The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-02-11
VOL. III. - NO. SO.
From the Saturday Evening Post.
IS HE FAT
A G. h o s. t Story.

and came out next morning, to use his own
words. "as gray as badger" 1t is related
OF bird catcher on the Western coast of
Ireland. that on being let down rope on the
side OF tremendous cliff, or precipice, OF
probably some hundred feet in height, to an
eagles nest, in attempting to defend himself
! against the old eagle with broad sword he
had taken with him, he cut the rope he was
| suspended by almost in two and such was
the effect upon him of the sudden alarm, that
he was drawn up to the top with his head al
most entirely white, although it was perfectly
black when let down ! Byron, in the COM
mencement of his prisoner of Chillon,"
makes an allusion to such circumstances
"My head is gray, but not with years;
Nor grew it white
In single night,
As mems have done from sudden fears"
Transformations equally as wonderful have
been affected in disease. Persons, bed ridden
| for years, have. on a house taking fire, or
some such sudden alarm, risen from their
beds, walked, and made their escape from
danger; and remained convalescent. Con-
nected with something of this sort is the story
which we are going to relate
| We must first introduce to the reader two
thieves, or robbers. 1t is frequently among
thieves as it is among the professional and
working classes of society They have their
department-their cline of stealing, to
which they generally adhere. For instance,
one man is highway robber, and seldom steals
in any other way-another is pickpocket-
third, steals horses-a fourth, is grain
stealer-another, sheep stealer, and so on
To This last class belonged our two men re-
ferred to; but not content with robbing the
living they robbed also the dead-were rob-
beers of "church yards" stripping the dead
of the burying clothes in which they were
enwrapped.
1t was mild and pleasant evening in
Autumn. The sun had sunk behind the
Western horizon, and withdrawn his last rays
from the woods and hills-and-
"Now came still evening with twilight gray;'
the hour when the indistinct vision of the SUI
perstitlous, makes the inanimate forms of
dumb nature" take the shapes of ghosts; and
the imagination conjures up spectres from the
dimly seen objects around. There was a coun-
try church and church yard and few hun
dred yards distant public inn, or tavern, on
the road leading by. Our two thieves had
just completed the robbing of grave, when
one of them, wrapping himself in the white
shroud, to avoid detection of his person, took
his seat in the church door, fronting the road,
to await the return of the other, who had gone
to neighboring fold to steal sheep. 1t was
just at this juncture that foot traveller came
by, and seeing by the light of the moon and
twilight the white object in the door, naturally
enough mistook it for ghost and made for
the inn with almost breathless speed. On ar
irving, he declared that he had actually seen a
ghost-"there was no mistake"-there it sat
in the door, as white as snow. But the COM
pany at the inn happened to be generally too
sceptical in such matters, to give his tale that
credence he thought it deserved; when he de-
clared that he would go back, if they would
accompany him, and convince them. But he
found them equally reluctant here. No one
who could go, could be prevailed upon to go
with him. A rheumatic invalid, who was SO
disabled by the disease as to be unable to
walk, declared he would go if he could. The
difficulty, however, was soon obviated, by the
man taking him along with him, upon his
back. Ga they went, the man with his bur-
den, until they came in sight. Sure enough,
there it was in the door! Curiosity impelled
them up tolerably near, when the shrouded
rogue took them to be his companion return
ing with a sheep on his back. SIS he fat =
asked he, in low tone of voice. NO answer
being returned, the question was repeated in
louder tone, us HE FATF No reply again,
as HE FAT?" exclaimed the fellow, with
energy and emphasis, becoming impatient at
the silence of his supposed companion. This
was enough. "Fat or lean, you may hare him."
exclaimed the traveller, and dropping the in
valid, away he scampered back to the inn, MS
fast as his feet could carry him. But to the
astonishment of the company, the rheumatic
man returned almost as soon. The sudden
fright had made cure of him, and given him
the use of his legs again, which, as far as We
know, he ever afterwards retained.