The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-05-25


my daughters, said their mother,
with authority in her eyes, "go to your
chamber till you can behave more like
reasonable creatures. Is il a bug-a hug
that can Tighten you out of what little
wits you ever had. Leave the room. !
am astoni>hcd. | am paincd by such
childish conduct"
"Now tell me" said she, addressing
me, as soon as they had withlrawn. "n0w
tell me, truly, did bug really come out
Of this crack in thctablc:"
Wifi, it is even So"
hi you see it come ont :"
81 did"
She looked earnestly at the crack, lean.
ing over it,
Arc you sure said she, looking mp,
but still bent over.
"Surc, sure
She was silent. hogan TO think that
the mystery Of the thing began to tell
even upon her. Yes, thought |, | shall
presently ste my wife shaking and shud
dcring, and, who knows, calling in some
old dominic to exercise the table, and
drive ont the spirits.
IN tell Won what we'll do" said She
suddenly, and not without excitement.
"What, wife," said !, all cagcrncSS,
excepting some mystical proposition;
"what, wife,"
eve will rub this table all over with
that celebrated roach powder I've heard
Of"
Good gracious! Then you don't
Thick it's spirits -
"Spi>iIs?"
The emphasis Of 'scornf1 incredibly
was worthy Of DcmocrituS himself
."But this ticking-thiS ticking?" said ].
I'll whip that out Of H."
Come, come wife," said |, "you nre
going too far the other way, now. Neither
roach powder nor whipping will cure this
table. It's a queer table, wife there's
10 blinking it,"
"l'll have il rubbed, though" She re-
piled, "wcll rubbrd;" and calling Bidly,
she babe her grt wax and brush, and give
the table vigorous manipulation. That
done, the cloth was again laid, and we
sat down t0 our morning meal; but my
daughters did not make their appearance.
Julia and Anna took no breakfast that
day.
When the cloth was removed, in n bu>i.
ncSs'like-way, my wife went to work with
clark co!orcl cement, and hcrcmetically
closed the little hole in the table.
My daughters looking pale insisted
| upon taking them out for walk that
morning, when the following conversation
cn>urd:
My worst preScntimcnts about that
table are being verified, papa" said Julia !;
mot for nothing was that ntmatiOn of
the clnvcn foot on my shoulder"
"NonscnSr," said |. "Lct us go into
Mrs. Brown and have an icc.crcam."
The spirit Of -Denocritus WAS stronger
on me now. By curious coincidence,
it strengthened with the strength of the
sunlight.
" But is it not miraculous" said Anna,
show Il bug should come out of table :"
Not at all, my daughter. tits very
common thing for bugs to come ont Of
wood. You YOURSELF must have seen them
coming out of the ends Of the Lillcts on
the hearth"
Ah, but that wood is almost fresh
from the woodland. But the table is at
| IcdSt IL nuU'HVu YEARS ON
"What Of that? 2" said !, gaylv. "lIavc
not live toads been found in the hearts of
dead rocks. MS old aS creation 2"
Say what You will, papa, ] feel ii is
spirits" said Julia ado, do now, my
dear papa, have that haunted table re-
moved from the house"
Nonsense" said |.
BY another curious coincidence, the
more they felt frightened, the more felt
brave.
Evening came.
"ThiS ticking" said my wife edo you
think that another hug will come Of this
continued ticking:"
CurinuSly enough, that had not occur
red to me before. had not thought Of
there being twins of bugs. But now,
who knew there might be even triplcts
| resolved TO take precautions, and if
there was to be second bug, intallibly
secure it. During the evening, the tick
ing was again heard About ten o'clock
clappc1 II tumbcr over the spot, Ms near
as could judge of it by my car. Then
we all retired, and locking the door Of the
crdar.rarIor, put the key in my pocket.
In the m0rning, nothing was to be seen,
but the ticking was heard. The trcpida-
ton Of my daughters returned. They
wanted to call in the nrighcors. But to
this my wife was vigorously opposed.
We should be the laugling-Stock Of the
whole town. So it was agreed that moth
ing should be disclosed. Biddy received
strict charges; and, to make sure, was
not allowed that week to 30 to confession,
lest she should tell the priest
stayed home all that day, every hour OF
two lending over the table, both eye and
car. Towards night Thought the ticking
grew mOre distinct, and seemed divided
from my ear by thinner and thinner par,
titiOn Of the wood. | thought, too, that
perceived faint hcaving up. or bnlgins
ofthe wood,in the place where had placed
the tumblrr.
To put an end to the suspense, my wifi
proposed taking knife and cutting into
the wood there; but had less impa
ticnt plan; namely, that she and Shoult
sit up with the table that night, as, from
from present symptoms, the bug would
probably make its appearance before morn
ing. For myself, was curious to see tho
first advent Of the thing-the first dazzle
} of the chick as it Clipped the shell.
The idea struck my wife not unfavor
ably. She insisted that both Julia ant
Anna should be Of the party, in ordel
that the evidence Of their senses shoult
diSabusc their minds Of all nursery non
sense. For that spirits should tick, anC
that spirits should take unto themselve,
the form of bugs, was. to my wife, tn,
most foolish of all foolish imaginations
True, she could not account for the thing
but she had All confidence that it cOult
be, and would yet be, somehow explained
and that to her entire satisfaction. With
out knowing it herself my wife was fe
, male Democritus. For my own part, my
| present feelings were ofa mixed sort. Il
strange and not unpleasing way,
gently Oscillated between Democritus an,
, Cotton Mnther. But to my wife an,
|, Jo,,pl,taeS I 40 h. .>,,no n.-,,