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

pipe was broken.
"Good heavens! what's that"
"SpiritS! spirits" cried Julia.
"Oh, oh, OH" cried Anna.
"Shnmc," said my wife, " it's that new
bottled cider in the cellar going of. ltold
Hddy to wire the bottles to day
| shall here tranScribc from memoran-
da, kept during part If the night.
Zone o'clock. No sign Of the bug.
Ticking continues Wife getting sleepy.
1.-Two o'clock. No sign Ol the bug.
Ticking intermittent Wife fast asleep.
Three O'clOrk. No sign Of the bug.
Ticking pretty steady. Julia and Anna
getting sleepy.
Four o'clock. No sign Of the bug.
Ticking regular, but not spirited. Wife,
Julia aud Anna, all fast asleep In their
chairs.
Five o'clock. No sign Of the bug.
Ticking faint Myself feeling drowsy.
The rest still asleep"
So Gir the Journal.
Rap rap! rap!
A terrific, pertentous rapping against
n door.
Startled from our dreams we started to
our feet.
Rapl rap! rap!
Julia and Anna shricked.
] covered in the corner.
You fools I" cried my wife, its the
baker with the bread"
Six o'clock.
She went 10 throw bnck the shutters,
but ere it was done, a cry came from Julia.
There, half in and half out its crack, there
wrissled the bug, flushing in the room $
general dimncSs, like fiery opal.
Had this bug had tiny sword by its
sidc--a Damascus sword--and tiny
necklace round its ncck--a diamond neck
hcc--and tiny gun in its claw--a brass
Snn--and tiny manuscript in his mouth
IA Chnldec manuscript--Julia and Anna
could not have stood more charmed. ,-
In truth, il was beautiful bug-aJ Jew
jewelers. bug--a bug like sparkle Of n
glorious sunset.
Julia and Anna had never dreamed Of
such a bug. To them, bug had been q
word synonymous with hidcousncsS. But
this was a seraphical bug; or, rather, oil
it had of the bug was the B, for it was
beautiful as butterfly.
Julia aud Anna gazcd and gazed. They
were no more alarmed. They were de-
lighted.
"Bnt how got this strange, pretty crea-
ture into the table :" cried Julia.
"Spirits can get anywhere" replied
Anna.
"PShaw I" said my wife.
:" DO you hear any more ticking?"
said /.
They all applied their cars, but heard
nothing.
"Well, then, wife and daughters, now
that it is all over, this very morning will
go and make inquiries about it,"
"Oh, do, papa" cried Julia, "do 60
and consult Madame Pazzi, the conjurcss.' "
" Better 60 aud consult Professor John.
son, the naturalist" said my wife.
Bravo, Mrs. Democritus!" said !,
Professor johnson is the man."
by good fortune found the Professor
in. Informing him briefly of the incident,
he manifested cool, collected sort of in
trreSt, and gravrly accompanied me home.
The table was produced, the two openings
pointed out, the bug displayed, and the
details Of the affair set forth; my wife
and daughters being present.
"And now, Professor" said !, "wha'
do you think of it?"
Putting on his spectacleS, tho learned
professor looked hard at the table, and
gently scraped with his penkni(c into the
holes, but said nothing.
els it not an unusual thing, this p
anxiously asked Anna.
Very unusual, Miss"
At which Julia and Anna exchanged
significant glanccs.
But is it not wonderful, very wonder
ful?" demanded Julia.
Every wonderful, Miss"
My daughters exchanged still more sig
niIicant glanccS, and Julia, emboldencd
again spoke.
And must you not admit, sir, that i
is the work Of-of-of Sp-"
"Spirits No." was tho crusty re
joindcr.
MY daughters" said I, mildly, "you
| should remember that this IN not Madam
Pazzi, the conjureSS, YOU put your QueS
oo'S NVs put tltS uutuIulSN0 EIO
feSsor johnson. And now, professor"
added, "he pleased to explain. Enlisht
en- our ignorance"
Without repeating nll that the learned
gentleman said-for, indeed, though lu
cid, he was little prosy--lct the follow
ing summary of his explicatiOn suffice.
The iRcidcnt was not wholly wthou
example. The wood Of the table wa
apple-trec, n sort of tree much fancied b.
various insects. The bugs had come from
eggs laid inside the bark Of the living tire
in the otehard. by careful examination
Of the position OF the hole from whicI
the last bug had emerged, in relation +
the cOrlical layers Of tho slab, and theV
allowing for the inch and a.half along tn
grain, ere the bug had eaten it's way en-
Iirely out, and then computing the who'll
number Of cortical layers in the slab, viii
a reasonable conjecture for the numbe
cut off from the outside, It appeared tha
the egg must have been laid in the ire
some ninety years, more or less, befor
the tree could have been fclled. But be
tween the telling Of the tree and the prel
ent time how long might that bel
was. q very old.GashiOned tahle. Allo,
eighty years for the age Of the tablI
which would make one hundred and an
years that the bug had laid III the eRi
Such, at least, was PrOfessOs JohesSn
computation. t e.ass as,a
"NOw, Julia" said !, "aller thas u
entific statement Of the cass (thoAgh.
confess, l dOtit exactly undeStnnd a
where are your splFltss Iti61afs ~
derfnl as itiS, but where are yamF sPiUl
Where, Indeed Z" sAid my. SliS
Why, now, she did not eaall go
ate this purely natural pheatnsI
any crude, spiritual hypOshe 4 a'ss
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