The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-10-26

| '"'N I"'SN'y w hiS ioIcneitu ana stag
gcred back. "Whatm he cried in a
tone sharp even TO fcrceness, "my
last customer goncr' lie wr,mg his
hands in agony of grief: "None of
anticks, Master" croakcd the hag with
Il snccr ofderision. Gle is gone to
his place; | have laid him out and
called up Deacon Quiddlc to make
him Il coffin. He must he buried at
low water mark before the chance of
tide. And bark you! See that YOU
come speedily with your tools and
shave him for the last time" She
slammed the door aud left the barber
| to his cruel reflections.
1t was long past the hour Of mid.
night, when the wrctchcd Solomon
started on his melancholy errand. AS
he closed the door, his eyes fell on
that party coI"rcd staff, the mysterious
ensign OF his profession 1t st,onc in
the dim light like a spectre waiting as
il to marshal him unto the dwelling of
the dead. This appalling idea haunted
| him in his progress through the
streets; and more than once he cast his
eyes over his shoulder, expecting to
behold it stalking at his heels.
| Arriving at the place of destination,
he paused Il moment to wipe the
drops of terror and fatigue that started
upon his brow. With a trembling ha, d
he lifted the latch and entered. The
black domestic was crouched down in
in a corner of the kitchen chimney.
moaning and muttcring to herself
All the diab"lical stories he had heard
OF the nianSiun and its inmates thronr-
cd on his memory at the sight. His
countenance turned to IL deadly pale
ness; his knees smrte together with
tear; and he cssayed in vain O speak;
he could not utter word. An ac-
cidcntal turn of the head discovered
him to the hag. She arose, and with.
out saying a word, ushercd him TO
the fatal chamber, set The light and
withdrew. -
There is something in tlfesyisit. of
a barbc: to the couch of death, that is
calculated to arouse all the tender
sensib'iitirs of the breast. To en-
ter the silent room, to approach the
cold and extended fo IN. to gaze on
the unconscious features of one he had
known in joyous life, cannot but ex
cite the most saddening emotions. 1t
is beyond the power OF language to
describe; nothing but the warm i'm
agInatIon OF the young and suscep
tible can conceive what pangs of
anguish rcnd the bosom of the barber.
when. for the last time, he takes and
old friend by the nose!
With more than ordinary scu~ibii-
ty, Solomon Sopcr gazcd around on
the scene of desoIation before him.
The hour, the place, the occasion,
all urged their commingled tcrrors
upon his imagination. a ruinous cham.
Der, family perccptiblc by flicker
crIng lamp: dreary stiffness, dis
turbrd only by the sigIing Of the
wind, or the sqncaking and gibbering
of the rats behind the wanscot; a stif:
tened corpse, waiting, from his hand.
the last sad office of his profession.
His teeth chattercd at the spectacle.
lie wished to retreat, but some mys.
terious power, like fascination, drew
him toward the remains of his depart
ed friend.
With n"iseIcss step he approached
the solitary couch. lie uncovered
that co,nienance upon which it had
been his happiness to operate for so
many years; and which now, would
shrink beneath his razor no more. 1t
was necessary to make grea, ef:
fort. With a trembling hand be
softly held the nostrl OF the body,
whilst with the other he applied the
blade. Just then he was startled by
q singular noise. His heart was in
his mouth. lie paused and looked
around. At this awful moment the
body slowly opened its eyes and
fixed them upon him with hidcnus
stare. 1t appeared to turn the barber
into Stone Brcalhless, motionlcss
he stood like marble statue. His
very soul seemed escaping with the
glance which he fixed upon the corpse.
"Tausand d"yvils! Let go my
| uoSt. IphTeu voice or -tnunuCr.
| The barber turned a somerset OF
fifteen feet in the air, and dropped on
the floor rs dead, as a sturgeon.
This affair made wonderful talk Mt
the North End, and served to bring
he old mansion into still worse re-
pute. Doctor Hoige-podge would
never believe that poor Solomon
came within the house by mortal
means; and, to his latest day, would
shake his wig when he heard old Hag
gelwettcr bluster about "der tam mat
parber dat come to shave him
i'll dis sleeps"
| -~~<~,.aoe.->~-~~o~~-
| Prccocious reasoning weakens the
understanding, while precociolis emo.