The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-03
AN EVENINGS ADVENTURE AT A
SCOTCH INN.

On an evening Of November, ls45, |
found myself the solitary incumbent Of the
| travellers room Of the snug little inn at
Lyndon, in Scotland. In frame Of mind,
was liStlcss, indolcnt-to0 lazy to bc ret
| ful and too solitary ~ bc altogether COM
Portable. had swallowed three tumbiers
Of toddy. each mellowcd by is accompa-
nying cigar, without producing any. change
beyond an increase Of my INCIDENCE ana =
tendency 10 nap. The yeW trces WIN
grew in tic churchyard, that stood on .nc
opposite side Of the way, had gradual! ~.
come DARK, and more dark, a. Ioo"co u
them the autumn wind gently swaylnS the
lighter branches TO and fro, agaihs, 'le
dnll skv beyond. One By one the head
stones disappeared frst the old, then 'm ~,
new. The Old bclfry, the wlhtcwa3hed vans
Of which had made the room seem Ign,
even AFTER sunset, had given in, and looAeu
sonbre rs all which surrounded H.. ..
| had begun to nap in my CHAIR, a. !,
vo. too early to 90 to bed, when The SOUND
nf IN, mail rafting through the street I'M
| .,,,tI..a mo once more to the window. l.
s,,np.d tor an instant, and, to my ihhh,'c
crnsola,ioo. deposited passenger NJ Tue
dnnr of .mInc inn" "Ine night II ho'
,,.., .I,oy.,h.r lost" thought |; w'll nave
| .,,,.,ling To interest me NOW; II not :"
| chat with. at least 10 look at OF u ~ .'N
,;th ar 10 quarrel with, "r-aIIytni"S
| rather than this dormant, thuilo-sucN i'IS
use of time" The step OF iiS,ie ioV' l"i
| Iuwed by the tramp oil heavy hl''" III W
| I,l,bv on the stair crowned my hopes ah,'
Murtha. the maid, Immediately appear
u.hcrIny in a bundle OF wearing aPPu'' :,
consisting chiefly of muitl"rS, oo"'>' anu
greatcoat. surmouutcd 10y hat 'n" o'',S
| ',I;,rsa If humanity that could he on
aimed being a portion OF n nose, much re-
srmhlipr the toes OF crab IN fofhlatloh
the color rich, rare, FURNISHED red.
U,mlet's churchyard acquaintance,
the grave digger, might, for aueht Know
uo,.r~S Il more extensive wardrobe III "aISt-
coats. but ! would have backed the new
conner. for any odds, in greatcnafs. one
nv one they fell from his shoulders, III
wondered how he had managed to carry
,hcm-and then how the mail had under
taken the transmission OF such mass.
Cra,tcnat after rreatcoat fell from his
,boulders: muller after nuii!!er from MS
neck. till stripped to KIND oi covering
that halted midway between greatcoat
and a surtout, and Il WOODEN ncckercthcf not
smaller than Il blanket, the stranger, IN MS
"habit as he lived" took lis place on the
opposltc side OF the Fireplace, ani draw
ing his hands across his eyes, and his legs
70 the fender, he rang the bell.
"StiT aud hot said the stranger to
Martha, who appeared, and Immediately
withdrew.
| looked at the stranger as he warmed
his purple pointed fingers at the blaze.
There was something in his appearance
which raised feeling Of dislike Ill my
miud-although, il asked the reason, |
probably could not give one. / scanned
him from the boots 10 the WiSp oi haIr,
half gray, half black, which hung Ike
Icadcn water. spout over lis forehead. Ny
dislike grew Is | gaHed. | felt KIND .!
iidsctty feeling; | was disappointed. |
thought Of retiring TO bed, wien recol-
iectcd that had not yet spoken 10 him
to leave without doing 50 would have been
absolute rudenrss. | said, Mild weather
Tor travelling, Si.."
alt is" said the strange, fixing lis
eyes on ne a. il Lo had observed my pre-
,eucg in tuc room for the first time. Ii
my dislike was great when ! looked Al nun,
+ grew Greater. now that he lou..cG - me.
such ewes thew were neither bLcn, blue,
nlzci, nor gray, but kind o! neutral TAT,
which | cannot give Il name to; ana vel
they sparklcd like cats; bright, piercing,
.lnv seemed almost to stand out from
under the penthouse ot his browS, looking
III and down iAuc which appeared rs
the outer skin had been peeled OF, and
the under cuticc suddenly frozen, 50 red
was it--not the richness OF health, but an
uncarthlv, dark, crimson LUg, Ike stain
of blood on tOwel.
"Mail fall tonight, sir? " said /, making
an attempt to overcome a djSilN" which
seemed to have now reached lis CLIMAX.
" Nobody outside but myself" said he,
a he wriggled his nose into lis tnmbler.
was in momcntary expectation ~ seeing
the mixture ignite from the fiery QHajtty
If his facial protuberauce. 1.-THE uose-
avoided the collision, however, by dex-
ferrous Jerk, which could only have been
obtained ny long practice. TIE liquid dld
not take tire, although it appeared coIi>'de-
rab,y dimjui>hcd-probab!y absorbed 10y
thc Intense heat.
Another halt-hour elapsed, while puff
ci my cigar with all the energy my lungs
would permit. The stranger ordered glass
after glass Of " stiff aud hot while | me-
chauicalIv followed his example. Ny
friends tell me ct pro,y when elevated !;
my readers may think am 81 now. had
gazed 80 long in the face ot, the stranger
that | wondered how il would ioJi from
the other side Of the room. ltred the eX-
pertinent without satisfying myself either
one way or other. Tie churchyard caught
nv eve, and | again venturcd an obscrVa-
ton. Bad taste To stick those gravcyardS
always in the centre Of a town" said !.
every inconvcnient," said he. "ThoSe
who did so were no friends TO science"
The remark puzzled me. "ln which
way ?" said |.
"Whv. Won see" said he, ga subject
can't be got without running great risk"
"And yet there is no lack Of subjects
for the Schools" said |.
GAY, but the risk that is rum" said he.
/" No later than yesterday, two gentlemen,
or at least one Of them, was nearly made
subject of himself III his endeayors TO
benefit posterity."
Something to interest me now, thought
Las | settled in my chair. allow was
that. sir ?" inquired. He began:
alt was rumorcd in Edinburgh that
case of more than usual interest had been
inferred in the churchyard Of, some
miles from this. Something handsome was
offered for the purpose OF securing IL INT
men who had never been known To Sickle
before, fought rather shy Of this. from
the state Of feeling lately evinced In two
or three aiflirs of the same Kind, the at
tempt was very hazardous one. DR..
- offered still more handsomely, as
he was anxious to procure the subject in
question to illustrate a course o! lectures