The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-11-12
A LIVING TOMBSTONE.

You see, people said Jasper Diggs was
born foolish and that he was not respon-
sible for his actions. His mother died in
his babyhood and he was left to take care
of himself, as his father was a poor, old.
weak invalid.
Public philanthropy was almost an I'M
known quantity in Pine Hollow, and the
maxim of every man for himself" was
rigidly conformed to by the tavern keeper.
the proprietor of the grocery and other
less influential citizens of the village Even
the seedy looking parson was imbued with
but picayune spirit of charity, though he
frequently found occasion in the pulpit to
stimulate and encourage charity in others.
He was once compelled to urge upon some
of his brethren, who had placed brass but
tons in the CO ribution box, the necessity
of desisting from hammering down the
eyes of those buttons, for while that pro.
cess did not increase their value as coin, it
did seriously impair their usefulness as
buttons.
Jasper had grown to be a very sizable
young man of twenty. With all his shat
tered mental faculties, affection was a
most pronounced trait of his character.
This was manifested in his jealous care of
his father, whose emaciated form had lain
for many weary months upon a couch of
pain, from which the poor man was never
destined to rise again. Jasper was his
nurse, his companion. If the old man
sometimes wearied of the boys vague chat
ter about 4 thousand nOthings, of his nerv-
Gus facial contortions or his mouotonous
representations he could, after all, hear
these trifiinG annoyances in return for all
the kind attention OF which he was the re-
cipeut from the same unfortunate son.
What little remained of the old mans life
ebbed away slowly day by day until at last
his name was written in the book of NOR
tally.
well, old Diggs is gone" was the cur I
rent expression of the older generation |
that knew him best. The funeral was
plain, not TO say meager, both in ceremony /
and attendance Jasper was the chief, and /
if appearances were any indication, the |
only mourner Mr. Diggs' body was con. /
veyed to the cemetery aud placed by the
side of Hannah. whose grave was almost
lost under the thick jungle of weeds and
wild creepers that covered it.
Affairs in Pine Hollow, of course, moved
on in their unwonted style. Mr.. Diggs' /
death was soon forgotten. Jasper Diggs
remembered it but too well His mourn
ful sObs could be heard at night in the
cemetery, and to passers by they were any
thing but cheerful sounds.
The idea Of providing a suitable tomb
stone to the memory of his father seemed
10 have taken possession of Jaspers mind
P few days after his sires death. Some
One suggested that the easiest way TO get
enough money TO purchase one would be
TO go around with a subscription list.
Acting up0n this hint he started out on
his hopeless mission. l say hopeless, be-
cause they looked upon Jasper as more of
4 fool than he was; hence they treated him
lar worse than he deserved. He went from
house to house, meeting only rebuffs,
'neers and ridicule. At nightfall he re-
paired to the cemetery where he slept, pre-.
erring to be near his dead father than in
he lonely cottage. He had tramped all
over the village, and he found only one
person willing to render him assistance,
Ind that one had signed for ST. Every
BODY else had refused to give anything but
lis moral support. Therefore, like per
ectly sane young man, he abandoned the
Enterprise, though the Unsuitable longing
or a monument to his fathers memory !
possessed him as keenly as ever
A week later one of Pine Hollow's
niserly citizens, while passing the GENE =
cry, made a strange and wonderful dis !
overy. He did not 90 into the grocery :
hop that night as early as usual, in order :
o allow all the frequenters to assemble so
hat he might have a good audience TO
sten TO what he had to say. The crowd
vas laying in a stock of peanuts and plug !
obacco as he entered, and his nervous pa :
fence was taxed to its utmost in refrain. =
lg from calling the meeting to order at ,
nee.
We'll, boys" be began, after the coun- :.
er and every available box and barrel had a
cen extemporized for seats, you'd >
aughed your gizzards sore to have seen <
hat l see this mornin. I was footin it =
yer to Hi Cassaway's to see bout him i
uildin me new corn crib next week, an y
) / come to the graveyard | noticed a
ian standin in there. Coming up closter. :.
recognized Jasper Diggs, poor devil! :,
e was standin perfectly still, an when | is
1t right opposite l hollered out, Hey,
lere, Jasp, what yer doin" Well, be
81 dang if he stirred q COMPOUNDED inch.
ben hollered agin, but he didn't move. K
2 1 TO myself, seq |, like as not the dumb r.
itter's IL a At or got one of his blasted
siushuuS. al les SO up an see what 81
Is him. When got around not more'n AZ
rod or so in front of him saw q square
zee of this ere pasteboard hangin on 4 &,
ring around his neck. There was let of
rs on it, but as / don't purtend to be RI
UGH eddecated l couldn't read em. But m
5 my opinion he's tryin TO run Bill 10
avis, the marble dealer, oppursition and in
his own tombstone" Ga
A loud 'guffaw" on the part of the lis sn
hers followed close upon the conclusion DIR
these remarks, and then continued "A
lighter augmented the hilaritv. IN
or course the curious visited the GENE an
~ the next day and found the report "a
lie 10 the letter. There stood Jasper as 20,
otionless as the monument he was repre-
lting, his facial expression displaying wc
sthlike rigidity. No amount of divert az,
: noises or threatening gestures changed i
: fixed stare that literally poured out of
eyes. The placard printed about his
TX bore this inscription:
:----.------------- .-.----...---....--. IN