The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-07-28
s E L E C T Z D
True Courage.

In the summer vacation OF 1885, a
party of gay young Collegians visited
Tattershall Castle, in Lincolnshire
This remarkably noble ruin consists
of a single lofty keep, rising to the
height of two hundred feet, the interior
being open from summit to basement.
Mighty oaken beams once, however,
spanned the massive walls, supporting
floors which formed stories of varying
height. Many of these beams have
fallen into the basement, completely
rotten, through shameful exposure to
the weather ever since the roof crumb-
led away others still pertinaciously
hang, more or less broken and decayed,
buf in majority of instances, seem as
il a strong gust of eddying wind wonld
send them dewn crushing, to mingle
their fragments with those already
below
The party we're in high spirits. They
had drunk old wines, and their young
blood flowed hotly in their veins; they
had laughed, joked, and talked them
selves into wild excitement. About
half way up the castle turrets there
was sort of open landing, which goes
along one wall of the structure; and
on this landing the party stepped from
the sgrand spiral staircase they had
hitherto been ascending, and there
paused moment TO look about them
The scene was striking. A few beams
sprung across just below their feet; a
few thick moofed rays of the sun pier
ced through the adjoining loop-holes !;
few feecy cloudlets fitted athwart
the blue light overhead. Startled by
the noisy visitors, number OF dusty
jackdawslhew out of their holes up and
down the walls, and after chattering
their decided disapprobatlon at being
disturbed, made half dozen whirling
circuits of the interior and raised up
ward until they disappeared.
Immediately afterwards a great
white eseWl projected its visage from
hole close above where one of the
beams joined the opposite wall, and
f6ghtedly peering with its great, daz-
zled eyes, The harmless creature, be-
wildered, popped from its hole on to
the beam, and having made few
feeble fnttefings with its wings, re-
snained quits stationary, crouched in
balLlike figure close to the wall.
1Oh, Descharnp," exclaimed one of
the party, to friend at his side, who
was plucking the long grey moss of a
peculiar species which literally clothes
the castle walt Inside and out, Hlook
yonder at Minerva's bird.n
Ha hap chorused the company.
"a vefitable owi.n eisss97 r1i sal
TheFeupon one and all began pick
sng up bits of brick and mortar, from
where they steod, and threw them al
the bird With various degrees Of skill.
One or two bits even struck it. bnt so
far from being roased thereby, the owl
merely gave one bodiBg, long-drawn,
sepalehgal screech, and contracting its
ghastly outlines into astill smaller COM
pass fairly buried It's broad visage be-
twssa the meeting boay tips Of its
wings. So ea8a &sfzif1El afk .s
a What stupid creature! hooi hooi
heroo p shouted they, thinking by that
means to induce Il 10 fly. But the out
cry only terrified the bird to such ;
degree thai it stuck its claws convul-
sipeiy into the decayed timber.
ss It's the way of them creatures,n
said the guide who was showing them
over the castle, "they're about the
stupidest thing in creation, Pm q think
Hanphu mnttered Lord Swinden,
q handsome, athletic young man of
twenty. 6 with such an example before
oar eyes, we cannot but admit year
opinion 10 be highly philosophical and
indisPuiable. But ] say, old fellow
added he, tapping the guide familiarly