The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03

general public that doubtless plunged It into the profoundest gloom. For nine hundred and sixty-nine years the dur able old man had "smelt the rose above the mould,' and doubtless had a thou sand times been told by congratulative friends that he didn't look a day older than nine hundred and sixty-eight; and necessarily, the habit of living, with him, was hard to overcome. In his later years what an oracle he must have been, and with what reverence his friends must have looked upon the little, glassy- headed. hairless man." and hung upon his every utterance And with what un- erring gift of prophecy could he foretell the long and husky drouths of sum mer-the gracious rains, at last-the milk-sick breeding autumn and the blighting winter, simply by the way his bones felt after century's casual at- tack of inhammatory rheumatisml And having annually frosted his feet for some odd centuries-boy and man-we can fan cy with what quiet delight he was wont to practice his prognosticating facilities on ''the boys" forecasting the coming of the then Hedging cyclone and the gos- ling blizzard, and doubtless even telling the day of the month by the way his heels itched. And with what wonderment and awe must old chronic maladies have regarded him-taclxling him singly or in solid phalanx, only to drop back pant ingly, at last, and slink away dumbfound- ed and abashed And with what brazen pride the final conquering disease must have exulted over its shameress victory. But this is pathos here, and not place for ruthless speculation; piace Tor as- terisks-not words. Peacel peacel The man is dead "The fever called living is oyer at last" The patient slumbers He takes his rest. He sleeps. Come awayl He Is the oldest dead man In the ceme- tery.
 Whether the hardy, stall-fed old man of the country, or the opulent and we'll groomed old man of the metropolis, he Is one in our esteem Gnd the still warmer affections of the children. The old man from the country-you are always glad to see him and hear him talk. There is a breezinesS of the woods and hills and spice of the bottom-lands and thick cts in everything he says, and dashes of shadow and sunshine over the waving wheat are in all the varying expressions of his swarthy face.
 The grip of his hand Is thing to bet on, and the undue loudness of his voice In greeting you is even lulling and mel odious since 1t unconsciously argues the frankness of a nature that has nothing to conceal Very probably you are forced to smile, meeting the old man in town, where he never seems at ease, and invariably apolagizes in some way for his presence saying, perhaps, by way of explanation: "Yes sir, here I am, in spite O myself. Come in day afore yis- terd'y. Boys wes thrashin on the place and the beltin' kep' a-troublin' and de- layin of em-and I was potterin' round
 in the way anyhow, tel finally they sent me of to town to git some whang-luther an6 ribbets, and while I was in, thought I'd jest run over and see the Jedge about that Henry County natter; and as I was knockin' round the court house, first thing I knowed I'll be switched to death ef they didn't pop me on the jury! And here I am eatin' my head off up here at the tavern. Reckon,