Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-11-30

| witnessed the phenomenon | have hither
! to been unable to account for satisfactorily
| In order to understand the whole case
must begin 1t much earlier peTiod of my
life than that at which the circumstance
am about to relate occurred
| When | was about sixteen years old
and at school at Eaton, ! was seized with q
most ardent desire to enter the army, and
i'll frequent letters implored my father to
let me leave Eaton and go to private tu-
tors, where l might undergo a special
preparation for the military profession
My father for a long time opposed the idea,
| as he wished me to go to the bar and as
l was not an over,diligent boy, imagined
that in the army | should not do anything
except smoke and run into debt At last
my opportunities led him to consent to a
compromise, and | was removed from Eton,
but not to a military tutors was sent to
a clergyman in the west of England, who
received very limited number of pupils,
and who was to teach me thoroughly such
subjects as would fit me for the army, in
case | remained steadfast to my wishes, or
which otherwise might be useful in a civil
career. When | arrived at DR.. Warnbor-
oughs found there only two pupils, one
named Charles Granger and another who
left soon after joined Granger and | in
short time became warm friends we rode
together, boated together, had no secrets
from each other, and for eighteen months
were almost inseparable. Dr. Warnbor-
ough and his wife were a most kind, good
hearted couple, and made us most comfort
able in every way IAN attention, am afraid,
we did not always reci procate, for we were
both rather wild and foolish, although
must do Charles the justice to say that in
all scrapes | was the leader and cause
One incident which amused US much at the
time may mention, en- paSSam The village
in which DR.. Warnborough's rectory was
situated abounded with cats against which
we two boys declared a war of extermina-
ton. Many fell before our air-guns bought
surreptitiously at an ironmongers in the
neighboring town. before the bright idea
struck me of making rug Of their skins !;
but the idea when it did come up in my not
over we'll stocked brain, was regarded,
both by myself and Charles,as quite equa
to Watts conception of the steam engine,
or, what interested us more, the invention
of air guns. Naturally my idea was soon
acted upon the next cat that we killed
was skinned with our pOcket-knives, the
body buried, and all seemed well, when
new difficulty arose How were the skins
to be dried 1t would not be safe to place
them in any Of the outhouses, for the doc
tor might find them and would lecture us
on what would appear to him cruelty, al
though to us it seemed only in obedience to
the dictates of youthful nature that we
should kill the cats My invention again
came to the front the dining room table
was turned upside down and the skin nail
ed on under its surface the table being re-
stored to its proper position, and the cover
put on, no trace of the curriers' establish
ment below was visible But vision is not
our only sense next day at breakfast Mrs
Marlborough began to think that some Of
the drains were out Of order but as desic-
cation had only just set in, her idea was
pooh poohed by the doctor, and we boys
had too strong stomachs to feel any incon
venience from smell of which we so well
knew the cause By dinner time, however,
there was no doubt on the subject, and the
good lady felt, think, almost little tri-
umph even on such a subject, when the doc
tor was obliged to confess she had been in
the right in the morning. Every search
was made to discover the cause of the
evil, which increased hourly the drains
were examined, but all without avail, the
room with the table (which no one thought
of eXamining) standing i'll its centre was
uniuhabitable and at last | felt must tell
the doctor so | went to him, received a
mild reprOof, and the nuisance was repres-
sed"
At the first mention of the table with the
catskin 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 domestic furniture used
few years ago to be the favorite instrument:
Webb Of the Artillery, who knew that cat
skin generated electricity, was prepared to
account for any phenomenon by the electric
agency of the catSkln below the table but
as the termination Of this part Of the. story
opened no chance to him for broaching this
theory, it was only in confidential mo-
ment next morning he discovered to me
what had been passing i'll his mind.
Colonel HOughton after few moments
pause, recommended For about eighteen
months Granger and | lived most happily
in Dr. Warnborough's house but at the
emu vi Ildl limc Iuc poor uOCLOr caught Il
cold in returning at late hour from visit
to dying parishioner, which settled in
his lungs, and from the effects of which he
died within few weeks Both Granger
and myself were deeply affected by the loss; ;
we had both loved sincerely the worthy
estimable man whose only fault if he had
one at ALL had been too much kindness to
us.
"As this loss left Mrs Marlborough to-
tally unprovided for, the curate, who re-
ceivcd the late doctors living, being an
unmarried man, generously gave Mrs
Marlborough the free use of the rectory
and engaged himself to read with us, so
that Mrs arnborough might still receive
what our parents paid for our board and
lodging to hel p to exc out her little income
About three months after Dr. Warn
borough'~ death, match at football took
place in the village between our parish
, and a neighboring one. Charles and
were players on our side, and worked hard
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 pre-
paration Of our lessons. This evening the
severe exercise of the afternoon told on us