The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-05
THE ROANOKE rMEs, SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 1895.

four, but allus ut time when Loander
found 1t pesky hard to Sivo up q flyer. 1t
warn't no uso oussin Higgins. Higgins
jest lated when Lcander allowed that tho
cyclopeody wuz no good, III that no wuz
bein robbed. Meantime Leander's family
wu5 increasin N CROWN. Little Sarey
Ind tho hoopin cough dreadful one winter,
but tho oyclopeedy didn't help out ut al,
cause all 1t said wuz, "Hoopin cough
SEQ whoopin cough N NV course thoro
warn't no whoopin cough to sec, bein as
how tho W hadn't como yet.
Oncet when Hiram wanted to dreen the
homo pasture he went to the oyclopecdy to
find out about 1t, but oil no diskivcrcd
wuy, "Drain-see tile." This wuS in
1859, N the oyclopeedy had only got down
to G.
The cow wuz siok with lung fever one
spell, IN Leander laid hor dyin to that
oussid oyolopeedy, cause when he went to
readin bout COWS 1t told him to "Seo
zoology"
But what's tho use NV hnrrowin up
ones feelin's talkin n thinkin bout these
thingsp Leander got SO after awhile that
the oyclopeedy didn't worry him at all
He grew to look Mt 1t ez ono nv the crosses
that human critters has to boar without
complaint through this valo Nv tears
Tho only thing that bothered him wuz tho
fear TINT mobile he wouldn't live to SEQ the
last volyumo--to tell tho truth, this kind
NV got to BIO his hobby, n I've heern him
talk bout it many timo settin roun the
stove at tho tavern N squirtin tobacco
juice at tho sawdust box. His wife Hatte
passed away with the yaller janders the
winter came, N all that seemed to rec.
oncilo Loander to surviyin her wuz the
prospect NV seein the last volyume Nv that
oyclopoedy. M
Lemuol Higgins, tho book agent, had
gone to his overlastin punishment, but
his son, Hiram, had succeeded to his fa,
theirs business N continued to visit the
folks his ole man had roped in. BY this
timo Lcandcr's children had growed up.
All on 'em wuz marr'd, N there wuz nu.
meris grandchildren to amuso tho ole gen.
tleman. But Leandcr wuZn't to BIO satis
fled with the common things NV airth He
didn't seem to take no pleasure in his
grandchildren like most men do. His mind
wuz allus sot on somethin else. For hours III
hours-yos, all day long-he'd SGT out on
tho front stoop lookin wistfully up the
road fer that book agent to como along
with cyolopeody. Ho didn't want to die
till he'd got all tho oyclopeedics his con-
tract called fer. He wanted to havo every.
thing strengthened out before he passed
away.
When-how VOL rocollcct itl-whon
como along he wuz SO overcome thut he
fell over in 1t NV paralysis, III the ole
gentleman never got over Il. Fer tho next
three years hc dropped n pinned n seemed
Ike no couldn't hold out much longer
Finally he had to take to his bod-ho WIZ
SO old IN feoble-but no mado 'em move
tho bod up against tho winder so no could
watch fer that last volyumo NV tho CYCLIC
peody.
Tho ond come ono balmy day in the
spring Nv 1887 His life wuz n-cbbin pow
orful fast. Tho minister WIZ there, N
mo, N Dock Wilson, III Jodgo Baker, N
most NV tho family. Lovin hands smooth
ed tho wrinklod forehead N broshod bnck
tho long, soant, white hnir, but the Dyes nv
tho dyin man wuz sot on that piece NV
road down which tho cyclopeody man allus
como. al.
All to oncot n bright N joyful look come
into them eyes, III old IIeander riz up in
bed N sez, sits comol"
what is it. fathorf" asked his daughter
Saroy, sobbin like
flush pftscz tho minister solemnIv.
'ic sees the shinin g0tos NV the Moo j cru
salum." et
"No, no!' cried tho aged man. at is
tho cyclopoody-thc letter Tits comin!"
IN, suro enough, the door opened, N
in walked Higgins. He tottcrod rather
than walked, fer ho had growod olo IN fec
bio in his wicked perfcssion.
'Horo's tho z cyclopeedy, Mr.. Hobart, &"
SCI Higgins
Leandor clutched 1t. DC Rugged 1t to
his pantin bosom; then, stealth ono pale
hand under tho piller, ho drew out faded
bank noto III gave 1t to Higgins
II thank thoc FER this boon," soz Lean
der, rollin his eyes up devoutly. Then hc
gavo n deep sigh.
Hold on" cried Higgins excitcdly,
you've mado mistake It Isn't the
last
But Leandor didn't hear him. His soul
had fled from its mortal tenoment N had
scared, rejoicin, to realms NV evorlastin
bliss.
"IIo is no moro" SEE Dock Wilson mot
aphorionlly.
"Thon who aro his hoirs?'' asked that
mean crittor, Higgins.
1--WE be-" SCI tho family.
"Do you conjointly N govoroly nc
knowledge II assume tho obligation NV
deceased TO meP'' ho asked 'om.
What obligation?" asked Peasloy uo-
bart, sternliko.
Deceased died OWN mo for q CYCLIC
peodyP' soz Higgins.
That's liol" seq Peasloy. "We all
soon him pay you for tho Up
But thoro's another one to COME" SCI
Higgins.
Another" they all asked.
Eyes, tho indox!' SEE no.
So there wus, N I'll DO etcrnally
burned II he nin't a-suin the estate in tho
probate court now fer the prico NV It'll
Eugene Field.
Learning to Sing.
The methods adopted by French singing
masters have been amusingly burlesqucd