The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1851-06-21
:" And why, my good woman 2"

the "good woman having delivered
this mysterious injunction, drew her
scarlet robe more closely around her,
to screen her person, we presume, from
the scorching rays of the sun and slowly
hobbled away.
"What's all this about ?w cried our
pious friend, waxing more wrathful than
became his sanity character; "call the
master; our horses are tired out. What
is the matter with the housep
"Why. SIR" answered boy in a
smock, who stood at the horses head !;
"why, sir, there be dead mon in the
'ouse, and" he added in whisper,
Nour Mag says as how there was
summit wrong"
"Foolsm said the traveller, turning
to his young companion, whom we will
call Philip Rivers; "let us alight and
solve the mystery for ourselves" and
suiting the action to the word, he dis
mounted and quietly led his horse under
the old-fashioned portal of the inn, fol-
lowed by Philip. Boniface soon ap-
peared, but with none of that smiling
visage or honeyed speech which gene
rally distinguishes mine host. No bills
of fare were in his hand, no praise of
forthcoming danties on his lips; all he
brought into the presence of our travel
lars was countenance as woe-begone
as generally greets hand-cuff or a
sheriff's officer.
Chow now, my friend" said the
senior equestrian, "does death so rarely
visit your fellow-villagers that his sud-
den appearance causes such great sem
sation?n
"'Tis an awful business, sir" said the
publican, who seemed superior to his
station; " but walk in, gentlemen, walk
in, and if you would hear the story and
give word of advice, why there's none
would be so grateful as Sam Winter
that is myself"
"Let US accept his profered conf
dence," whispered the Norman priest;
"inscrutable are the ways of God who
can say-but let us enter"
For the benefit of our readers we will
condense the loquacious Sam Winters
narrative into few words. A stranger
had arrived there the evening before,
had retired to rest, and that morning
been found hfeless in his bed,
at wasn't only his dying" continued
the disconsolate innkeeper, though it
was bad enough, for never a body would
sleep in the room again if they heard
ont; but have enemies in the place,
and Bessie Walters and Bill Jowler,"
(and a host of other rusticated cogno-
mens,) "had spread it about that there
must be something wrong in so sudden
a death. What can dow
as there no clergyman" inquired
Philip, "that could have advised you in
the matterw
"Clergymanp echoed Sam Winter,
''sorrow a bit of a parson do we see
here, 'cept on the Sunday; he lives at
tother village"
"AIe there no medical men within
reach,n pursued Philip.
.'Lor bless your honorw cried Sam,
"and who'd pay for dead mans doc
tor stuff? and I've been so flurried like,
and my missus" (anglice, wife) ''is out.
and he fastened TO the door.
"Stayw exclaimed the Mormon,
"stay and witness the power of the
prophet Of the Lord, the dead restored
to life. But first would see the corpse
lead en-"
His voice was commanding, his man.
ner impressive; in few moments he
was ushered into the chamber of the
dead. The body of the unfortunate
man was stretched upon the couch; a |
few Struggling beams that forced way
through the closed shutters fell upon his |
countenance, from which all color had |
fed; the lips and face were fearful |
from the very intensity of their pallor,
the eyelids were firmly closed, and the |
in which the body was still
arrayed, seemed like the shroud ready |
to inclose those rigid and lifeless limbs. |
Nothing is impossible to priest of
Jerusalem,o said the soi-disant prophet;
ato has prayer every thing is conceded; |
heaven and earth before it bend. Go,
assemble your friends, your neighbors;
let all behold the miracle, let all rejoice
and believe.s
1t took some time before Sam Winter
could fully comprehend what was re-
quired Of him, but the gapers outside
were speedy in obeying the summons
come and see the strange gintle-
man bring the dead man TO life.p The
apartment, which was tolerably large,
was soon crowded with spectators. We
will spare you, gentle readers, the
prophets oration; it was, like his ordi-
nary conversation, more replete with
fne-sounding verbiage than common
sense, but it told upon his simple and
llliterate hearers, as was soon manifest
by the awe-stricken countenances of all
his auditors. All, did we say? No!
there was one sturdy Looking fellow,
Jim the butcher, a perfect personifca-
lion of John Bull, who, with his arms
a-kimbo, stood eyeing the preacher
with look of irreEerent unfriendliness.
"Now," said he, when our friend the
prophet had concluded, "I be no schol- .
ard; I be plain-spoken mon, but I'd
oike to ask you question or so. You
'ay as how you can make that ere dead
body alive agin w /;