Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-10-29
ORIGINAL PAPRRS.
For the Spirit Of the Age.
B EMS PICTURE.
BY VIDIAN.

[ was riding. The shades Of evening
were fast gathering around, though still
there fingered around the couch of the dy-
ing sun few red remnants of the day
gods glory. The month twas, October
Shs. ss'>ss', 1885,; and thk 1Indian summer
was, so to speak, in the fun tide Of success
ful experiment. The +" ssre and yellow
leaf Of Autumn had taken the place of
the deep green foliage of the departed
Summer. And I fell into fit of musing,
as | generally do at sunset Such, tho't
|, was life-the bud typifying youth, the
full grown green leaf, manhood, and the
yellow leaf, old age. Thus far had pro-
gressed in my symbolical philosophy, when
close to me, rang oat in the stiffness of the
evening, the well known sound of an en-
gine's whistle-hoot-ho -hoot-hoo oot-
With spasmodic jerk at the bride rein [
stopped my horse and peered through the
increasing gloom. Knowing that there was
no railroad in fifty miles of the place, felt
somewhat queer, am free to confess. My
first thought was that the sound came from
some ghost of an engine that had been
wrecked IN a collision and was wandering
about over the country. My second idea
was put to flight by sight, though very
imperfect one, of the engine which caused
the sound-and which turned out to be a
large, comfortable looking negro, mounted
on very diminutive mule said mule be-
ing about the size of two year old calf
The negro was compelled to keep both
knees bent at considerable angle to keep
his feet off the ground Upon examina-
tlon, | elected the following information !:
his name was Jake, commonly called John
sons Jake, lived up at old Mas Henry's,'
was going home from the field, had been
plowing, said he had learnt how to whistle
from an iron wagon he saw once at R,
that run on iron bars on sills, didn't know
what they called it but " lowed it could
whistle "right sharp" for wagon. Upon
cross examination discovered that could
find house to stay at that night about a
mile from there, MASS Ben Browns
, lived by himself, ard sometimes took in
, travellers. In consideration of which in
formation | bestowed a " quarter" on Jake,
whereat he showed his great white teeth
and made his best Aow. Bidding him
good night, / made my horse renew his
tagging zeal and gallopcd on. l had gone
! about mile, when a sudden turn in the
; road brought to view small one-story
house about fifty yards from the highway
and bright glare of light was streaming
through one of the front windows. rode
e up to the gate and hallooed, and was an
. swered by bark from dog within the
, house. The barking aroused an aged ne
D gro in the kitchen who came out to see
| what was the matter-he took my horse
n and told me to walk into the house-the
n dog wouldn't bite / crossed diminu
O tive porch and sounded an alarm with 8
o huge iron knocker in the shape of grif
a fms head that adorned the centre of the
# door. It opened, and large, portly gen
Itleman, somewhat bald, invited me to en-
d ter. The room into which he ushered mt
N was, it seemed to me, just about the righ
size for bachelor parlor, small, cozy ant
Of well furnished-and over the mantel hun
eY yelled picture-the material that col
er cealed it, / soon discovered was a blu,
d, gauze-like substance. From the positio
er of things when I entered the room,
:. Judged that my host had been sitting in