A PATRIARCH.
John Gordon, who died near Turriff, Banffshire, had attained tho remarkiib'-e age of 132. All the travellers who chanced to call at the neighbouring inn of Turriff were uniformly directed hy the landlady to the cottage of the patriarch. "* Where they wad see," she used to say, '" the auld est man i' Banffshire — ay, or in a' the* w»rld. ' Among tho visitors one day, about the close of harvest, was ayounglii»*glishmati, who, coming up to the door of the cottage, accosted a venerable-looking man, employed in knitting ho-e, witb, *' So, my oil friend, yoa • can see to knit at your advanced period of life ? One hundred and thiily-two is truly a rare age " " Ueil's i' tho man ! it'll be my grandfather you'ie seeking— l'm only 73. Yell fiud him round the corner o' tbe hoose." On turning round tho corner, the t-traiiges ei-couutered a debilitated old man, whose whitened locks bore ti*s:iruouy to l.ia having , passed the meridian of life, and whom the stranger at once coucluded to be John Gordon himst-lf. " You seem wonderfully fresh, my good'sir, ' for so old a man. 1 doubt not you have experienced many vicissitudes iv the course o£ ' your very long life " ' *• What's your wull, sir ?" inquired the person addressed, whose seuso of hearing waa ' somewhat impaired. The observation waa repeated. 1 " Oh, ye'il be wanting my faither, I reckon t He's i' the y:iird there." The stranger oow entered tho garden, where he at last found the veoecuble old man busily ' employed in diguing potatoes, and humming the ballad of the battleof Harlow. 1 *' 1 have had some difficulty in fladiug you, ' frumd, as 1 succe->Mvely encountered your grandson and son. both of whom I mistock for you ; indeed, they stem as old as yourself. ' Your labour is rather hard for one at 300 c advauced ngt-." 1 "Il is." replied John ; " but I'm thankfu* that I'm able foj 't, aa the laddies, puir things, are no very stout now '."
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BH18980429.2.18
Bibliographic details
Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 2956, 29 April 1898, Page 3
Word Count
330A PATRIARCH. Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 2956, 29 April 1898, Page 3
Using This Item
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.