Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-07-15

For run as will our round of years.
In shine or shadow, peace OR strife:
Let laughter be our lot, or tears,
| Hic facet is the sum of life.
Patrick J. Coleman in Catholic World.
DEATH COMETH.
| 1t was Alick Robbins who named him
| the Living Skeleton, and probably re-
| morse for having thus given him title
| SO descriptively accurate caused Robbins
| to make friends with the Living Skele-
| ton, a man who seemed to have no
| friends.
| Robbins never forgot their first CONVEX
sation. 1t happened in this way. It was
| the habit of the Living Skeleton to leave
his hotel promptly every morning at 10
| O'Clock. If the sun was shining, and to
shuttle rather thap to walk down the
| gravel street to the avenue of palms.
There, picking out a seat on which the sun
shone, the Living Skeleton would sit down
and seem to wait patiently for some one
who never came. He wore a shawl
around his neck and soft cloth cap on his
skull.
Every bone in his face stood out against
the skin, for there seemed to be no flesh,
and his clothes hung as loosely on him as
they would have upon a skeleton. 1t re-
quired no second glance at the Living
Skeleton to know that the remainder of his
life was numbered by days or hours, and
not by weeks or months. He didn't seem
to have energy enough even to read, and
so it was that Robbins sat down one day
on the bench beside him and said sympa-
thefically. II hope you are feeling better
today"
The skeleton turned toward him and
laughed low, noiseless and mirth]ess
laugh for moment. and then said in
hollow, faraway voice that had no lungs
behind it, II am through with feeling
either better or worse"
ooh, hope it is not as bad as that" said
Robbins; 'the climate is doing you good
down here, is it not?"
Again the Skeleton laughed silently, and
Robbins began to feel uneasy. The Skele
toms eyes were large and bright, and they
fastened themselves upon Robbins in Il
way that increased that gentleman's un-
easiness and made him think that perhaps
the Skeleton knew he had SO named him.
81 have no more interest in climate"
said the Skeleton. 81 merely seem to live
because l have been in the habit of living
for some years; 1 presume that is it, be-
cause my lungs are entirely gone. Why
can talk or why can breathe is a mystery
to me. You are perfectly certain you hear
me?"
"Oh, hear you quite distinctly" said
Robbins.
"Well, if it wasn't that people tell me
that they can hear me I wouldn't believe
that 1 am really speaking, because, you
see, have nothing to speak with. Isn't it
Shakespeare who says something about
when the brains are out the man is dead9
Well, have seen some men who make me
think Shakespeare was wrong in his dag
nosis, but it is generally supposed that
when..the lungs are gone man is dead. To
tell the truth, am dead practically You
know the old American story about the
man who walked around to save funeral
expenses well, it isn't quite that way with
me, but can appreciate how the man felt.
Still take keen interest in life, al
though you might not think so. You see,
I haven't much time left; am going to
die at s o'clock on the Both of April-8
o'clock at night, not in the morning, just
after table d'hote is done with"
you're going to what?" cried Robbins
in establishment.
"Im going to die that day. You see,
have got things to such point that can
die any time want to- I could die right
here now if wished. If you have any
mortal interest in the matter I'll do it.
and show you that what l say is true /
don't mind much, you know, although ]
had fixed on April 80 as the limit. 1t
wouldn't matter a bit for me to go off now
if it would be OF any interest to you"
II beg you," said Robbins, very much
alarmed, mot to try any experiments on
my account. am quite willing to believe
anything you say about the matter; of
course you ought to know"
eyes, do KNOW" answered the Living
Skeleton sadly. "Of course have had my
struggle with hope and fear, but that is all
past now, as you may well understand.
the Both of April is this: You see have
only certain amount of money! do not
know why should make any secret of it
Il have exactly 240 francs today, over and
above the 100 francs which have set aside
for another purpose. am paying eight
francs day at the Golden Dragon; that,
you see, will keep me just thirty days, and
then intend to die"
The Skeleton laughed again, without
sound. and Robbins moved uneasily on the
seat.
II don't see," he said finally, "what there
is to laugh about in that condition of af-
fairs"
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