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

followed Suit
The carpet being removed, and the ear
applied TO the naked floor, not the slight
est ticking could be heard.
"Thc table-aftcr all, it is the table,"
cried my wife. Biddy, bring it back :"
"Oh no, marin, no; !, please, marin" :"
sobbcd Bidly.
Foolish creature! Husband, do you
bring IT,"
MY dear" said !, 1--WE have plenty of
other tables; why be so particular 2"
"Wherc is that table =" cried my wife,
contcmptuously, regardless Of my gentle
rcmOnStrancc.
" In the wood house, marin; put it
away as FAR as ever could marm," sobbcd
J -Biddx.
"Shal ] 60 to the wood-houSc for it, or
will y0u!' said my wife, addressing me
in irightfuI, Gu>incSS-like manner.
Immediately | dartcd out Of the door,
and found the little applc-trce table upside
down, in one Of my chipbins. hurried
ly returned with it, and once more my
wife examined it attcntivcly. Tick, tick,
tick! Yes, it was the table.
Please, marm, said Biddy, now enter
ing the room with hat and shawl: "please
marm, will you pay Inc my wages"
Take your hat and shawl off directly"
said my wife; " set this table again" '-
"Sct it," roarcd III passion, set it
or II go for the police"
"IIcavenS, heavens" cried my daught-
crs, in one breath. "What will become
of us: Spirits. Spirits!'' ..----.--
"Will you set the table," cried /, ad.
vancing upon Biddy.
{" ] will, will-ycs, narm-ycs, mas
tcr-l will, ! will. Spirits! Holy Var.
gin"
"Now husband" said my wife, al am
convinced that, whatever it is that causes
this ticking, neither the ticking nor the
table can hurt us; for we arc all good
Christians, hope. am determined to
find out the caiiSc Of it, too, which time
aud patience will bring TO light. shall
breakfast on no other table but this, so
long as We live in this house. So sit down,
now that nll things arc ready again, and
let us quietly breakfast. Ny dcars," turn.
ing TO Julia and Anna, go to your room,
and return composed. Let me have no
| more OI IuIS CUllulshnCSS.
Upon occasion my wife was mistress in
her house
During the meal, in vain WAS convcrsa-
ton started again and again; in vain my
wife said something brisk TO infusc into
others an animation akin to her own.
| Julia and Anna, with heads bowed over
their tea cups. were still listening for the
tick. ] confess, too, that their example
was catching But, for the time, nothing
was heard. Either the ticking had died
quite away, or else, slight as it was, the.
increasing uproar ef the street, with the
general hum of day so coLtraStcd with
the rcp0Sc Of night ah'l early morning,
smothcrcd the sound. At the lurking in
qnictudc Of her companions, my wife was
indignant; the more so, rs she seemed to
glory in her own exemption from panic.
When breakfast was cleared away she took
my watch, and, placing it on the table,
addressed the supposed spirits in it, with
a joc"se|y defiant air. " There, tick away,
let us see who can tick loudest!"
All that day, while abroad, thought
Of the mysterious table. Could Cotton
/ MatlIer speak true. Were there spirits
And would spirits haunt a tca-tablc?
Wonld the Evil One dare show his cloven
foot in the bosom OF an innocent family
! Shnddercd when thought that my
self, against the solemn warnings of my
daughters, had willfully introduced the
clovcn foot there. Yea, three cIovcn feet.
began to wear off. The continual rubbing
against so many practical people IN the
street, brushed such chimcraS away from
inc. remembered that had not ac-
quilted myself very intrcpilly either on
the previous night or in the morni e
resolved to regain the good opinion Vi my
wife.
TO evince my har'lihood the more sig
nally, when tea was dismissed, and the
three rubbcrs of whist had been played,
and no ticking had been hcard.-which the
more encouraged mel took my pipe and,
saying that bed time had arrived for the
rest, drew my chair towards the fire, and,
removing my slippers, placed my feet on
the fender, looking aS calm and composed
as old Dcmocritus in the tombs Of Abdera.
when one midnight the mischievOus little
boys Of the town tried to frighten that
sturdy philosopher with spurious ghosts.
And thought to myself that the wor-
thy old gentleman had set good example
to all times in his conduct on that occa-
sion. For, when at the dead hour, intent
on his studies, he heard the strange sounds,
he did not so much as move his eyes from
his page, only simply said: "Boys, little
boys, go home. This is no place for you
You will catch cold here" The philosophy
Of which words lies here that they imply
the fOrcgonc conclusion that any possible
investigation Of any possible spiritual phe-
nomena was absurd that upon the first
face Of such things, the mind Of sane man
instinctively affirmed them humbug, un-
worthy the least attention; more especial
ly il such phenomena appear in tombs,
since tombs arc peculiarly the pace of 81
lcnce, lifelcSsness, and solitude; for which
cause, by the way, the old man, as upon
the occasion in question, made the tombS
Of Abdcra his place oi study.
Presently was alone and all was hush
cd. | laid down my pipe, not feeling cx-
actly tranquil enough now thoroughly to
enjoy it. Taking up one of the ncwspa-
pCtSS 4 y NOuS1 uuiLlSu oOI \
Of way, to read by the light Of candle
placed on small stand drawn close to the
fire. AS for the apple-tree table, having
lately concluded that it was rather too lOw
for reading-tablc, thought best not to
use it as such that night. But it stood not
very distant in the middle Of the room.
Try as would, could not succeed
much at reading. Somehow seemed all
ear and no eye; n condition of intense
Nuricular suspense. But ere long it was
broken.
Tick tick tick
Though it was not the first time had
heard that sound; nay, though had made
it my particular business on this occasion
to wait for that sound, nevertheless wheu
il came, it seemed unexpected, as if can
non had boomed through tho window.
Tick! tick tick !
sat stock still for time, thoroughly
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