s,
'Saunders, the doctor's coming round, just tell him I want to make my
will, for I feel as if I were slipping my wind.' Well, the doctor and
the chaplain both came to his bedside with the paper, and Nobbs raised
himself on his elbow, and said, 'Are you ready, sir? Well, then, I'll
make short work of it. This is my last will and testament: first, I
wish a white pall over me, when I'm buried, and that expense must be
deducted, after which I bequeath to my nephews and nieces, James Strong,
Walter Strong, Ellen Strong, Mary Williams, the one married, Peter
Strong, all of Rotherhithe, and to Thomas Day, Henry Day, and Nicholas
Day, of Eltham, the whole of my money and personal effects, _share and
share alike_, equally divided among them all. There, sir, that will do.
I can't write, but I'll put my cross to it.' Well, the old fellow died
that night, and notice of his will was sent to his nephews and nieces,
who all came on the day of his burial dressed in their best, for they
were all mechanics and laborers, poor people, to whom, I suppose, a
legacy was a great object. The chaplain had asked Nobbs where his money
was, and he replied that it was in the hands of Lieutenant ----, who
knew all about his affairs. After the funeral they all went in a body to
the lieutenant, who stated that he had ten shillings belonging to Nobbs,
out of which seven shillings were to be deducted for the white pall; and
that as for his other effects, they must be in his cabin, as he never
heard of his having anything but what was there. So we went to his
cabin, and there we found five or six penny prints against the wall, two
pair of old canvas trousers, and an old hat, six cups and saucers,
cracked and mended; and this was all his property, altogether not worth
(with the three shillings) more than seven or eight at the outside, if
so much. You may guess the disappointment of his nephews and nieces, who
had lost a good day's work and come so far for nothing; and I must say
they were not very dutiful in their remarks upon their old uncle as they
walked off. Now you see, Tom, this old fellow had been in the hospital
for more than twenty years, and had been able to save no more than what
he had out of his shilling per week, and in his eyes this small
property was very large, for it was the saving of twenty years. He
thought so, poor fellow, because he probably had never saved so many
shillings in his life. There was no joking about it, I can assure you.