Life — December 31, 1896 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

HE DIED DECENTLY. For weeks and weeks Tom Sheppard had been a sick man at our mining camp at Black Lear Valley. Every- body felt sorry for him, and yet a sick man in a mining camp was a great inconvenience and a burden. One ‘HAS. THE day Judge Watkins went up to see him, and after find- “ green OF i Uta hiss no betterand no worse than he had been for “Tom, I don’t want to seem cold-hearted about this thing, but the boys are beginning to wonder why you don’t die or get well.” “Yes, reckon they are,” replied Tom, “and you kin tell 'em I'm goin’ to die. *Do you feel it's fur the best, Tom ?" “Ido. Lain't got much to live fur and mightas well beg out now as any other time. I've been waitin’ fur a week or two.” “Waitie’! Fur what?” “Fur to die decently. I'm no lord or duke, but I want things fixed up in good shape. I want to be washed up, shaved, hev my haircut and get into some decent duds, and I won't die till Ido.” The Judge told the boys what was required, and that afternoon two or three of ‘em knocked off work and fixed Tom up. A shirt was borrowed of one, a coat of another, a vest of another, and by-and-by the sick man was rigged out in the best the camp afforded. When all this had been done be said : “Now, then, I fee! more like dyin’, but there's one more thing 1] want. I want Joe Billings to come up with his fiddle and play me a ‘ew tunes.” “ But Joe's mighty busy to-day,” protested one of the men. “Can't help that. He either comes or I don’t die I'm goin’ out of this camp in decent shape or hang tight on fur the three next months!” Joe was sent for, and after considerable kicking he got his fiddle and went up to Tom's shanty. Tom was propped up in bed and waiting, and Joe sat down and gave him the ‘Old Oaken Bucket,” “Old Folks at Home,” “Nellie Grav,” and half a dozen other well- known airs. He had been playing for an hour, his eyes on the hills opposite, when Judge Watkins looked in and said “Cut it off, Joe—Tom’s dead!” And so he was, and when the boys came to observe the pleased and contented look on his face they were agreed that he had died decently and been given a fair start on his way.—New York Herald. Tue new order had begun to be a pretty old thing, when one evening she came home to find her husband in tears. “The cook,” sobbed the unhappy man, “has gone The Massive Building Pictured Above is Owned and Occupied by [and boushs a new stovepipe hat just like mine.” —Detroit Tribune. The Prudential Williams INSURANCE COMPANY, OF AMERICA, As its Home Office, at Newark, New Jersey, From which is conducted its vast business of Life Insurance for Men, Women and Children JOHN F, DRYDEN, President. __... | THE NEW VENTILATED INSTEP LIFT Its Success has been Instantaneous. “Copyrighted 18% by the Prudential Insurance Co." The label of every bottle of genuine Farina Cologne bears the word ** Gegentiber.”” See that this label is on the bottle you buy. Patent Applied The advantages its use offers are enormous, The shoe fits better and looks neater. It transforms a low, flat instep into one that is arched and graceful. It ventllates the shoe, and provides a cushion for the heel. Walking is made easier. The “Lift” is made of thin pleces of perfor- ated cork, covered with leather, and Is adjust- able from \ to 1% inches, therefore one’s e height may be increased without detection. dealer does not supply yo Send far: free: fompalets to For male at all the principal shoe and department stores, 2 Schletfelin & Co. , Sole Agents, New York. or will be sent, postpaid, on Receipt of Price, 3 cents per THE J.B.WILLIAMS CO.. pair. GLASTONBURY, CONN GILBERT MANUFACTURING CO., Rochester, N. Y. comicbooks.com