Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-30


two bows. declared war of extermina-
tiob Many fell before orlri air-guns
thought surreptitiously at an ironmon-
gers in the neighboriug town. De1ore
the bright idea struck me OF making Q
rug of theirsllins;- but the idess when IT
did come up-in Hynot over weilstoeked
brain, was regarded, both by myself
and Charles as quite equal to Watts
conception of the steam engine, orwhat
interested MS more, the invention of
a;r-gnns. Naturally my idea was
soon acted -upon; the next cat that
20 killed. was skinned with our
"ocke-kniyes, the body buried, and all
Seemed well, when a new difficulty
arose. How were the skins to be dried?
II would not be safe to place them In
any of the outhouses, for the doctor
might find them, aud would lecture us
ON what would appear to him cruelty,
although it seemed to us only in obedl-
ence to the dictates of youthful nature
that we should kill cats. My invention
again came to the front; the dining
room table was turned upside down,
and the skins nailed on Its under surface;
the table being restored to ITS proper
lpositiori, and the cover put on, no trace
of the curriers' establishment below
was visible. But vision is not our only
sense: next day at breakfast Mrs. Warn
borough began to think that some OF
the drains were out of order; but as
,l,ss.cation had only set in, her idea
was pooh poohed by the doctor, and we
bows had too strong stomachs to feel
ony Inconvenience from smell of which
we SO we'll knew the cause. by dinner
fine. however, there was no doubt on
the subject, and the good lady felt, L
think. a little triumph even on such a
subject. when the doctor was Obliged to
confess she had been in theright In the
morning. Every search was made to
discover the cause of the evil, which
increased heurly; the drains were ex-
aminCd. but all without avail, the room
with the table (which no one thought
of examining) standing in its center was
uninhabitable; and at last L felt,that
must tell the doctor; so / went to him,
received mild reprOof, and the nuns
ance was repressed.
At the first mention of the table with
the cat-skin stretched below it, several
of the audience expected some account
of table rapping, or of the supposed
spiritualism, for the demonstrations OF
which this very useful article of domes-
tic furniture used few years ago to be
the favorite instrument; Webb, of the
Artillery, who knew that catskin gener-
ated electricity, was prepared to account
for any phenomenon by the electric
agency of the catskin below the table;
but as the termination of this part OF
the story opened no chance to HIM for
broaching his theory, it was only III a
confidential moment next morning he
discovered to me what had been passing
in his mir1.
Col. Houghton after a few moments
pause, recommended: For about
eighteen months Granger and l lived
most happily IN DIR. Warnborough's
house; but at the end of that time tie
poor Doctor caught cold in returning
at late hour from a visit to a dyiI g
parishionsr, which settled in his lung,
and from the effects of which he di, d
within few weeks. Both Granger al d
myself were deeply affected by the loss;
we had both loved sincerely the worthy
and estimable man whose only fault If
he had one) had been too much kindness
to us. Z
AS this loss left Mrs. Marlborough
totally unprovided for, the curate, who
received the late doctors living, being
an unmarried man, generously gave
Mrs. Marlborough the free nse of the
rectory, and engaged himself to read
with MS, so that Mrs. Marlborough
might still receive what our parents
paid for our board and lodging to help
to exc out her little income.
"About three months after DIR. Warn
borouglf's death, match at football
took place in the village between our
parish and neighbOring one. Charles
and were players on one side, and
VOL ked harI at a rather uphill game all
the afternoon. In the evening we left
the drawing room and retired to the
dining room, which after dinner was
devoted to our use for the preparation
of our lessons. This evening the severe
exer. ,se of the afternoon told on us so
much that Charles, after a vain attempt
on o piece of French composition, threw
himself on the sofa and in few minutes
was fast asleep. A quarter Of an hour
or more of Euclid made me follow his
example In the arm chair by the fire.
The room was well lighted with four
candles and a tolerably bright fire.
Charles sofa was at the end of the room
furthest from the deor, and L was sit
ting in the arm chair, which had its back
towards the door After being asleep
about an hour, and little before ten
o'clock, as / afterwards found by my
watch, / was aroused 10y sudden cry
from Charles. On awakening, / dis
tinctly saw Dr. Marlborough, dressed
in bis morning gown, walk across the
room from the end nearest Charles to
the door, where he disappeared either
through the door or by opening it and
closing it after him; In my surprise l
could not see which.
"a few moments suficed to COM
pletely awake me, and rushed out of
the door to try to perceive sope-
thing more of the extraordinary vision;
but all was still and undisturbed in
every part of the house. Charles and /
discussed the matter very seriously. He
informed me that he had awoke and
seen the doctor standing and looking
at him, the sight caused him 10 call out
aud thus awake me, We neither of us
believed In ghosts, but were much de-
pressed aud puzzled by this strange
appearance, which we resolv ID to con-
fide to no one, in case it might reach
Mrs. Marlborough ears and give her
pain. Often and often we talked TO
each other, however, on the subject,
aud ultimately made a compact that if
it were possible, whichever of Us. died
a - IL A u, -