Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-12-08
The Lost Man.

49, $3.50
The Lost Man.
OH Tam, hadst thou but been sac wise,
Aefa'en thy ain wife Kate's-advice:
She tauld thee weel thou vast n skellum.
That frac November, till October,
Ae market dTy thou wasna sober. "-BURNs.
1t would seem from the following some
what 'ludicro pathetic narrative, that
Burns Tam OShanter, was no, the only
'wilfer man, who fam 6 wad hae his way"
not the ,u'y Tom
Who husband like, despises
His guide wife's heartfelt, sage advisr&
Sometime in the early part Of the nine-
teenth century,one Tommy Siberia, a small
farmer, who resided somewhat in the up
per prt Of Halifax county, n. c., either
just Jver, outside or on TIP Of, the Warren
line, and nigh, on to the pleseht part Of
Lit.letoD, visited the furnishing city of
Weldon on the Roanoke, at that time ia
NOUS only for Rockfsh, shad, and a boun-
tiful supply of spirits. Now Tom was a
jolly, joking, no'er do well, sort of a body /;
who loved his prog, and loved his grog and
loved his-gOod wife Polly, Il call her Poi
ly for short not knowing any other name
that of a certainty would suit her any bet
ter and whose principal falIings were, an
extreme fondness for the company where
"good spirits" aboundod and that when
once under the influence Of their potent
magic he became perfectly oblivious of'ey-
cry thing, aud every. body, or to use his
own very expressive phrase, lie didn't
know his own BE from the ten com
mandments." Well aware Of these amiable
weaknesses, many were the kind, an pru
dental cautions ladministcTed to Tom or
his leaving home, by his faithful spouse, to
all Of which he responded with promises
as plentiful as falling leaves in October, or
pigeons in pea time. Alas I! FOR the vanity
of human resolves. The promises pressed
no longer on has brain pan than bis long
nose inhaled the fowero the iiquorthat he
loved LAple J lack aud ere he concluded
which had martyred 6fs inIsgrty, 15ih.
was as groggy as a : Diagyss' wiId4a. hole.
in the bottom Of il. Ride LoMevcr. he
must, aud after manystafts, apdasshaaB
returns, he at length f5and Iiignseffsip the.
saddle, toddling away on his hungry sand
long suffering stsed, sohaeacbers o. otlhez.
VIII ~ thHiS VIII pL4udy-EltHSEs y ~ -
And Nprick' stuGedsk cap covered DER {
Toms head, as he from Weldon cantered,
SThe day was wet, cold blewfhe wind,s s
His shiVering nag was old and thin,
And ma along the waythey wandered,
into trLl MANY a bog hole hciblnndered,
Nighthad set il coli, :comfortess and
dreary, and the evening shadows huho
darkly down nponr lin top and hollow
when Tom, hlsrhofse doae up. hitrseiftlea,
beat from hunger and fatigue, and shTecr-
ing like a wet dog, in his dripping gar
ments, dreMn before a waysidG dwelling
to implore in the naule Of Cod aud-h
manity, food, shelter and a=flt, for tr
balance ofstho night. III answer. to ai
oft repeated haIloo that quiyerted as the
shouted from an icepaii, the door at ltngtI
opened .and a comeV looking wonanap
peared, who enquired-""3Nho lie was :?
and /" What he wantea.?" kind an af
fcctiouate madam : qhivered Tosa, + ar
a lost man almost tarnished With col
and hunger, fur | han't eat a bit senc
morning. an Of you shelter me AZ IN
horse GntwiI daylight will let. me find OF
whar I.amrIam wiIlif to. pay whatever
right !; fur I'm a lost man.
DismouQIng and guiding, or ather b.
ing guided byF bis horse, who seemed t
mstinctivety to- scene seut the way, 70
soon reached the Barn. in the rear Of u
dwelling, md sueceeded in atablipe i
steede as scoistqftdtIy asif al home ! an
then made.bis @as iniSs;he 4Evnse, whe
he foandss ALREADY placed JorsAm /
the fire. and eNcYtlHng as.eezg<aadseo,r
Portable within, as without &-wa dfear
aud desolate, and fspslsike.
While Tom sat co&6ffhag OYER dc al
tha@ipg the chill ffornhis tsambltng Join
the good dame was 6uSilx prcparihs MIN
hearty supper Of frled.meat aud hot eefft
andsoccasionaii piHg: hin with que
tions, as to Ybat in the .wasld hadeke
him out so late at night, 10 such a spell
weather. InrePlx to which Tom. fnfori
ed her of his trip, TO Weldon in the mos
ing. aud how, alter his business wassdor
which was quite late, he bad Started 8
and. how tie had tnmbled into the ii
pond, and how he had been smothered
Bear Swamp, apdrhow night had come /
and he didn't kDaw where be was, in Il
that he was a. lost man, 'twii his hishol
had aceidentlf brnpg him to her door,
Bpt Tom said nothing abontsstingra
the of!sks though the favor Of dipi
Apple jack esming from his carmen
aud lbe corn cob copper sticking ont fir,
his poke behind, "a sufficiently i,,ii,
ted thepfesence of the rsfrst.aal inf