The Raymer enterprise., 1917-06-14


and Oregon--that, he said, he had sus-
pected partly, because be had never
been permitted to land on that shore,
though the ships were there so much.
And the men, said he, laughing.
brought off a good deal besides furs.'
Then he went back-heavens, how
far-to ask about the Chesapeake, and
what was done to Barron for surren-
dering her to the Leopard, and wheth-
er Burr ever tried again, and he ground
his teeth with the only passion he
showed. But in moment that was
over, and he said. God forgive me.
for am sure forgive him. Then
he asked about the old war-told
me the true story Of his serving the
gun the day we took the Java-asked
about dear old David Porter, as he
called him. Then he settled down
more quietly, and very happily, to heal
me tell In an hour the history of fifty
years.
"How l wished 1t had been some
body who knew something But ]
did as well as l could. l told him o.
the English war. told him about Full
ton and the steamboat beginning. j
told him about old Scott and Jackson
told him all / could think about tht
Mississippi, and New Orleans. ant
Texas, and his own old Kentucky
And do you know he asked WHO wa
In command Of the Legion of tht
WestY ! told him 1t was a very gal
liant officer named Grant, and that b.
our last news, he was about to estab
llsh his headquarters at Vicksburg
Then, Where was VicksburgT ]
worked that out on the map; 1t wal
about a hundred miles. more or less
above his old Fort Adams; and j
thought Fort Adams must be ruiz
now. 1t must be at old Vick's plan
tation,' said he; well. that is &
changer
II tell you, Ingham. 1t was hare
thing to condense the history of hall
a century into that talk with sick
man. And l do not know what told
him-of emigration, and the means OF
it-of steamboats, and railroads and
telegraphs-of inventions and books
and literature-of the colleges and
West Point and the Naval school
but with the queerest Interruptions
that ever you heard. You see 1t was
Robinson Crusoe asking all the accu-
mulated questions of tifty-six years
II remember he asked, all Of sud-
den,. who was president now; and
when told him, he asked If Old Abe
was Gen. Benjamin Lincoln's son. He
said he met old General Lincoln, when
he was quite boy himself, at some
Indian treaty. l said no, that Old Abe
was Kentuckian like himself but
could not tell him Of what family; he
had worked up from the ranks. Good
for himr cried Nolan; I am glad Of
that. As l have brooded and Won
dered, I have thought our danger was
in keeping up those regular success.
sions In the first families Then ]
got talking about my visit to Wash.
ington. l told him of meeting the Ore.
gon congressman, Harding; told him
about Smithsonian and the exploring
expedition told him about the capi.
tol-and the statues for the pediment
and Crawford's Liberty and
Greenoughs Washington: Ingham,
told him everything I could think Of
that would show the grandeur of his
country and Its prosperity.
"And he drank it In, and enjoyed II
as cannot tell you. He grew more
and more silent, yet l never thought
he was tired or faint. / gave him q
glass Of water, but he just wet his lips,
and told me not to go away. Then he
asked me - bring the Presbyterian
Book Of Public Prayer which lay
there, and saAl. with a smile, that 1t
would open al the right place--and so
1t did. There was his double red
mark down the page; knelt down
and read. and he repeated with me,
For ourselves and our country, o gra-
cious God, We thank thee, that. not
withstanding our manifold transgres-
sions Of thy holy laws. thou hast con-
tinued to us thy marvellous kindness
and SO to the end of that thanksglv-
ing. Then he turned to the end of
the same book, and / read the words
more familiar to me: Most heartily
we beseech thee with thy favor to be-
hold and bless thy servant, the presi-
dent Of the United States. and all
others In authority'-and the rest OF
the Episcopal collect. 'Danforth,
said he, I have repeated those prayers
night and morning, 1t is now fifty-fiye
years And then he said he would
90 to sleep. He bent me down over
him and kissed me; and he said,
Look In my Bible, Danforth, when !
am gone And l went away.
"But I had no thought 1t was the
end. thought he was tired and
would sleep. knew he was happy,
and wanted him to be alone.
but In an hour, when the doctor
went in gently. he found Nolan had
breathed his life away with smile.
He had something pressed close to
his lips. 1t was his fathers badge Of
the Order OF Cincinnati.