The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-13
ORIGINAL STORY.
TALE OF A RAT.
BY IS. Psi

try rises SAubAAJ AODAJt PASsoASo1oSS
ssninence familiarly kown as the Haun-
ted Hill. This hill was part of the
estate belonging once to the noble H
family, and was regarded by them with
GREAT pride; it is hard to say why
People who inherit anything or possess
ia long time feel in some measure its
creator, so that sometimes the refec=
,t;on at is God that hath made us and
not we ourselves" is very necessary
one for man in the pride of strength
and Iong-held life. It may be that the
HIS had feeling if not an idea that
some of their tabled gigantic ancestors
had by magic or main strength first
;upheayed this mound, and that every
succeeding generationit grew something
higher. Human pride is strange par
adoxical thing: it requires good deal
sometimes to keep it up. and again it
grows enormously upon nothing, but
however it lives and grows it always
comes to nought at last Hhe pride OF
the H. went the way Of all pr:de and
the only vestige of it now extant is a
noss-grown and lichen-broiderered
inclosure, containing the tombs of a
ssAalous number of heroes and beau
ties that once graced and were graced
by the mustrious name now dimly. dis
cerned uPUG the corroded stone. A
sudden and awful extinction of the
house of II. had been predicted $50
tradition WENT IN the dim distance Of
the past by some sacred druid; and this
prediction had been confirmed by more
modern seers and gypsies until there
were few that heard who did not be-
ieye it either secretly or confessedly.-
One remarkable thing certainly was
that all the foretellers were unanimous
in the assertion that the last of the line
should come to his end by means of
raj. Lord Cyril H. was the younger of
two brothers. The elder was killed by
accident on the day of his instalment
into the riches and venerable honors of
Dis forefathers, by which event our hero
became the sole representative of his
aamily name. He was possessed Of
fine person, an amiable disposition and
an absorbing love of learning, particu-
larly:elassical lore, and antiquities
BytheIlnection of his guardian and
his own ipclinations, he spent some
time upon the continent of Europe,
studying modern languages and society,
literature anasarts of the most enlight-
ened quarter of the globe. What he
had seen only whetted his appetite for
knowledge and adventure, and he re-
turned home with the intention of ma-
king as soon as possiSsle, journey of
research into AISLE and Africa. More
fortunate thanh his brother, he was ush-
sered into his majority with festivities
sditahleEpy the occasion. AS soon as
he could make arrangements for the
employment and comfort of his depen-
dents and forsthe preservation and I'M
provement of his property during his
absence, he put his cherished project
into execution; not however with the ap-
proval of all. A political party wanted
him to take part III the government
of his country, and the young ladies
threw their bright smiles and glances
around him in vain. The latter had
powerful coadjutors in some of Lord
Il. Is best friends, who regarded his in
tention of going abroad into barbarous
lands, as wild freak that could do lit
tie or no good, and those who had any
faith in the prophecy thought it posi-
bic this might be the fated one towhom
its sybii finger had SO long pointed
He refused the solicitations of politi-
clans; returned the glances and smiles
Of the fair with glances and smiles
nothing more; laughed at superstition.
and adhered to his first intention. He
spent many busy years as he. anticipa-
ted, and returned home with his mind,
journal. portfolio, and cabinets filed
with. the result Of his researches. Up
on his return, instead of entering the
lists of fashionable Life, where bis rank.
fortune and fame would have insured
him success, he spent his time in ar
ranging his journal for publication,
sndpursuing those studies to which
histastse inclined him. The fair come
iness for which he was remarkable IN
youth had now ripened into the per-
feet expression Of noble manhood. -
There Is picture said to- be Of him,
still hanging in the old gallery Of Il cas-
tie, which among al others never failsto
attract an admiring gaze. The features
are strictly regular but are saved from
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