The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1860-12-05
My Penny Dip.


strangIed ME with its noxious odor the
fluid spui,ered, burnt blue, and went out.
am afraid of the dark tkat ghost black
ness which makes ones eyes ache with
want of light that palpabe gloom which !
seems TO beat like roomfu OF palpitations
of the heart around you, above you, about
you, everywhere that visible nothing, |
which holds the tables, the chairs, the por
traits you are familiar with, yet hides them
in its black veil from your view that
empty fullness through which yon thrust
out your cropping arms, then shrink back,
oppressed with presence you can neither
hear, see nor feel
'Mlly,' I said TO my little maid, 'ruu
somewhere and get me a light
She ran TO the grocers wife, and came
back with a penny dip in brass candle
stick
AS she placed it on my table, went ont
and shut the door, the little boy in bronze
on my mantle raised his hammer and struck
the figure of Time twelve ringing blows on
The heart. 1t was midnight
The candle burned clearly resumed
The old volume of German legends was
reading, and as | laid my finger on para
graph, and paused 10 ponder on The Possi-
bi,y of spirits returning TO earth TO wreak
vengeance on foes, or work veal 10 friends,
I heard a deep sigh at my elbow.
turned and beheld the ghost of my
grandmother.
knew her from her resemblance TO her
portrait She wore the same white cap
with It's wide border plated round her face
the same prim dress with which had
grown familiar in the picture.
| She died twenty years ago. was named
| for her.
drew up the rocking chair for the ghost
| She sat down in il. a pillow could not
! have sank there more noiselessly than she
| did She Kept her nauois IN the same posi-
! ton on her breast, that somebody tied them
twenty years ago.
She fixed her keen black eyes upon me
beautiful eyes, which ] had always ad-
mired in the portrait. None of her de-
scendants had such eyes.
4 could not come she sail, in deep
J sepulchral tones, Sin gas light. Ghosts and
gas.light are at war always. A for kero
sene oil, we groan in spin: al its use. How
mortal noses can, night after night, inhale
the odor it omits, is a wonder. II is worse
than birthstone. We have put our cold lips
ghastly brealhs into the flame. We have
seen the chimneys blacken with smoke
anl apartments fill with dis gushing irI
GRANGE People only said the lamp is in
drausht They moved it and bore with it
We shall have 10 yield. Kerosene is q
modern discovery. Chests are old fashion
ed. To be out Of date is 10 be out OF mind
Your taIlow candle p!eases me. We ghosts
like the light OF other days around us. We
always, in The body, burned ,allow can
dies
The fine eyes of my grandmother gaze'
al my penny dip sieadIaslly Tor moment
She seemed 10 see visions and dream
dreams.
My DEAR she said, 'yon are the fret o
the family that has returned to candle
since the innovation Of gas. You are in
debted 10 your dip for my presence How
hollow would have looked under chan
Geiier-how .bioodIess, how white As
is, | think am looking very natural, am
not!
She glanced up at her portrait and waite
my reply.
"A liuIe pale, grandmother said, 'hr
: tell me, dear madam # your pursuits i'll III
other world are of such nature that the
admit Of your returning 10 this at an
time I?
o by no means am permitted 10 az
pear in this sphere bu; seldom. My Unfit
ence can make felt oflener | have M
: been seen before since my coffin lid wa
closed | come to tell you there arose
veil in Pandemonium. looked in 10 Sc
whence ii came. found The great chan
Der assigned 10 little children, and which
always full of little ones of all sizes an
;, ages, the scene of great commoiion lr
: fanis were crawling into corners; thre
year old ioddlers were iotlering out OF IN
way. older ones were hastily tindin
: seats, and all faces wore listening expre
sion. small voice was saying:
d 1T was no fault of mine that brought m
II here. I, who am now but five years ol'
i might have lived 10 be fifty. Nature, III
d fortunately, gave NE very fine phySIc
:, development My chest was round an
e foil, my skin clear, my limbs finely moul'
: ed My birthplace was in cold clImat
My tender mother, proud of her offsprin
}, barred my neck and arms in the CHI
: winters. when her rose bushes and win,
were mack ed In warm straw aud ihorou9h