 "What is it, fathers" asked his daughte, Sarey, sobbin' like.
 "Hush," sez the minister, solemnly; che lem"
 No, no," cried the aged man, lit is the cyclopeedy-the letter Z-it's comin'r,
 And sure enough! The door opened and ln walked Higgins-he tottered rather than walked, fir he had growed old nd feeble ir his wicked profession
 "Here's tho z cyclopeedy, MT. Hobart, says Higgins.
 Leander clutched it.; he hugged it to his pantln' bosom; then stealin' one pale hand under the piller he drew out faded bank note md gave it to Higgins
 'Ithank Thee for this boon" sez Leander rollin' his eyes up devoutly; then he gave a deep sigh.
 "Hold on," cried Higgins, excitedly "Y ou've made mistake-it lsnt the last"
 But Leander didn't hear him-his soul he'd fled from its mortal tenement md he'd scared rejoicin' to realms uv everlastin' bliss.
 "He is no more," sez Dock Wilson, meta, phorically.
 ''Then who are his heirsa" asked that mean critter Higgins.
 "We be-" sez the family
 "Do you conjointly and severally ac. knowledge and assume the obligation of de. ceased to meN he asked lem.
 ''What obligation!' asked Peasley Ho. bart, stern like.
 "Deceased died owin me fir cyclo- peedyr' sez Higgins.
 ''That's lie" sez Peasley. "We all seen him pay you for the z !''
 ''But there's another one to come," sez Higgins.
 "Anothers" they all asked.
 "Yes, the indexn' sez he.
 So there wuz, and I'll be eternally gcn durned if he ain't a-suin' the estate in the probate court now fir the price uv it!-Chi- caRo News
 M E! K KH!H!T,HiV|