A PATRIARCH.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 2956, 29 April 1898, Page 3

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 '."