The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-02-23
NJ / ELL A N Z US.
TRUE COURAGE,


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TRUE COURAGE,
In the summer vacation OF 1896, a party
Of gay young collegians visited Ta,tershall
castle, in Lincolnshire. This remarkably
noble ruin consists OF single lofty heap,
rising 10 the height Of two hundred feet,
the interior being open from summit 10 base.
ment. Mighty oaken beams once, however
spanned the mighty walls, supporting floors
which formed stories of varying height
Many Of these beams had fallen into the
basement, completely rotten, through
shameful exposure 10 the weather ever
since the roof crumbled away; others still
perinaciously hung, more or less broken
and decayed, but in majority Of instances,
seemed as il strong gust OF eddying wind
would send them down crashing, 10 mingle
their fragments with those already below.
The party were in high spirits. They
had drunk old wines, and their young blood
flowed holly in their veins they had laugh.
ed, joked. and talked themselves into wild
excitement. About half way up The castle
turre,s there was a sort Of open landing
which goes along ore wall Of the structure !;
and on this landing the party stepped from
the spiral staircase they had hitherto been
ascending, and there paused moment 10
look about ,hem. The scene was striking.
A few beams sprung across just below their
feet; few thick moo,ed rays Of the sun
pierced through the adjoining loop holes !;
a few feecy cloudlels fitted aihwart The
blue light overhead. Startled BY the noisy
visitors, a number OF dusty jackdaws flew
out Of their holes up aud down the walls,
aud after cha,tering their decided disappro.
baton OF being disturbed, made halt doz.
en- whirling circles of the interior, then rose
rapidly upward I'LL they disappeared.
Immediately Afterwards great white owl
projected his visage from hole close above
where one of Tho beams joined the opposite
wall, and frighifully peering with lis grea,
dazzled eyes, the harmless creature, bewil.
dered, popped from its hole OH 10 the beam,
and having made n few feeble Feelings
with i,s wings, remained quite stationary
crouched in a ball.like figure, close 10 the
wall.
"Oh, Deschamp,n exclaimed one OF the
party, 10 friend a, his side, who was
plucking The long gray moss OF peculiar
species, which literally clothes the castle
wall inside and out, "look yonder at Min
eIva's bird"
"Ha haw chorused ,hei company, ga
veri;able OWL
Thereupon one and all began picking up
bits of brick and mortar, from where they
stood, and threw them at the bird with
various degrees Of skill Oae or Two bits
even struck it, but so FAR from being reused
by them. The owl merely gave one boding,
long drawn, sepulchral scresch, and con-
tracing its gasiy outlines into still smaller
compass, fairly buried It's broad visags be-
tween the meeting bony lips of its wings.
"What stupid creature hoo horoo :"
shouted they, thinking by ,ha, means 10 in.
duce j, TO lly But the oulcry only terrified
the bird 10 such degree ,lia, i, stuck its
claws convulsvely into the decayed timber.
It's the way Of .hem creatures" said
the guide who was showing them over the
castle. ",hey're about the s,upidest things
in creation, I'm ,hinkin'."
"Humph," mu,,ered Lord Swindon, n
handsome, athletic man Of twenty, "wiih
such an example before our eyes, we can.
no, but admit your opinion 10 be highly
philosophic and indispu,able. But | say,
old fellow" added he, tapping the guide
familiarly on the shoulder with The light
riding switch he carried in his hand, ais
that beam u rotten oneW
al shouldn't be over for'ard 10 trust my.
self on il, sir" answered the mana fat,
dumpy parsonage.
'You wouldn't No. should rather
think noi,n responded Lord Swindon, a
smile Of supreme disdain sweeping across
his features as he surveyed the "old fellow"
from head 10 foot. "Bu, tell me, did you
ever know anybody 10 walk upon il, ell 2"
30 dear, yes. Only last summer a
young OSonian ran from end 10 end of il,
as seed with my own eyes,"
"Did he 7"
"Truc,n pu, in Deschamp ~ remem-
Der now i, was young Manners, of Srazon-
nose; and didn', he brag abou, itp'
"lim :" exclaimed Lord Swinlon, with
a toss OF the head 'ihai fellow, poor milk
sop. Not" continued he hastily, ''that il
is anything Of feat. Phoo 7"
'Not ieat!" murmured his compan.
ions and with one accord they stretched
forth their necks, and gazing down the dim
abyss, shuddered at what they beheld.
Well they might. The beam in question
rose a, the height Of about one hundred
ieeL aud naught beneath |, was there but
gloomy chasm, only broken in one or two
places by crumbling beams, and not even
one Of these was by many fee, near il.
ooh, Swiudon, how can you say so %
III can say il, and do,n snsppishly re-
piled the young man, his brain heated with
wines, "and at any rate, wha, ,ha, fellow
Manners has done can do; so look out ~
Thus speaking, he recklessly stepped
upon the beam, and despite The remon.
trance OF his companions, was in the act Of
proceeding along II, when his arm was firm.
ly grasped, and low, deep toned voice ey-
claimed,
"My Lord, do you couri a horrible death
do not thus risk your li.c for uaugh,n
The individual who thus unhesi,aiiuely
in,eriored was evidently unknown 10 all
present, being casual visitor 10 the castle,
who had jus, joined the group. With an
impyecaiion, the mad-cap jerked his arm
away, and sprang forward along the beam.
It's surface was rough, rounded and uneven /;
and Us he ran along, swerving from. side 10