The lynx. (Panola, Mi. [i.e. Miss.]) 1845-1845, 1845-11-29

1
of him, yet he still lives in tho legen
Diary stories of the country in which he
| resided, to all intents and purposes as
fresh as if Washington Irving had
chronicled his deeds. Ii
One unacquainted with Phil would,
| on first sight, mistake him for q plain,
homespun-clad clergyman. At the da'e
Of the occurrence TO which we are about
to allude, he was fifty years Of age,
though his appearance would not indi-
cate more than thirty five. He was of
common size, with slight disposition
to corpulcncy, cxhibitinga remarkably
clear, light complexion, with small blue
eyes. His countenance, upon the whole.
was progressing, and would have been
strikingly SO, but for lis very serious
and almost solemn cast of expression |.
He seldom smiled, and when he did, it I
was with motive. 1t was his InvarI- +
able practice, whenever he left home, TO I
drink freely, which had no other effect |
upon his intellect or countenance than 10 |
: sharpen the former and render more |
serious, if poSslb e, the expression OF the /
latter. 1t was really amusing as we'll |
as curious, to witness the consumaiion
Of one Of his plans or tricks. When
, the strangestand most ludicrous events
drought about altogether by his contri-
vance, would occur, and every one pre-
sent was coavulscd with irrepresSble
Iaughter-except the object Of his at
tack, who would be boiling with rage or
3 overwhelmed with confusion-there
would sit Phil, with n ccuntenance that
would lend additional gloom to funeral
r procession.
Although he was we'll known and
: dreaded by Il certain class of the COM
munity, yet he was always welcome
wherever he went. lie had..au uncon-
C querabIe dislike TO daubies, loaiors,
dIers, and persons Of suspicious char
acter. 1t was from among these he Sc
looted his victims. So deep, well LAID
and mysterious were his plans, the indl-
vldual he doomed TO public ridicuIe could
IS never suspect them, until escape was I'M
possible.
n, Phil studied well the character oil
~ Ramsey, weighed it in the balance, and
found it wanting He laid his plans TO
drive him from the country, which sue
- ceeded admirably, as we shall soon see
: intimate with him-made Ramsey his
IL friend as firmly as possible for tho lat
ter to be- While this neighborly feel
,r- ing was at the highest, Phil, just at the
its close Of a long spree he had taken at the
a. court house, where Ramsey knew ne
r.. had been, and from. whence he hao
sb made several unsuccessful efforts &c
vn take him, pretended to die one night at
Mt ter intimating to his family what he IN
es. tended,d an instructing them in thel
nd performance Of the solemn farce. Ac
.er ccrcingly,a shroud was made, and Phi
mo- laid out in real funeral style'-he how
ri, ever carried into his shroud goo
or hickory cane with him. One Of tn
negroes was despatched in great hast
100 to inform Ramsey Of the mournu
Gr. event, and requested his immediate al
for tendance. Notwithstanding Johns man
I'm faults, he was a kind neighbor, an
nd particularly so to PhiIl's family, Owe
sv he came .as soon as he possibly conld
had the hour OF midnight. With teal
oh streaming down his cheeks, he entere
on. the apartment where lay the corpse
his his friend, beside which sat the dIscons
q 10 late widow with her face buried IN h'
ntes handkerchiefto coaeeal her emotions.
ron. s'How are you Mrs. Thurmond
inn sobbed John.
,st;. All she could do was TO conceal he
.eed face more completely, and extend to HI
and her hand-which act and silence. Jot
mistook for unaffected grief.
sCI "Poor fellow" said John, Chow ST
at. denly he left u.s. How slender is 4
!, of brittle thread Of life! In the midst
,,;a life we are in death, the good book say
cam Let me see once more, and for the Ia
cn- time, the face of my best friend"
do Mrs. Thurmon removed the iolds
CON the shroud, when John gazed throu!
ron, his crockodile tears upon Phllls face.
,ca,s Had he not been attempting TO sorr'
ssI, TOO much on the occasion, he must ha
Iof seen that the features before him
10 = loneed 10 any one but a dead man
tha Phil performed his part with the aid c
:, white napkin around his jaws, as W
-. rs man of his appearance could P
urh7 sbly have done; his features were as
!, 81 movable as if they had been carved
ON. marble.
III "Obi OH" cried John, as if the ST
"'"' before him gave new empetus to
Grief. chow | shall miss him as friel
lof d how we shall all miss him! He was
Sc friend 10 every body, and the worst c
his, - ,T, ~ himself. Ieowed me lust twer
o ex nine dollars, eighty seven and
tor Of M M. h,t
hirty 80 ~, l;o R,,,sov,,, said
n the ii"' =, tho n,on,ont,h tho onlv
IS the corpse ''nu ,vaa ox,;nrn;shad
sei0u Mrs, Thurmond shrieked; John S
;quab- BACK asn"s "a claw lis ouiltv
lg the oil 'e ,ied =, what he heard. he belle
ut the tremo'1o - ah,,Lo crarn the Inns Of