Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-06-27
TOMMY'S TOMBSTONE.

Tommy McGnify was growing old
The SKIN of his attenuated face was so
r,rnnk and so stretched from wrinkle to
wrinkle that 1t seemed narrowly to cd
zane breaking About the pointed chin
and the cheek bones II had the color of
faded brick
old Tomlny had become so thin that
no dared not venture to the top of the
hill above his native village of Rear.
ward upon windy day
His knees bent coinically when he
walked
For some years the Villagers had been
connting the nephews and nieces to
whom the savings of the old retired
dealer IN dry goods would eventually de.
scend
Ten thousand dollars and house and
LOT constituted a heritage worth antici-
mating IN Rearward
The innocent old man was not upon
terms Of intimacy with his prospective
heirs Having remained unmarried his
ONLY close associates were two who had
been his companions in that remote
period which had been his boyhood
IL
less widower. Il very estinable and high
Is respected man who owned two farms
The other. like himself bachelor. was
Billy Skidinore. thesseXton of the church
and therefore the regulator of the town
clock upon the steeple.
There came great shock to old
Tommy one day AS old Mrs Sparks
said Jerry Hurley 'all suddent like
lust took Il notion and died"
The wealth and standing of Jerry
Hurley insured him an imposing funeral
They laid his body beside that which
had once been his wife's in Rearwood
cemetery His heirs Possessed his farm
and time Went m slowly as it always
does AT Rparw.a.l 81.
Tommy went frequently to Hurley's
grave and wondered when his heirs
would erect Il monument to his memory
1t is necessary that your grave be marked
with monument if you would stand
high IN that still society that holds eter
nal assembly beneath the pines and will
lows where only the breezes speak. and
they in subdued voices
Years passed. and the grave of Tom
my's old friend Jerry remained nm
marked ,Ierrys relatives had postponed
the duty so long that they had grown
Gallons to public opinion Besides, they
had other purposes to which to apply
,lerrys money 1t was easy enough tt
avoid reproach, they had only to refraiI
from visiting the graveyard
Jerry never deserved such treatment.
Tommy would say to Billy the sexton
as the two met to talk it over ever,
sunny afternoon
Its an outrage. that's what it is!
Billy would reply for the hundredt
time
1t was. i'll their eyes, an omission al
most equal to that of baptism or tn
funeral service.
One day as Tommy was aiding him
self along the main street of i&earwar
by means of hickory stick. frighttt
thought came to him He turned cold.
What if his own heirs should neglec
to mark his own grave?
"I'll hurry home and put the none
for it aside in IL stocking foot ut once
thought Tommy. and his knees ber
more than usual as he accelerated h
pace
BIT as he tied knot in the stockiu
came the fear that even this none
might be misapplied; even his wi
might be ignored through repeated pos
ponement and the laws Indifference.
Vino save old Billy Skidmore, won
care whether old Tommy Mc(iuffy's la
resting place We're designated or nc
Once let the worms begin operation
upon this antique morsel. what would
natter to Rearward folks where t
banquet was taking place?
Tommy now underwent a second /
tack of horror, from which he came "
torlous, Il gleefu smile momentarl
lifting the dimness from his excessive
Echrymal eyes,
"Ill fix en-" he said to himself 81
go today to Ricketts,, the marble cutu
and order my own tombstone.
Three months thereafter Ricketts,.
marble cutter, united the knot in
stocking that had been Tommy's and {
posted the contents in the local savlt
bank "
In the cemetery stood II new mo,
ment, very lofty and elaborate. Arou
II WAS an iron fence. Within the inc
sure there was no grave rs yet.
Here" said the monument III de
cut letters bnt bad English, lies all Il
remains Of Thomas McGutfy, born
Rearwood Nov -, 1920 died -
Gone whittier the wicked cease fir
troubling aud the weary are at rest,
This supplementary information
framed in the words of Tommy's fay
lite passage in his favorte hymn
liking for this was mainly on accoun
Its tune
He had left the date of his death to
inserted by the marble cutter after
occurrence
ReNrward folks were amused at 81
OF the monument, and they ascribed
placing OF it there to the eccentriclt,
a taGturn old man
Tommy seemed to derive much pl
IRE from visiting his tombstone u
mud days. He spent many hours {
templating it. He would enter the
ihcloSure, lock the gate after him
sit upon the ground that was inten
sn!he day to cover his body
tie was familiar sight to people
ing or walking past the graveyard
'nm old man leaning upon his cane
l'ntedIy pondcring over the inscrip
IR,s, 1