The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-10

filled up the hours that were wont to be de-
voted to drinking. singing and riotous mer-
riment. At parting, too. there was now a
long ceremony In the hall, %buttoning up
great coats, tying on WOODEN camforte,s,
liking silk handkerchisfs over the mouth
and up to the ears, and grasping sturdy
walking canes TO support unsteady feet.
The fftieth annivets ary came. and death
had indeed been busy. One had been killed
by the overtarninR of a mail coach. in
which he had taken his place in order to be
present at tho dinner. Another had under
gone the terrific operation for the stone.
and expired beneath the knifs-a third had
Welded up q broken spirit two years after
the loss of an only surviving and beautiful
dAughtsr-a fourth was carried off in q fcw
days by . cholera morbus-a fifth had
brcathsd his last the very morning he OBJ
tanned . Judgment in his favor by the lord
ohanoellor, which had cost him his last
shilling nearly to get, and which. after a
Litigation Of nearly eighteen years. declared
him the rightful possessor of G1O, 900 a year
ten minutes after he was no more. A
sixth had persisted by the hand OF. a mid
might assassin. who broke into his house
for plumber, and sacrificed the owner Of it.
a. he grasped oonyulsivsly a bundle of OK
ehequsr bills. which the robber was draw
ing from beneath his pillow, where he
knew they were every night placed for bet
ter security.
Four little old men of withered appear
ance and decropit walk, with cracked voices
and dim. rayless eyes, sat down. by the
mercy of heaven Gas they themselves trsnl-
ulously deolared) to celebrate for the fif-
tieth time the FIRST day of the year. to OBJ
serve the frolis compact which half q CEN
fury before they had entered into. Eight
were in their graves. The fonr that re-
chirped chserily over their glass though
they could scarcely carry ii to their lips if
more than half full. and cracked their
jokes, though they Rtticulated their words
with difficulty and heard each ether with
still greater difficulty. h.
rubber of whist. and for three successive
years they sant down to ono. The fourth
came and then their rubber was played with
I'm open dummy; Il 9th and whist was no
longer praotioable; two could only play ut
oribbags and cribbnge was the game. But
Their palsled hands could hardly hold or
their fading sight distinguish the cards,
while their torpid faculties made tLem doze
between the deals.
At length came the last dinner, and the
survivor Of the twelve. upon whose head
fourscore and ten winters had showered
their snow. ate his solitary meal.
1t SO CHANGED that il was in his house. and
at his table, they had celebrated tho first.
In his cellar, too. had remained, for eight
and-fftv years. the bottle they had then
uncorked, recorksd and which he was that
day to uncork again. II stood beside him. |
With = feeble and reluotsnt grasp he took /
the 'frail memorial of q youthful VOW; |
and for q moment memory WAS faithful to |
her Office. She threw open tue long vista Of |
buried years, and his heart travelled through
them all-their lusty and blithsome spring |
bright and fsrvid summsr-thsir
ripe and temperate autunu-thsir chill.
but not too frozen winter.
He felt all the loneliness of his condition
(for be had esehewsd marriage, and in the
veins Of no living Crentrts ran a drop of
blood whose sourcs was in his own, and as |
he drained the glass, which he had filed, |
ITO tho memory of those Who wsrc gone"
the tears tricklsd slowly down the dsep |
of his aged face.
He had thus fulfilled one part of his vow. |
and he prepared himself 20 discharge tho
other by sitting the usual number Of hours |
at his desolats table. With a heavy hears
he resigned himself to the gloom of his "
thoughts; a lsthargio sleep stole over him;
his head fell on his bosom; confused i'm
ages crowded into his mind; he babbled TO !
himself; was silent, and whom his servant
the room. alarmed by \ noise which
no heard, no found his master vt. etcht d
upon the carpet NJ the foot Of tho ensy |
chair ont of which he slipred In an apo
1T. He never spoke again, nor olce
opened his eyes, though tho vital shark was
not extinct Till the following day. Aud
lhis was the last dinner.-Rlackwood's
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