The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-01-06
5eleltco.
By T. s. PERRY.

4.
aged man. He had resided in this plac,
ten or twelve years, living very mucl
by himself, without wife or child, or an,
close friend. He was somewhat mel
ancholy, eccentric and reserved, but hi
respe ectable parts, his easy and digni6et
manners, and above all, his sincere ant
earnest piety, gained the kind regart
and good wishes of all who knew him
He had been for many years minister
of the gospel, and when worn out viii
hard service had come to this place te
spend the remainder of bis days. He
died as he lived, alone and in peace
He appeared to have fallen asleep al
night, as usual, and to have awakened
no more.
His bands were folded quietly on hi.
breast, and there were no signs Of ter
ror, Or struggle, or mortal agony. Deatl
had dealt gently with the old man.
He was buried as he had in his life
time requested to be, in quiet corner
Of the village church-yard, among some
old sunken graves, whose tops no longer
broke the level of the ground, and were
covered with. the same thin wiry grass
that grew around them.
A distant relative appeared to claim
his effects, which, as they were of little
value and not very portable, were DIS
posed of chiefly among the neighbors,
who were not unwilling to possess some
relic Of the deceased. Among other
goods and chattles personal, was an old
barrel, nearly filled with sermons in
manuscript. This, either because l was
more devout or more curious than all
the rest, l concluded to buy. The
bargain was closed for trife, and /
took it home with me. passed some
leisure hours in examining its contents,
and after having overhauled it to con-
siderable depth without finding any
thing Of special interest, l began to
fear my theological speculation would
turn out rather unpro6tably. One
however, just before l reached
the bottom lit upon an old manuscript
which read as follows.
Among my classmates in college, was
one very singular man. His name was
Bedford, and he belonged in New Or
leans. As for some reason he did not
enter our class until our course was
nearly half completed, he was for while
on his first coming among US, much
noted and observed. He was small of
but elegantly formed, and he
was uniformly kind and polite. He
dressed with taste, and was evidently
supplied with that desirable something,
the want of which is often sorely expe-
ricnced by the youthful students
Whether the famous staff which Junius
Brutus carried to the oracle, was of
much use to him iu bis journey, We have
no means of knowing, but in our time a
golden walking stick has often been
been known to wonderfully help one in
masking his arduous pilgrimage to the
shrine of the Delphian god.
However much, or however little, our
new classmate may have owed to pecu-
mary advantages, be soon became quite
popular among US, and made no mean
progress in his stndies. He had, how
ever singular reserve, through which
it was not easy to penetrate. lie always
roamed alone and his walks were all by
lie made close friends with
nobody. On those close summer eve-
nings, when three -fourths of the students
were collected on the green, talking,
pitching quoits and practising
va, ious other games of strength and
skill he never made one of the number.
! often sought bis company, just as
one will taste and taste again Of some
strange and odd favored compound,
which to call it, good or bad
and in like manner, ! held my feelings
towards him in abeyance, to be turned
into warm. friendship or strong dislike,
at short notice. About this tims there
came period of great drought in the
college commons. 1t was, as people
say, season long to be re-
mcmbered by those who faint FROM
library and recitation rooms, used to
gather three timesa day round that broad
table, with its shin ng surface diversified
here and there with milk pans of toast
and platters OF potatoes, and masses Of