The Forrest City times., 1893-08-18
A HUMBLE GENTLEMAN.
He Was a Useful Member of a
 Proud Family.


 One pleasant summer afternoon sleek, lazy horse, drawing covered carriage, entered a fashionable city cemetery. Two aged sisters, the widows of John and James Maupant, sat upon the back seat. The front seat was occupied by the driver, Thomas Hanlon, a trusted and beloved attend ant, whose services and society con- tributed more to the happiness of the old ladies than they realized.
 Happily the widows Maupant and the indolent horse were in harmony as to what should be his rate of travelling along the short, winding avenue of the inclosure. That he should walk was the desire of the three The widows had come to observe the many tomb stones and stately monuments; to re- call memories of the dead; and they did not wish to be hurried. Time was of no value to them, and they were lavish in its use. They sought to prolong their stay. for to visit the cemetery was the chief pleasure of their now monot- onous lives. Every Sunday when the weather was favorable they came in the covered carriage, the faithful Han lon driving and the slothful horse walking with an air of contentment and indifference. During six days the widows did little more than to exist, and their eyes were dull and devoid of expression, they being like most very old people who are not strongly intel lectual But on the seventh day, when they visited the cemetery, they banished their customary apathy. Their eyes were alert and sparkled; their movements were quick as they raised their hands to point out inter esting objects; they indulged in much animated conversation.
 All of their intimate friends had passed away, and their remains lay in the graves which the widows looked upon so often. The city Of the dead, | although silent, by the magic touch of its memories could awaken an interest in the minds of the old ladies which they never felt near by in the bustling city of the living, where they passed the greater part of their time. The aged sisters already belonged to the past, although their souls fingered Tn their frail and shrunken bodies. Not paradoxical is it, then, to say that there was the most of life for them where there was the most of death. During the drive the widows Mau- pant were unusually talkative. There was scarcely grave lot to which they did not make some reference as they passed it. Not a few of the monu- | nents recalled interesting histories of | families with whose members they had been well acquainted in their girlhood or in their middle life. The sisters were thorough aristocrats. They took much pride in the knowledge that they belonged to one of the old and se- lect families of the city, and that they had never been intimate with any eX- cept the leading people of the place. There were many others to whom they had spoken graciously whenever they had met them, but they had never all l lowed themselves to be familiar with the multitude.
 Their aristocratic feelings were con stantlv betrayed in their conversation with each other and with Thomas Han- lon. for he, being the kind and trusted servant upon whom they in the weak ness of old age relied for care and ad- vice, was the only humble person who had ever been their confdant- To him they unbosoned themselves freely, and he was worthy of their trust He had been with them for about ten years, ever since they had needed some one on whom to lean.
 | Hanlon was one of those interesting persons, called common by the indis- criminating, who, on account Of thelr unpretentious common sense, great kindness of heart, their readiness in rendering aid to others at the most op- perfume times, and their unfailing good