San Andreas independent., 1858-02-06
written for the San Andreas independently
q POTATO SKETCHES.
No. by TOM BLOT.

hens perched upon the old oak, were
dreaming, 1--WE suppose, of the havoc
they had made during the day with our
dishes, "Ncd" having shared with us a
supper had nestled among the hay in the
stable, conscious, even in his repose, that
no other dog was barking in the neigh
borhood. Our old pet hen, who, laying
successfully, in spite of us, ten eggs in
the sack of flour, and having the most
indefatigable determination to set, if not
In the flour, somewhere in the immediate
vicinity, was clucking in confidence and
security from her box in the corner
Our man. was on "tare," and we,
sitting alone, in an questionable attitude.
with our feet upon the mantle, watching
the dying embers upon the hearth, were
admonished by the old time piece. Twas
the hour when "witch-craft celebrates
pale Hecate's offerings" The candle.
after making few brilliant efforts to pro-
long its usefulness, sank exhausted. smo-
king and Kissing into its socket. Lean
ing back In reverie, we placed our ewes
upon the many familiar objects in the
cabin, but dimly seen by the fickering
blaze of the hearth-fro. There was the
old hen, winking and blinking; there
was the iron scive hanging upon the wall;
there the old clock upon the mantle, and
without. the fog and darkness. When.
hark the low, plaintive cry of kitten
in distress, issues from beneath the floor
We remove the board, and extract the
little stranger, in an apparent helpless
and starving condition. Instigated by
the most benevolent motive, we take the
animal, dash out its brains upon the near
est post, and retire to sleep. Feeling
some misgivings about the necessity of so
cruel deed, we are restless, and looking
about the apartment by the dim light of
the hearth -fre-there is the seive upon
the wall, but with our gaze it appeared
transformed into a hideous portrait-a
round and bloated face, with eyes blood
shot and glarlng, stares upon US, from the
wire; the old hen extends her neck, and
is peering with watchfulness and suspi-
cion there stands the clock upon the
mantle, but the convulsive, rotary motion
of the hands is stopped; the pendulum
hangs before the glass silent and notion
less. Attempting to sleep, we shut down
our eye-lids with determined effort
when, bark. grimalkin again cries. The
brainless kitten has again returned, and
there, in the identical spot, lies our vic
tim in dim outline before us Verify, ga
cat has nine lives Reaching down our
gun, we deliberately blow the intruder
into pieces, and throwing the shapeless
mass far out upon the green, we retire
again to sleep. Looking about the cabin,
there hangs the same demoniacal por-
trait; there sets the peering, suspicious
hen in the corner; there hangs the silent
clock upon the mantle; and without the
fog and darkness. Covering our head
with the blankets, re reach that oft-re-
curing period in lifes journey, when
thought takes excursions away among the
glades of drealn-land. Meow -ow-o-o-o!
Starting from our slumbcr, we listen =
Meow-ow-o-o-o-! Arising this time in a
careful and considerate manner, with a
blanket about our shoulders, we place
more wood upon the fire, light new can
die, and seat ourself before the hearth.
Now, the natural incredulity of our
character begins to give way. Sweden
borg might not have been-probably was
not fool. The doctrine of spiritualism
deserved attention, certainly it did =
While each cry the shapeless, brainless
cat quickens our circulation, until our
heart fairly knocks against our ribs. Now
by the abundant light of the candle, we
look toward the seive upon the wall 1t
acas gone; and toward the old hen-she
had disoppeared!' Mid this complica-
tlon of mysteries, perplexed and amazed,
we search among the tablets of our men,
ory for some natural and consistent solu-
tion to this apparently supernatural prob
lem; but we can find nothing-nothing
but the most unfathomable mystery.
Hark !-one-two-three-by Heav-
ems the clock is striking, and, 10 nothing
daunted with the scantiness of our apparel,
female enters-a beautiful creature, with
hair as black as the ravens wing, with
feet SO exquisitely small and symetrical-
with a frame SO light and ETHEREAL that
her steps were scarcely audible upon the
floor. After the usual expression of well
come, We place chair before the fire,
which she Immediately occupied with her
presence; all the surrounding mystery is
forgotten, and drawing close to her with
endearing expressions of delight, we place
our hand about her neck and down upon
her shoulders, and as we approach her
tail, she leaves the marks of her nails
upon us.
Our black cat havins been absent a
month, had just returned with family
OF kittens, two of whom we had killed
The seive had been taken during our alb
sence on that day, by neighbor, but
by long hanging upon the wall, it had
left an outline of its figure. The old hen,
satisfied that all was right, had settled
sleep beneath the sides of the box. The
clock struck as clocks frequently do after
they are run down
LIVE OAK, January 2sth, 1858.