New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-04-19

therefore, with some curiosity that picked m |
large, round, weIl-bleached skull living ON the
ground. What particularly Interested me,
however, was the great beauty and regularity \
Of the teeth they were all perfect and as even
ly ranged as if they had been prepared To dseo-
rate the window Of some advertising dentiet
Led by an idle impulse, which could not then,
nor can now, account for, palled out one Of
the grinders, put 1t INTO my waistcoat pocket,
and csreiessly throwing, down the skull, re-
turned to the inn. Having partaken Of tea, ac-
companied by some excellent mufins, went to
bed, and being fatigusd with my journey, soon
feel asleep. -
/ had slept for some time, but how. long Ican.
not tell, when was suddenly awakened by the
door of my room opening. :. In stalked a. tall
figure dressed in black. with white neckcloth
his head was large, nearly bald, and he wore
pair Of gold spectacles. In his hand he carried
a silver candlestick, bearing lighted candle,
and advancing to my bedside, said in menacine
voice and manner, :: Why did you rob ne Of
my tooth'"s
My tongue suddenly became paralyrea; I
tried to speak but could not utter a word.
"You have taken my TOOTH" confirmed thu
figure; "and now take your choice. I'm NOT
If revengefuf disposition don't want to say
or do any thing uneivil, but one Of two things I
must have, and that instantly-your life or the
best tooth in your head! So look sharp and
take your choice.
The extremity of terror restored my voice.
"Wonld not do, sir, to restore your own
tooth again p gasped, -.
No, noF' replied my vision, shaking his
/ head until the gold spectacles slipped down 70
the very point Of his long red nose; 81 think
Pm very geod-natured fellow to give you the
choice; 60 which will You part. with-your Life
or your tooth J"
"My toothr' e.Olaimsd in agony; and in
Let ON ~ = =
as if he had been bred dentist, which perhaps
indeed the rascal was, introduced a forceps into
my mouth. and neatly extracted a fine sonnd
under tooth. "Look here" continued Ellis
pening hisFmouth, and pulling back the lips
with his finger, &c see the cavity it has LEFT
There was indeed the space where large
tooth had been extracted. and remarked tn al
it was the only one deficient in the whole range
"Well" !" continued my friend, Sc the fellow
pocketed my tooth and then said - -
Now you must promise on your honor as q
| gentleman, that yon4 will preserve my tooth as
| long as you live, and make provision that after
your death it shall be carefully inferred with
you. fyou don't" And with a menacing
GESTURE the hateful proprietor of this departed
as he came. - ssss- .....-s - 81
Ellis opened the little round box, and showed
me, carefully enclosed in cotton, the redoubted
tooth.
really knew not what to say; it was cer-
tainly very difficult to refrain from laughing,
but my poor friend was SO evidently in earnest,
that merely remafked
at was pity the good spectre was not sat
SIZED with resuming his own property, for really
this tooth is SO exactly the same size and shape
as your others, that Think it would have ex-
actly filed the oavity."-s
'sIt was STRANGE said Ellis, without noticing
my remark, sthst after such an agitating oc-
currence, fell asleep, and slept soundly until
late next morning. l awoke feverish and unre.
freshed, and returned home as speedily as pos
sible, very thankful that the road did not pas
within sight Of the church yard. Ever sinc
that time my health has slowly but surely de
i clined--not, perhaps, outwardly. hut know an
feel that my hour will soon come, and the drea
Of that fend's vengeance will embitter my dyin
moments, unless you, my old, tried friend, Wi
! promise to see me buried in T-Ohurch- yard
and with your own hand to place this miserabl
tooth in my coffin
What could do but promise; The case wal
one OF decided monomania; argument and ridi
| eule both OF which tried, only served to max,
poor Ellis angry, and he was thoroughly deter.
mined not to see physician-a measure which
urged on him strongly
Iremained with him for few days, and had
the pleasure of leaving him, as trusted, in bet
ter health and spirits than when we met; and
hoped that his absurd fancy, as deemed it.
would soon pass away. Twas, therefore, greatly
shocked and surprised when, in about six weeks
afterwards, received letter from his old
house keeper, telling me that her master had
died somewhat suddenly. but requested with hi.
lying breath that i should be sent for imme
diateiy. -
| Need say that l hastened to obey the sum
mons? Very mourntul it was, certainly, to en-
ter the silent cottage where had SO lately me
a warm welcome from my friend. A physician
i ,.yar, a 4 Al
had resulted from disease Of the heart He, tn,
clergyman Of the parish, and Ellis's solicitor
were all, at my request, present at the opening
of the will After having disposed of his trifiinp
property in legacies, the document went on t.
request that I, whom he styled his beloved
friend, should have him decently buried in r
Church yard. and follow, in all matters con.
nected with his interment, the instructions pre-
viously given to him.
!, of course, took an opportunity ere the cof
fin was closed, to place 8. the tooth within it
and having thus complied with the strange whin
If my poor friend, prepared the next morning
with heavy heart, to follow his body to tn,
grave. ..
The interment took place without the occur
renee of anything worth recording but af,el
it was over, felt SO wearied and dispirited, tina
resolved to take up my abode for the night a
the comfortable hotel at T. After din
ner, / was suddenly attacked by my old enemy
toothache and the pain, resisting all the usua
applications Of brandy, camphor, hot flannel
etc, became at length so excruciating, that
, starting up in sort of frenzy, |. inquired TO
the residence Of the best dentist in the town
and speedily found myself in bis study. Wheth
er it was the effect Of reaction after the rap,
exercise had taken, or the well-known cura
tive influence inherent in the atmosphere of !,
dentists honse, knew not, but the pain wa
suffering gradually abated; and when the ope
rator entered, felt almost inclined to make
civil retreat without putting his skill to the test
However, on second thoughts 1 considered it a
well to lay my case before him, and try to OBJ
tain some soothing nostrum which might STAN
me instead on future occasions therefore tol,
him how had been affected, and casually men
toned my having come long. journey tina
morning, and its melancholy cause. "Ah =
said the dentist, thoughtfully, "you came from
E., in Devonshire. The name of that vii
lage is associated in my mind with curious
incident which occurred to me some three O
four months since" Now happen to have
decided hankering, whether natural or acquired
after strange stories; and my curiosity bein,
excited, begged the dentist to have the kind
ness to satisfy it.
Seating himself opposite to me, he immediate
ly complied, and began in these Words:
"One night, between three and four month
since, was aroused near midnight by u lou
} Knocking and ringing at the door I was ius