The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-11-04
TOMMYS TOMBSTONE
BY R y. srEvESs

Tommy McGuffy was growing old, and
the skin Of his aitenuated face was to
shrunk and 50 stretched from wrinkle to
wrinkle that it seemed narrowly to es-
cape breaking. About the pointed chin
and cheek bones IT lad the color Of faded
brick.
Old Tommy had become 50 thin that
he dared not venture to the top of the
hill above his native village Of RearEard
on windy day.
His knees bent very eomicaliy when
be walked.
For some years the villagers had been
counting the nephews and nieces TO
whom the savings Of the old retired
dealer in dry goods would eventually de-
scend.
Ten thousand dollars and house and
lot constituted heritage worth anticipa-
ting in Rearwsrd.
The innocent old man was not upon
terms of intimacy with his prospective
beirs. Having remained unmarried, bis
only close associates were two who had
been biz.companiOns in that remote peri
cd which had been his boyhood- One of
these, Jerry Hurley, was a childless sid-
over very estimable and highly re-
spected man, who owned two farms, and
the other, ike himself, q bachelor, was
Billy Skidmore, the sexton OF the church
and therefore the regulator Of the town
clock upon the sieeple.
There came great shock to old Tom
my one day. As old Mrs Sparks said,
Jerry Hurley. all suddent ike, just took
8 notion and died"
The wealth and Standing Of Jerry Hur-
ley insured him an imposing funeral.
They laid his body beside that which
had once been his wifes, in Resrward
cemetery. His heirs possessed his farm,
and time went on-siowly, as usual, at
RearEard.
Tommy went frequently to Huriey's
grave, and wondered when his heirs in
tended erectinga monument TO his mem
ory.
1t is Necessary that your grave be mark
ed with a monument If you would stand
high in that still society that holds eter-
MAJ assembly beneath the pines and will
lows vher only the breezes speak, and
they in snbdaed voices.
Years passed, and the grave of Tom
my's old friend Jerry, remained unmsrk-
ed. JerTy1s friends had postponed the
duty 50 long that they had grown csllOus
10 public opinion. Besides. they had
other purposes to which to apply Jerry's
money 1t was easy enough 70 avoid re-
prOaeh they had only to refrain from
visiting the graveyard.
Jerry never deserved such treatment"
Tommy would say to Billy, the sexton.
as the two met to talk it over every sun
ny afternoon
It's an outrage, that's Whist it is -
Billy would reply, for the hundredth
time.
1t was in their eyes an omission al
most equal to that Of baptism or the fu-
neral service.
One day as Tommy was aiding himself
along the Main street Of Rearvard by
means OF s hickory stick, q frightful
thought came to him. He turned cold
and pale
What if his own heirs should neglect
to mark his grave 4?
I'll hurry home and put the money
for it aside in stocking-foot at once, =
thO1ght Tommy, ard his knees bent
more than usual as he accelerated his
pace.
But as be tied knot in the stocking,
there came the fear that even this mon
ey might be misapplied even his will
might be ignored through repeated post
ponement and the laws delay and indif-
ference
Who, save old Billy Skiinore, would
care whether old Tommy McGufy's last
resting place was designated or not? And
once LET the worms begin operations on
this antique morsel, what would it mat
ter to Rearwsrd folks where the banquet
was tskiug place
Tommy now underwent second at
tack Of horror, from which he cane of
victorious, $ gleefnl smile momentarily
lifting the dimness from his excessively
lachrymal eyes
I'm fix EN- he said to himself a I'll
20 to-day 70 Ricketts,, the nSrble-euiter,
and order my own tombstone
Three months thereafter Ricketts,, the
mArble-cutter, united the knot in the
stocking that had been Tommyis and de-
posted the contents in the local savings
bank.
In the cemetery stood q new nonu-
menf, very lofty and elaborate around
il was an iron fence, within the encios-
ule there Was no grave ss yet
Here said the monument IN deep
cut letters but bad English, lies all that
remains Of Thomas Ae6uIy. born in
Rearwood, November II, $50 died -.
Gone whittier the wicked cease from
troubling ard the weary are at rest-" :"