New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-12-26
AN INCIDENT OF DARrMooR.

DartfnO0I ID no longer, ii IL ever Werey 1OfeS&s-
j the ordinary meaning Of the term, for there i
carcely tree upon it; but it is splendid wastGr
there man may walk twenty miles on end, and
&c nothing but granite rocks, and heather, and
and bogs, save where from soEDc
ill side the bare stone walls Of some moor1and
arm the dark sharp outlines Of which lie stretched
Ike map before him on the other side Of the MI
ey, or gronp Of white s washed h9usss near
,ale green fields and patches Of tnrnips look ten
ines desolate, struggling as they are for e.
stence with swamp and rock, than the prirneyal
moor beyond, which partakes Of q certain gran
leur, clothed in natures own rich coIors.
But if Dartmoor is wild now, a hundred and thirty
years ago it was wilder, and in that enormous
parish some difficulty occurred in reaching the pAf
sh church. In the present day there is an ortho
dox church at PrincetOwn (the convict establsh-
menD and dissenting chapels have arisen in lonely
places; and these places Of worship have grayeysF
in which the moor-men can bury their dead but .
hundred and thirty years ago every funeral had 10
go to Lydford church, ten, fifteen, twenty miles
over hill and valley, rock and mire. The curiou
old Leech-pathn by which they took their weary
journey is still in existence and may be wind
ing its melancholy way through the widest mo-
rasses on the moor Bog on every side, You csn
path there is firm footing. This was the church.
walk of the old moor-men before roads were
known, and along it, on the shoulders Of their
neighbors, or the back Of mountain pony, we're
the ancestors Of the present race borne to their
last home in Lydford chnrchyard.
In the early part Of the last century one Syddan,
of Exeter, was called on important business to r.
vistock. The distance by road was sixty miles IT
least, but not more than thirty across the mosr
Syddall was bold man, and moreover pressed
for time he determined to ride across the mouE-
1t was winter, and snow had fallen, and stiH by
thnly on the ground in the cultivated country, bns
our traveller was not prepared for the quantity -
found when he arrived at the borders of the moor
However, he was not dsmayed; the track lay well
defined before him, for it had been already trod-
den since the snow fell; 50, calculating upon cross
ing the moor before dark set in, he rode on. RHf
his difficulties began to increase with the wildne2
of the country. What with the roughness Of TIE
path and the snow, he found he could go at Kttie
better than walking pace, and the afternoon Of .
January day found him about the center Of Dart
moor, with nothing but snow on every side, .
leaden sky above him, black and threatening 10
wards the southeast, and chill wind blowing,
that froze his very blood. Presently, even While
he was celebrating about proceeding, the SNOW
began to fall thickly, and to drift furiously acro8
his path. He foresaw that the track behind him,
would become obliterated, and that there Eass
nothing for it but to push to where some grAnits
walls, looking black against the snow in the vsl-
house; with some little difficulty he traced his waE
to the house before dark, and there found Shelter
| The inmates consisted of three young farmers,
their sister and two laborers. Our traveller wae
| introduced to a decent bedroom in which grEat
turf-fire was blazing, and you may be sure he
graduated himself inwardly with fervid thankful
fulness upon having fallen upon such hoepAah3e
quarters, instead of perishing in the snow mxny
man had done in those wild parts He found hn
| host and hostess civil and obliging people, and
after sharing their supper with them at the kitchen
| table, was not sorry to get to bed.
Having arrived in his own room, however, he
found it so and comfortable, that he began h.
undress in a very leisurely manner, and at the
same time to glance curiously at the room and I'M
furniture the latter was simple enOugh-an enOr-
nous oak-chest, an old cabinet of drawers, ard
two dilapidated chairs. Syddall began laziy To
speculate about these things-where they came.
from how they came there? how old they were
hnx lIxy u1odb him na ,nrl2
not divine its use; but with some vague idea that
it held the family linen, he dismissed it from his
mind, as he thought, forever.
Whether it was the cider he drank for supper, or
what, know not; but certain it was that SyddAW
could not sleep. He was restless and feverish, and
if he did snatch doze, he suddenly jumped up
again with some vague, haunting idea on his mind
he could not shake off, even for the first few
minutes of wakefulness. Finding sleep did moi
suit him, he determined to lie awake. By-and-by
the Pickering of the freight upon the old furniture
recalled his attention to that-that box! What on
earth could be in it? Then he recalled stories Of
travellers murdered in lonely places on nights ike
this and slowed away in chests, till his hair stood
on end. Then Diminishing these foolish fancies from
sweetheart, but in vain That box haunted him,
and opened it must be, just to relieve his mind
Getting up cautiously, therefore, he proceeded to
light his candle and approach the chest he found
heavy lid quietly, and what sight met his eyes
Horror The dead body of a man
Whether Syddall's blood curdled in his veins o.
not, am unable to say; but as this phenomenon
almost invariably occurs on like occasions. should
think it must then However, that may be, there
is no doubt that Syddall was in tremendous fright
for the immediate prospect of being murdered i
calculated to appal any man. After minute Of
stupefaction being, as have said, bold man, he
began to act, and having ascertained BY glance
that there was no egress by the window, he rushed
latch! So, placing the two chairs and the fender
against it, he sat down upon the end Of the bed
and gave himself up for lost. That being the CASE.
he forthwith began deliberately to dress himself
and prepared to meet his doom, determined, vita
the assistance Of the poker. Qool and drivelIn1
idiot had he not left his pistols below with ti.a
saddle? y to sell his life as dearly as possible.
The house, however, continued seless-not =
mouse stirred; but there sat Syddall till morning.
broke and weary, fearful watch he had Of 2
When it was light enough, he looked out 81 u
window and surveyed the dreary prospect, no.
one mass of snow, white and unbroken in al d
rections. Presently he saw all the men looking
it must be confessed, strangely unlike mnrdercIs,
leave the premises, and overheard them say TIA
they were going to look for lost cattle on the m00E
and might not be back till nghtfall. eH s.
Now was Syddall's time. He let them get to Z
safe distance and then summoned the girl. Putting
his back against the door to prevent escape be q
once told her that he knew her crime, that denn
! and assimilation were vain, and he besought hez
} to endeavor to escape the fate that must folloU
such deed by full confession.
"What is it, then? What do " mean ?"
Syddall was not the man to be banked or turned
aside from his purpose BY feigned iHnocence.isE
pointed to the box, and was about to speak, when
light seemed to break upon the maiden, and :
smile lowered on her mouth She replied, how
ever, with perfect gravity:
"'ris naught but Vather sailed in,'' she replied
"a died last week, and us couldn't car un to lyd
yur in the shaw, so us sailed un in.'
HARD TO PIEAsE.-Pitts is fast man, shnry
+ man. a man of business tact; and when Pitts goel
into store to trade he always gets the lowest casa
price, and he says: Well, III look about. and
don't find anything that suits me better, I'll eal
and take this. ="
Pitts like all fast men, is partial to women, AM
+ young ones in particular. Now, quite lately PIta
said to himself: I" l am gettn rather long in yean
and guess I'll get married"