Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1893-05-13

ct want 80 burned drunk ] couldn't
walk straight"
Ncsbltt had great reverence for his
ancestors, AID Invested their bolunR-
ings- which were largely imaginary
with remarkable qualities. Not
that he mean bc uutruthiul, but
his iniagina.iup "Hs vivid, rni e,ag-
gcratlon was part and parcel of his
nature Especially did he delight 70
talk of his "iather's fathers" posses.
sionA A gentleman after using a spv
glass to see II the cattle ON "A distant
part OF the farm had broken through
the fences, handed II 10 Ncshi,t. who
after looking through II. remarked
graoiously that II was q good enough
glass, but MT such u teller cape"
~ was his "fathor's fathers " why. "
said he, "ye could sec th okcrnocshnl
line through II !tst ~ plain as ye ken
see that ar clothes line"
Ncsbitt vas student Of nature, II
not OF books. He watched tho clouds
and could tell you what they por-
tended; that "a curdled sky never
goes twenty four hours dry" that
u" ~ ulght
i tn sailor delight;
Red In IN mornin
IN sailor ttkcs warnn'
IL the farm hands wero out In the
bayfield, on a doubtful morning.
Nesbitt would shade his eyes with
his great brown hand anu cast n
scrutiniiing glance around tho hori.
Eon. II dunno. ! dunno" he would
cay. shaking his head "Th' robins $
singin fur rain; tn ouckoo's cried
thrc times, tn maple leaves ar a
shown their linlnu. an guess
twont b. much Of a hay day" Then
the farmer would hasten to have tho
hay rakod into windrows and punched,
for he had more faith in Ncsbitt then
In the barometer.
Nosbltt could tell you the nesting
place Of tn" birds. the color and size
OF their eggs and their haolts. tn
partridge cant be tanned" he'd saw.
''its wild, like an ljun; We may bring
q partridge chick TO tn house an feed
II, an tend l.. an It'll droop an die
its sl'srits what ye cant tame. Ye
can't taino a jay, nuther." lie knew
where the lady.fsrn grew. and the
spotted "lady-slippers"; whsre The
ground nuts wore thickes,; and In
their time, tho wild cucumb b.rs and
grapes. II you hsd an ailm.ut, he
had an "arb" that was q specific for
IL, and could compound oi black
oherrytroo an prickly-ash bark,
dandelino and dock roots an .a.-
prilIa, most invigorating "spring
syrup" lie loved even tho simplest
flower; aud out in the sugar bush In
boiling.timc, hc would stop when
gathering zap To pick bunch OF
clavtiniaS, which ho would hold in his
great brawny hand as tendcrly ~ tho
most delicate lady would have held
them.
They're purity things. amt thoyP ?"
he'd say. "S"e all them ar Gurus
loetIo streak Old Gentleman
Above knows how tor mark om on,
tell ye'"
Ho did not use the phrase irrever-
emily; indeed he meant tn he most
revsrent, but there were occasions
when he was, instead. ludioroua A
young man visiting In the neigh bor-
hood returned from u fishing excur-
sion with n string Of very small
fshos Ne-bitt after looking At them
rather contomptuously, remarked
ssrcast!cally: Them ar sin't much
seoh fishes as tn Old Gentleman
Above bad on tn mount"
But the time camo when the old
hunters keen eyes grew dim. when
tho stalwari frame became bent sad
his step fsltsrsd; he was wasting
away with an incursble internal
disease; but how patiently, how hero
ically he boro his af,iiction. When
he became confined to the house ho
was asked by one who was In the
habit Of visiting him occasionally
md reading to him, II he was any
b>ttcr.
Not much, not muchw hs an.
swehd, shaking his head wearily.
IAN hose ere pleasant days make
me feel " Uneasy like. | want to
take my run an git out inter tn
cool woods. tn humble bees. they
buEH inter Tn window; the butterflies
60 q huttorin' by, ind sometimes I
drop on ter slsp, an dream I'm out
In tn hsy-nelda pitchin' on; or f'm
down by tn dep brook . hshin' arter
trout-thsn ! wake up suddin like,
an my pain cones on agin"
Poor old man there he lay. uncom-
planning. save hat he wac .'onoasy."
care you At psacs In your mind"
hs was questioned
Eyes. yes" h. said. his dim eyes
momentarily frightening, a. he put
ono thin hand "a his heart and raised
the other to hi head; heres whore
I'm most comOrt'ble. I think an
think bout 10 n my poor way. I
iont knew aothn' bout churches an
so.pils. any moe than Tiers Metho-
iys an 'PiscopIs; but I do blieve
.her's an Ol Gentleman Above
Ehst1l take cas- q all on US" Hs
ooked solcmnl upward, continuingi
My leetle gal she's thar. an I'm Q
goin' soon. an know he won't turn
ne away becaus I'm . poor. igsrsnt,
ineddioatsd mIn. So ~ sos I amt
.feard; an ! hope II won't bs long
irst."
II was not ''.ong irst." for Nesbltt
Ess gathered In VIII the leaves and
Ihe fall irui,ion GO mild October
lay. and laid to res' By tender hands,
md mourned BY thee Who rsoos uiIsd
he noble heart In tie rcu6h exterior.
Who win DO uphattabls ssough 70
.hink that he vas tarnst swsy. Ada
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