Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1855-02-15

Only their own servants wen, with III,
holiday makers, who had dined we'll ane
were dancing merriIy when frs. the shad
ows on The turf began percep,ibly to length
en-. The few rus.ics who came 10 aud frt
upon The path, he'd, sll day long, looked
more or less sghas, at their proceedings.-
The last who had passed by, even presum
ed to stop, and urge that they would return
home before twilight. closed. The wood
he said, is never safe for Christian mon, ane
evil ,hings lie yonder. His hand wavee
burriedly towards the ancien. avenue, ant
he stepped on spaee, for he had been ven
,uresome in making any bal. Q, all.
"Why, there is a full moon tonight
said Clara Hough, one Of The party "tht
best of the picnic is to come. Il any fairie,
should appear we'll join our dance to sheirs
and as for ghosts. should like to see one
Is this one Of their walking days? Wha,
says The calendar - s.It is The Feast Of S,
Egidius," said Mr.. Eus.ace Wenn, who hop.
ed, in due time, to conver, Miss Hough in
to Mrs. Wenn. "S. Egidius's day is moth
ing in particular. or course we shall 20
home by moonlight, bu. ! vote for an ad-
venture. LIE. US break open that pathway
and find ou. the demon Of the wood. Some.
thing, Of course, lies yonder. Who joins
the exploring part, - Women and men
too grow supers,,ious in the twilight, wise
as they may be. There werc no volunteers
I'My dear fellow" said the host, "jon our
mex. dance. The path you see is impervi-
ous."
VIZ. Wenn le4ped among the trees and
shouted back intelligence .hs. i, was easy
with one pair Of hands to GU, q wav there
even for lady. "Then," said Miss Hough.
following his lead, 'by all means le, Us go.'
"Le. them alone," said the host; s,hey are
lovers, and they would no, thank us for our
company" The dance, therefore, was iorm-
ed end the young people wen. alone into
The wood.
The green leaves, the CLEANS Of sunse.
coIoring, the .~i.tering Of birds above. the
moss and flowers underfoo,, the pIeasan,
exerciee Of fighting down such obstacles as
Ihorns and .endrils offered, the young gen.
lleman smoothing the way for the young
lady, as he hoped TO smooth her way on
other paths when she was an older lady and
they travelled over years Of life iha, seemed
IIu,r rxpeunIon as BgreeaoIe as TnIgnI nave
been desired. There was another small
break in the wood, and broader avenue Of
smooth turf pierced The trees beyond it,
Upon hillock Of large mossy stones ,ha.
seemed one lime to have been assembled
III ,Io L.,
10 rest and talk, for five minutes or longer,
Of their own affairs. The gentleman spoke e
mosl; the lady looked much downward,
and rifled with her lille foo. among the
moss upon one stone larger than the others.
|"Why, there is q grea. cross, and there are
three unreadable letters scratched upon this
stone !" said She. 's'The first, think, is q
IG. LIE, US GO on, let US 60 on! This heap
is shapen, think, like y grave. Or shall
we 60 back have dread upon me. p
Blu, the way forward was easy and the SIX y
was light, and TO 60 on was to remain qui-
etIv together.
The young people went on, with their
hearts open to each other, impressible
enough, and quite as serious as they were
only difficulties in the way by which they
reached a third and larger oFen space. Pass
ing BY a carved stone fountain, full Of dry
growth of moss, they saw decsyed house
with it's out buildings. The house was Of
grey stone, and seemed to lean upon a slen-
der round tower, bound with ivy to The top
most iurre,. There was terrace before j,
jS.,iY thov nf Anta
er-beds. Over the arched en,rance-ga.e
were se, up three pairs Of decaying an'lers;
into the walls q, the side of j. was fixed a
rusty chain with an iron collar, to which
there was ye. attached tho skeleton Of dog
All was silent, for the twilight had set in
the birds were in their nests; and in the
old house it was evident that no man lived
The DO oor stood half open.
Though uninhabi,ed, The house was mol
uniurnished. Rusty guns and hunting
knives hung on the walls, mouldering ben
ches were in The outer hall an inner room
Of which the window was darkened by the
foliage of on un.rimmed vine, had two soil
ed cups upon it's table and rusty coffee.
pot. There lay on q chair near il, hal
| nuh'eu s'oChpS. Out OI WIS IOOiu, q uOOI
led into smaller chamber, foil Of hunters
tools, in which there was bed still ,umbl.
ed and there was, among all the mans fur.
ni!ure in that room, chest containing q
womsn's clothing and the clothes Of liult
children. In The recess of the window
silver cup was sc. up, as IN The place q
honor and on a table by the bedside Icy
an old hunters can a hmm hook and ,
Bible. "The books" said the young Eng
Iishmsn, ''wlll tell US who lived in ,hi
house" Opening the Bible, he read TO hi
companion The household chronicle Sc
down on i,s first lesf:
"l744. St. Bartholemew's Day. My father
Hans Christoph, died. The lord count, who wa